Combined Effects of Prunus Cerasus (Montmorency Tart Cherry) and Apocynum Venetum (Venetron^®) On Sleep and Anxiety in Adults with Insomnia

Abstract

Purpose: Sleep aids derived from traditional plant medicines are strong candidates for safely improving insomnia but require wider validation in patient populations. Methods: We conducted an open label trial of the impact of a compound, Sip2Sleep, containing Montmorency tart cherry (prunus cerasus) extract and Venetron (apocynum venetum) on subjective sleep quality, subjective daytime alertness, sleep duration, sleep latency, anxiety, and insomnia in 43 adults with moderate to severe insomnia. Participants collected data over four weeks, with the sleep aid consumed prior to bed during weeks two and four. Results: The Montmorency tart cherry and Venetron mixture statistically improved subjective sleep quality, daytime alertness, insomnia symptoms, and anxiety without impacting sleep duration and latency. Subjective improvements in sleep quality exhibited a statistical upward trend across the entire study window, suggesting potential persistence of the compounds days after consumption and greater improvement with longer-term consumption. Conclusions: The combination of Montmorency tart cherry and Venetron in this commercially available tincture is a promising sleep aid warranting further investigation in larger trials.