Scientific Research on Maharishi Ayurveda

Insomnia Research Study #1

Title
A randomized-controlled trial of the effects of a traditional herbal supplement on sleep onset insomnia 

Publication
Complementary Therapies in Medicine, Vol. 11, pp. 223-225, 2003.

Authors
N. H. Farag and P.J. Mills

Conducted at
Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Diego, USA

Summary

The study objective was to examine the effectiveness and safety of the traditional herbal supplement Blissful Sleep on sleep onset insomnia. The study design was double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled and cross-over.  25 healthy volunteers (ranging from 20-65 years old) experiencing sleep onset insomnia were recruited from the general population to participate in the study. Blissful Sleep was given to one group and a placebo to a control group. Sleep latency was then measured.  Blissful Sleep led to a statistically significant decrease in sleep latency of 16.72 (SD = 44.8) minutes as compared to the placebo (p= 0.003). No side-effects were reported. The study findings suggest that traditional herbal supplements may be of significant benefit to patients suffering from sleep onset insomnia while avoiding the negative side effects of commonly prescribed hypnotics.