In day-to-day practice, insomnia is rarely “just a sleep problem.” More often, it’s a 24-hour hyperarousal state - an overactive mind + sympathetic tone + HPA-axis activation that keeps patients stuck in light, fragmented sleep.
Clinical guidelines still place CBT-I as first-line for chronic insomnia, with medications considered when clinically indicated and after benefit-risk discussion. In that reality, many physicians are looking for options that can support sleep architecture without trading away next-day clarity.
Relax-Aid PM was built to target the three most common physiologic drivers I see behind “tired but wired” insomnia:
- GABAergic quieting (racing thoughts, somatic tension)
- Stress physiology support (cortisol disruption, anxiety-linked wakefulness)
- Circadian timing support (sleep-wake rhythm misalignment)
Why so many insomnia cases are really stress physiology (not "low melatonin")
The modern insomnia phenotype often looks like this: the patient is exhausted, yet their system won’t downshift. Persistent cognitive-emotional arousal and physiologic activation are now central to most contemporary models of insomnia disorder.
This is why purely sedating approaches can miss the mark. When we only “knock patients out,” we may reduce symptoms short-term, but we don’t necessarily restore healthy sleep depth and continuity, and we can create next-day cognitive drag.
Important caution for OTC sleep aids: many antihistamine-based products (e.g., diphenhydramine/doxylamine) carry significant anticholinergic burden. Large cohort data associate higher cumulative strong anticholinergic exposure with increased dementia risk, reinforcing the need for safer long-term strategies.
Relax-Aid PM formula
Per 2 capsules, taken 30-60 minutes before bed. Patients should start with 1 capsule and titrate to 2 capsules as tolerated.
- Passionflower extract (Passiflora incarnata; aerial parts; 3.5% total flavonoids) - 500 mg
- Clinical intent: Reduce stress-linked insomnia, ease sleep initiation, support subjective sleep quality.
- Evidence note: A recent randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study reported improved sleep quality in stress-associated insomnia with Passiflora incarnata extract.
- Mechanistic note (clinician): Traditionally associated with GABAergic calming and reduced central arousal (helpful when the patient can’t “turn the brain off”).
- Ashwagandha root extract (Withania somnifera; 5% withanolides) - 450 mg
- Clinical intent: Lower stress reactivity and support sleep depth/continuity - especially when insomnia tracks with anxiety, rumination, or evening “second wind.”
- Evidence note: Randomized placebo-controlled human data show standardized ashwagandha extracts can improve sleep quality measures in adults over weeks of use.
- Mechanistic note (clinician): Adaptogenic stress modulation (HPA-axis signaling) is the core rationale - for the patient whose insomnia is “stress physiology on repeat.”
- Valerian root extract (0.8% valerenic acid) - 400 mg
- Clinical intent: Support GABAergic tone for a quieter mind and more relaxed body.
- Evidence note: Systematic reviews note valerian may improve subjective sleep quality, though results across trials are mixed and study quality varies; safety is generally favorable.
- Practical pearl: Often fits best when patients describe muscle tension, restlessness, or light/fragmented sleep more than pure circadian delay.
- Apigenin - 100 mg
- Clinical intent: Neurocalming support for “busy brain” insomnia.
- Evidence note: A chamomile-derived flavonoid discussed for GABAergic and anxiolytic-adjacent effects; human data are stronger for chamomile extracts than isolated apigenin.
- Positioning: Supportive - not a stand-alone lever.
- Saffron flower extract (0.3% safranal) - 25 mg
- Clinical intent: Improve sleep quality while supporting stress/mood - helpful when insomnia and anxiety/depressive symptoms travel together.
- Evidence note: Randomized controlled data suggest standardized saffron extracts (commonly 20-30 mg/day) may reduce insomnia symptoms and stress over ~4 weeks; other controlled work in older adults reports improvements in subjective and objective sleep parameters.
- Melatonin - 6 mg
- Clinical intent: Circadian timing support - especially sleep-onset difficulty, travel/shift disruption, and “I can’t get sleepy at the right time.”
- Evidence note: Dose-response meta-analytic work suggests melatonin’s sleep benefits may peak around ~4 mg/day for some outcomes; other evidence syntheses show mixed results in chronic primary insomnia - supporting a start-low, titrate, reassess approach.
- Clinician framing: Melatonin is not a blunt sedative; it is a chronobiotic signal. Used intelligently, it can help re-anchor timing so patients can build deeper, more consistent sleep.
How to use Relax-Aid PM in practice
Dosing (recommended)
- Start 1 capsule 30-60 minutes before bed for 3-7 nights.
- Increase to 2 capsules nightly as needed/tolerated.
- Typical clinical trial windows for botanicals are 4-8+ weeks, so plan follow-up rather than judging in 48 hours.
Best-fit patient profiles
- “Tired but wired” insomnia (stress, rumination, evening cortisol pattern).
- Sleep fragmentation with a tense body / light sleep.
- Patients seeking alternatives to anticholinergic OTC sleep aids or next-day “hangover” approaches.
Integrate (don’t isolate)
Guidelines emphasize CBT-I first-line for chronic insomnia. Relax-Aid PM is designed to support physiology while you address drivers: stimulant timing, alcohol, pain, reflux, apnea risk, circadian habits, and anxiety load.
Safety, interactions, and clinical cautions
Use appropriate clinical judgment, especially with polypharmacy or complex patients.
Use caution / avoid when appropriate:
- Concurrent sedatives, hypnotics, or alcohol (additive sedation risk).
- Pregnancy/lactation (insufficient safety data for this combination).
- Thyroid disease / autoimmune conditions (ashwagandha may not be appropriate for every patient).
- Patients on anticoagulants/antiplatelets (botanical prudence).
- SSRI/SNRI polypharmacy + mood complexity: saffron is generally well-tolerated in studied doses, but monitor clinically.
Quality assurance (what your colleagues want to know)
Physicians should be able to trust what’s on the label. Every batch of Relax-Aid PM is third-party tested to verify identity, strength, and purity, and is manufactured in a GMP and FDA-registered facility. (Manufacturer quality documentation available on request.)
The clinical takeaway
If insomnia is hyperarousal-driven (and in my experience, it often is), your best results come from calming the system, supporting stress physiology, and re-anchoring circadian rhythm - without sacrificing next-day cognition.
Relax-Aid PM was built for that purpose.
Sleep deep. Wake clear. Live well.
References (key sources)
Qaseem A, et al. Management of Chronic Insomnia Disorder in Adults (ACP guideline, 2016).
Sateia MJ, et al. AASM Clinical Practice Guideline: Pharmacologic Treatment of Chronic Insomnia (2017).
Gray SL, et al. Cumulative Use of Strong Anticholinergics and Incident Dementia (JAMA Intern Med, 2015).
Richardson K, et al. Anticholinergic drugs and risk of dementia (BMJ, 2018).
Harit MK, et al. Passiflora incarnata extract trial (2024).
Deshpande A, et al. Ashwagandha and sleep quality RCT (2020).
NIH ODS Health Professional Fact Sheet: Ashwagandha (updated 2025).
Bent S, et al. Valerian systematic review/meta-analysis (2006).
Shinjyo N, et al. Valerian review (2020).
Kramer DJ, et al. Apigenin and sleep-focused review (2024).
Schuster J, et al. Saffron extract and sleep quality RCT (2025).
Lang L, et al. Standardized saffron extract and sleep outcomes (2025).
Cruz-Sanabria F, et al. Melatonin dose-response meta-analysis (2024).
Hamel C, et al. Melatonin for the Treatment of Insomnia: A 2022 Update (evidence synthesis).