Chill-out sleep by Vilgain
For my next sleep test, I chose the Vilgain Chillax (natural herbal complex for calming, relaxation, and better sleep), moving testing from…
For my next sleep test, I chose the Vilgain Chillax (natural herbal complex for calming, relaxation, and better sleep), moving testing from CBD to herbs.
One of my previous tests was focusing on cannabinoids.
Product and composition
The composition of the product can be found below. I have to say that I was really looking forward to testing it, as it contains my favorite sleep herbs Valerian and Lemon Balm, as well as L-theanine, which I have been experimenting with outside of sleep testing.
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)
Valerian is such a herbal sleep evergreen and has been known for its medicinal effects practically since the Middle Ages.
If we look into studies and meta-analyses, we reach a sphere of similar results as in the case of cannabinoids. That is to say, “valerian may improve sleep quality, but no firm conclusions can be drawn” — such as in this meta-analysis [1]:
Valerian is generally associated with a calming of the body and thus better readiness for sleep.
Melissa officinalis
Wikipedia says that melissa leaf tea reduces stress, calms, relaxes, and makes sleep more pleasant.
The manufacturer itself refers on its website to a study [2] that reports that “…treatment with lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) leaf extract improves mild to moderate anxiety disorders, associated symptoms, and insomnia in humans.”
But on the other hand, the study calls for further studies, with more participants, inclusion of a placebo group, etc.
However, the positive effect on sleep is also suggested by another study [3], which concludes that melissa supplementation resulted in “significant reductions in depression, anxiety, stress, and sleep disturbance scores compared to the placebo group.”
Passiflora incarnata
Passiflora is a fast-growing perennial vine with climbing or trailing stems.
It is used to treat nervous tension and insomnia. This clinical double-blind placebo-controlled study [4] showed that in the treatment of insomnia, there was a “significant increase in TST (total sleep time)” in the group that took passionflower.
Chamomile
Chamomile has been used as a medicinal plant for thousands of years and is known for its soothing effects.
L-theanine
L-theanine is an amino acid found in green tea. It’s my favorite substance to experiment with in bulletproof coffees. It promotes the production of α-waves in the brain, inducing a state of relaxation without causing drowsiness, it also promotes concentration and productivity.
While studying L-theanine I came across an interesting study [5] that talks about how L-theanine may help reduce the risk of upper respiratory tract infections. And if infection already occurs, I recommend immediate treatment with zinc, more in my article below:
https://medium.com/@fitnesator/common-cold-zinc-that-works-60e1b01edcd
Magnesium
Magnesium is contained in the product in a high quality, well absorbed form of bis-glycinate. It contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system and muscles, to normal mental activity, and helps to reduce the level of fatigue and exhaustion. I normally use Magnesium Bisglycinate in this chelate form as well.
Anyway, all the ingredients have a decent sleep potential and we can’t leave out in the evaluation their possible synergy, and also the positive effect on other aspects of our body. For example, antioxidant effects, immunity support, digestion, anxiety reduction, etc.
Dosage and usage
They say: “Mix 1 serving size (5 g = 1/2 of scoop) with 200 ml of water and drink within 30 minutes.”
The very first time you open the product, you will notice the very “interesting” smell. In fact, you could say it stinks a little bit.
Other reviewers agree with this (see here). The taste itself doesn’t offend but doesn’t excite (and some are put off by it, see below), I wouldn’t guess the forest fruit flavor.
Testing
The main period is the 7 nights without product use, which serves as the baseline to which we will refer and against which we will compare the second week, i.e. the 7 nights with product use.
What I test with
The testing arsenal also remains the same, Oura ring 3 + mainly the Dreem2 EEG Headband, which is the benchmark for non-laboratory measurement of sleep metrics, especially sleep phases, qualitatively at the level of polysomnography, which opens the way for sleep studies (and in my case, tests).
