Edinburgh GP develops supplement to help stressed insomniacs sleep
An Edinburgh GP has used her professional and personal experiences to develop a ground-breaking supplement aimed at helping people struggling to sleep due to stress.
Dr Clara Doran has been a GP for more than two decades. Ten years ago, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and, after suffering from brain fog, fatigue and anxiety, she realised the significance of lifestyle and nutrition for brain health.
Dr Doran studied sleep medicine at the University of Edinburgh and functional medicine with the Institute of Functional Medicine before founding Noggin The Brain People, focusing on supplements, motivation and education about brain health. The mum-of-one also wrote the book Heads Up - how to look after your brain so it will look after you, filled with practical advice on brain care, reports Surrey Live.
Many people struggle with relaxing and de-stressing enough after a tough day to get a decent night's sleep. A survey by Restorez found that 65% of respondents rarely wake up feeling rejuvenated and energised, leaving them often seeking ways to try and improve their sleep quality.
While many of us have tried and tested strategies to sleep, if the various hacks, tips and tricks fail due to a build-up of anxiety, things can become even more daunting and stressful - causing a frustrating and exhausting cycle. Dr Doran's supplement, Pause from Noggin, is designed to calm the mind, encourage relaxation and aid a restful sleep. It is free from fillers, additives or unnecessary ingredients.
Pause is a part of a range of supplements developed by Dr Doran in collaboration with female nutritionists Dr Charlotte Heald and Shona Wilkinson. It features a unique mix of botanicals, minerals and medicinal mushrooms, chosen specifically for their clinically proven brain-supportive and nootropic properties.
All the ingredients have been researched and clinically tested, offering reassurance that the products will be effective.
The Pause supplement includes key natural ingredients designed to boost brain health and alleviate stress and anxiety, such as the adaptogenic herb Ashwagandha. Originating from India, Ashwagandha is known for its ability to balance body and mind, reduce cortisol levels, enhance GABA receptors, regulate serotonin, and protect the brain from oxidative damage.
The formula also contains lemon balm, l-theanine, hop extract, rhodiola rosea, and lion's mane mushroom. For best results, customers are recommended to take 1-2 capsules with food daily.
However, those who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or on medication should consult their healthcare provider before use, and the product is not meant to replace a varied diet and healthy lifestyle.
Natural supplements have become increasingly popular as a way to tackle stress and encourage better sleep, with shoppers keen to avoid prescription medicatioon. Elsewhere, JSHealth's Calm + De-Stress 60 Tablets, available at Boots for £15.99, are designed to promote calmness and mental wellbeing with a mix of adaptogens, herbs, and vitamins.
Meanwhile, Bach's RESCUE Peaceful Night 30 Capsules cost £18.25 from Holland & Barrett and are vegan-friendly capsules aimed at supporting a peaceful night's sleep.
On Noggins' website, Pause has received high praise with an average 4.9 out of 5-star rating. One pleased customer commented: "I've been taking PAUSE for 3 weeks and already feel much calmer and my sleep is so much better."
Another said: "I've been trying PAUSE for a few weeks and seen a difference. It has helped relax me when I feel anxious and quite stressed throughout the day which then affects my sleep at night. For the first time in years I had a full night's sleep and it's improved my overall mood."
However, the product hasn't worked for everyone, with one reviewer noting: "It didn't seem to work for me."
Still, another user experienced notable benefits, stating: "I've been going through a lot of stress at home and couldn't sleep as a result. I've been taking PAUSE for a week and it has made it easier to shut my worries off when I go to bed and actually get some sleep. I'm now less stressed and anxious when I wake up which is such a relief."
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"As soon as we lower the limit then there's a risk people will think it's ok to sleep for less time."Cat napping?"Unfortunately not," he says, "Our bodies have very different reactions to naps through the day, and eventually if we tried to make up the hours we were missing overnight by sleeping through the day, we would struggle to fall asleep at night."But all is not lost, nappers among us - there are studies that suggest a short snooze in the day can keep the brain youthful, and even compensate for poor or broken sleep the night Johal suggests that for those who struggle to get the recommended amount, try to target a few nights of good sleep a week, and just being "more aware that sleep is so important". Emily and Lucy are two avid walkers from Manchester. But alongside their love of walking, the two women share a less healthy trait: they struggle to nod off because of their they say the target of seven hours sleep a night is something they "are working towards". 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While moderate strength training and physical activity is vital for maintaining muscle mass, she says, as well as resistance to injuries and supporting our immune systems, you have to adapt the recommendations to fit with your life."Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise people," she says. "This phrase really does apply here."I have friends who do nothing - and that really does show, I say, 'You're walking like an 80-year-old!'"But if you are doing one strength session a week and some moderate exercise then that is definitely a good thing, just try and do more if you can."She uses an analogy of a highway - the more things we can do to stay healthy the wider the road, which, in turn means we can go off course sometimes without careering up a grassy verge."All those benchmarks are interlinked - you can't just do one healthy thing and ignore the rest. Equally you don't need to put so much pressure on yourself to achieve them all."This attitude chimes with Emily and Lucy, who say they happily "chip away" at some of the health benchmarks."For example, we might do five minutes of meditation [which is] better than nothing, but we wouldn't stress about not hitting the recommended goal." Mindfulness (10 mins a day) Through its Every Mind Matters campaign, the NHS recommends 10 minutes of mindfulness a day. Basically, instead of pondering the future or thinking about the past, you pay attention to the moment, noticing what is going on inside and outside of ourselves, letting our thoughts pass by without studies suggest activities like mindfulness can have a positive effect and also help change the structure of the Natasha Tiwari, founder of The Veda Group, says 10 minutes is a good start to "give the mind time to settle, and the brain enough time to truly benefit" from the process of many of us lead busy lives, and to carve out 10 minutes in the day can be a luxury. In some respects, could having these targets make life more stressful?Ms Tiwari disagrees - it's less about the time spent and more about the awareness of mindfulness and bringing it to our everyday lives."Even brief pauses," she explains, "can still have a positive impact". Most experts I've spoken to agree that while benchmarks are useful, and simplicity is key, it's better not to fixate on a number. Rather, find a way to incorporate a healthy outlook to diet, exercise and mental health into everyday sitting for some time writing this, I am going to sign off - there is another health benchmark I've just come across: limiting sitting down to less than eight hours a day. So, I had better get moving.
