dōTERRA Serenity Restful Complex Clinical Study

DoTERRA’s research group recently published a new study, adding to its growing list of scientific publications, and this one is a bit unique. First, while most of the previous studies dealt with the biological activity of essential oils, this study examined the quality of sleep and one of doTERRA’s newest and most popular dietary supplements. Second, it was a human clinical study conducted here on doTERRA’s campus, with our own staff as participants. doTERRA Serenity Restful Complex Softgels were released at the 2016 convention because doTERRA saw the need to address one of the most underappreciated aspects of lifelong health and vitality: sleep.

The need to sleep

Sleep quantity and quality is associated with almost every metric of health and well-being. Recent scientific research has produced an almost endless amount of data on the importance of sleep and health. Meeting recommended sleep guidelines and having good sleep hygiene is associated with increased quality of life and prolonged health.

• It is also directly associated with reduced risk for many health problems.
• Good sleep has been shown to have a positive impact on diet and exercise habits and a direct influence on weight management.
• And for the more than 25% of American adults who do not meet generally recommended guidelines for sleep and more than 9 million who regularly use products to help with sleep, improvement in this area is one thing that could make a big difference in their lives.

Although there are many commercial options and a growing number of herbal and natural alternatives, little research has been done on their safety and effectiveness.

Although there is clinical and experimental research to suggest that consumption of the individual components of doTERRA Serenity Restful Complex Softgels (Lavender essential oil, L-theanine, lemon balm, passion flower, and chamomile) can help in various parameters of sleep quality, what was really needed was human clinical data on the final product.

The study

In the recently published study, doTERRA scientists recruited 62 healthy adults who occasionally had trouble sleeping to put doTERRA Serenity Restful Complex Softgels to the test. Participants were divided into placebo and test groups and subjected to a 6-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. The study included a 1-week washout period in which no study products or other sleep aids were used, followed by a 2-week intervention in which participants received either the study product or a placebo, then another 1-week washout, and finally another 2-week intervention that included the opposite product.

During the intervention periods, participants were asked to swallow two softgels every night, 30 minutes before bedtime. Participants and researchers had no knowledge for the product used during the intervention periods. Participants also completed a validated sleep quality assessment questionnaire (Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire, or LSEQ) prior to the study and at the end of each week during the 6-week study period, as well as a diary containing general information on sleep time, physical activity, caffeine intake and other objective data related to sleep efficiency. A total of 51 participants completed the survey.

The results

The results? If you have already integrated doTERRA Serenity Restful Complex Softgels into your daily supplement regimen, the results of this study will not surprise you. During the intervention periods, including the study product, participants reported (on the LSEQ) statistically significant improvements in falling asleep, balance and coordination upon awakening, ease of awakening and alertness after awakening compared with the placebo and washout periods. Moreover, all parameters evaluated from the sleep diaries, with the exception of duration of awakening, showed better scores when participants took the study product than when they took the placebo, although the differences did not reach statistical significance. No serious side effects were reported either.

Conclusion

Although this study was small-scale and short-term, it provides further clinical evidence in support of previous research suggesting that internal consumption of Lavender essential oil, L-theanine, lemon balm, passion flower, and chamomile can improve the parameters of sleep quality and that doTERRA Serenity Restful Complex Softgels can serve as an effective and more natural alternative to single-component sleep products. To promote the restful sleep you need for optimal health, try incorporating doTERRA Serenity Restful Complex Softgels into your daily bedtime routine.