What I am tracking
The sleep metrics that will be tracked are as follows:
HRV (Heart Rate Variability) — heart rate variability, a sort of showcase of our autonomic nervous system. In general, the higher the better. [ms]
Resting HR (Heart Rate) — heart rate during sleep. Generally the lower the better [beats per minute]
Sleep Efficiency — the proportion of time actually spent asleep. [time in %]
Respiratory rate — the number of breaths per minute during sleep.
REM — a sleep phase characterized by eye movement associated with dreaming, sorting memories, learning, and creativity. [time or % relative to total sleep time]
Deep sleep — the most restorative sleep phase associated with muscle growth and recovery. [time or % relative to total sleep time]
Light sleep — the sleep phase normally accounting for up to 50% of total sleep volume, light sleep begins the sleep cycle. [time or % of total sleep time]
Wakeful sleep — time spent falling asleep, waking or staying awake. [time or % relative to total sleep time]
Position change — the number of times the body turns during sleep.
How I test
It is important for both testing phases to avoid various interferences (distortions), so it is necessary to maintain as perfect a sleep routine as possible for both weeks. Therefore, I have set some rules, below the most important ones:
1) ⏰ Approximately the same bedtime (9:00–9:30 pm) and wake-up time (6:30–7:00 am).
2) ☕ No caffeine after 2 pm.
3) 🍺 Alcohol in the form of max one beer (no later than mid-afternoon).
4) 🥪 Food no later than 8:00 pm.
5) 🏃 No extraordinary physical activities.
6) 🌇 Put on red glasses 90 minutes before bedtime to eliminate blue light affecting melatonin production etc.
7) 💊Consistent diet and supplementation for both weeks.
8) 📚 Reading before bed, no TV or cell phones.
Testing results
Before interpreting the results, I would like to point out one more thing. Namely, how much sleep is of good quality, if a person follows strictly the rules I mentioned above… this alone could be enough for good sleep.
But let’s make it even better :-)
Feelings
It is difficult to avoid the placebo effect feeling, but I have to say that after drinking the cocktail, fatigue was quite pleasant within half an hour, sleep was continuous and uninterrupted, and I felt refreshed in the morning. The application of the product did not affect dreaming de facto at all.
Data
There was virtually no difference in the HRV, HR, and Breathing Frequency metrics, and oddly enough, no difference in the sleep efficiency from Dreem2. From the Oura measurements, this metric was calculated with a 5% improvement (90 vs 95).
More interesting to interpret are the sleep metrics, REM sleep phase remained practically the same (this would correspond to normal dreaming), deep sleep improved (i.e. deepened) by 4% actually at the expense of the light sleep phase. That’s a significant extra 25 minutes of deep sleep on average!
Corresponding with the more restful and deeper sleep was a 15% decrease in sleep positions or changes in sleep positions during the night.
Conclusion
The purchase of the Vilgain Chillax product was, as usual, at my expense. I, therefore, consider my sleep test, including the interpretation of the measured data, to be independent and transparent.
Let’s run through some basic arithmetic. 150 g product, 5 g daily dose = 30 applications. Chillax currently costs 11,99 €, so one dose is 0,4 €.
And if 0,4 € equals up to 25 minutes more deep sleep, I consider that a pretty good deal.
Even considering the other reviews, it is noticeable that you may not like the smell/taste of the product, but it is possible to try only as 10g pack.
In short, for me the product in a good price&performance ratio, the formula makes sense, and according to the measured data it works and promotes quality sleep.
[+]
- Price per daily dose,
- significant prolongation of deep sleep,
- interesting mix of herbs and other substances,
- product information and reviews on the web.
[-]
- Very controversial product odor and taste,
- confusing measuring cup (1 is for 2 doses)
Resources and studies
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4394901/
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3230760/
[3] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2405457717305144
[5] https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/66/2/96/1863312
P.S. Some links are affiliates. If you’re considering spinning the wheels of the economy and doing it through my link, it will be a welcome balancing of energy in the universe ;)
