Hops: A Hidden Secret to Natural Sleep Support?

If we say hops, do you think beer? With a bit of glass lifting cheer going on, whether it be weekend celebrations or an after work bevvy, alcohol is often a key component of many social occasions that may leave the drinker a little sleepy at the end of the night! 

Hops, often associated with its use in beer brewing, offers far more than you think. This remarkable plant, derived from the Humulus lupulus species, has been used for centuries in traditional medicine, particularly for its calming natural sedative effects. While a pint of beer may make you feel drowsy, it’s the hops within that play a key role in relaxation. 

While there's nothing wrong with a wee tipple if that's what tickles your fancy, you might also want to be aware of some of the health impacts excessive alcohol consumption can have - and we don't just mean the hangover and the horror karaoke memories! 

One of the biggest problems alcohol can cause is sleep disturbance. Although it my initially have a sedative effect it also causes subsequent disrupted, poor quality sleep later in the night which means you you wake up feeling sleep deprived and depleted. 

But happy days, we’ve got healthier way to consume hops minus the hangover daze!

We’ve captured the powerful soothing sleep-inducing sedative properties of hops in our Lights Out™ Lotion, a natural sleep cream designed to help you unwind and drift into a restful slumber.  It's time for you to enjoy a sweeter, deeper sleep and wake feeling refreshed and ready to go!

Hops is renowned for its ability to promote better sleep and relaxation. Here’s how it works:

Natural Sedative: Hops contains compounds like humulene, lupuline, and xanthohumol, which have sedative effects on the central nervous system. These compounds promote relaxation, reduce tension and anxiety, and help your body and mind prepare for restful sleep.

GABA Activity: Hops stimulates gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that reduces nervous system activity and promotes relaxation. By calming the brain and reducing stress, GABA makes it easier to fall and stay asleep, significantly improving sleep quality.

Stress and Anxiety Relief: The soothing effects of hops can help reduce stress and anxiety, both common culprits behind restless nights. This relaxation not only makes it easier to fall asleep but also helps you achieve a deeper, more restorative rest.

Circadian Rhythm Regulation: Hops can aid in regulating your body’s circadian rhythm, the internal clock that dictates when you should sleep and wake. If your sleep cycle is off balance, hops can help realign it for more consistent, restful nights.

While hops is famous for its sleep-enhancing abilities, it has additional therapeutic benefits:

Anti-inflammatory: Hops contains alpha acids with potent anti-inflammatory properties, making it useful for reducing pain, swelling, or discomfort. This is beneficial for those dealing with sore muscles, joints or other musculoskeletal conditions.

Anti-bacterial and Anti-fungal: Hops has been used traditionally for its antibacterial and antifungal properties, helping to fight infections, reduce inflammation, soothe irritated skin, and promote healthier, clearer, and more balanced skin naturally.

Mood Enhancer: By reducing anxiety and inducing relaxation, hops can improve mood, boost mental clarity, and enhance emotional well-being, making it helpful for managing mild symptoms of depression, stress, and nervous tension.

Anti-oxidant: Hops is rich in antioxidants, particularly xanthohumol, which can help protect the body against oxidative stress, supporting overall health, potentially improving skin health and reducing the risk of inflammatory conditions.

Have you ever wondered why a beer can leave you feeling ready for a nap? While alcohol itself is a depressant, the hops used in beer contains natural sedative compounds that promote relaxation and sleepiness. The hops enter your body through your mouth, working their calming magic, just as they do when applied topically, as in our Lights Out™ Lotion.

However, while that initial sleepiness might feel nice, long-term or excessive alcohol consumption can actually have the opposite effect on sleep. Alcohol disrupts your ability to enter deep, restorative REM sleep, causing you to wake up feeling unrefreshed or groggy. So while beer might make you drowsy in the short term, it ultimately worsens sleep quality over time.

Even more concerning, regular beer consumption can contribute to health conditions like gout. Beer contains purines, which break down into uric acid. High levels of uric acid can lead to gout, a painful joint condition that often strikes at night, further disrupting sleep.

The good news? You don’t need to drink beer to enjoy the sleep-promoting benefits of hops. Our Lights Out™ Lotion natural sleep cream delivers these benefits through your skin, allowing you to experience restful sleep without the drawbacks of alcohol.

Hops is a delicate plant, and its cultivation requires care. The cones—the flowers of the hops plant—are harvested at just the right moment to preserve their rich concentration of beneficial compounds. Timing is key, as harvesting too early or late can impact the potency of the essential oils within. Once harvested, hops are dried and processed to maintain their healing properties. This traditional method ensures the highest quality for use in both natural remedies and products like our sleep-enhancing Lights Out™ Lotion.

In our Lights Out™ Lotion, hops is paired with other synergistic natural ingredients like valerian and chamomile to create a powerful, holistic sleep aid. Together, these ingredients work to help you unwind, reduce anxiety, and drift into deeper, more restorative sleep. Whether you’re looking for a solution to occasional restlessness or more chronic sleep issues, our Lights Out™ Lotion offers a natural way to support your body’s relaxation and recovery.

Ready to experience the relaxing power of hops without the downsides of alcohol? Try our Lights Out™ Lotion and enjoy the sleep-promoting benefits that this incredible plant has to offer.