This week I’ve been testing Neuro Rest, an over the counter sleep aid that’s made in the United Kingdom.
It follows the growing trend of making non-prescription sleep aids with a wide range of ingredients.
On paper, they always sound impressive, but the important question is whether they actually work or not.
And because Neuro Rest is marketed as a food supplement, it falls into the grey area of not requiring the stricter regulation of pharmaceutical sleeping pills.
In this review, I’ll be describing how well it worked for me, and taking a closer look at the interesting combination of ingredients.
My experience
The instructions tell you to take 1 capsule of Neuro Rest per night for the first 4 nights, 30 minutes before going to sleep.
From the fifth night onwards you can then take 2 capsules. I’m not sure why they recommend this dosage increase, and I haven’t seen that procedure in other sleep aids.
The first night
Whenever I test a new sleep aid or herbal remedy, I like to stay awake reading to see if I can notice a clear sedative effect.
Sometimes you can feel a light sedation. But more often than not, there’s no noticeable effect – even if you then seem to sleep better.
With Neuro Rest, neither of those happened. I didn’t notice any sedative effect, and I don’t feel that I slept any differently than I normally would.
It still took me a while to fall asleep, even after I stopped reading. I still got up a couple of times in the night, and I woke up early the next morning as usual.
No side effects
On the plus side, I had no noticeable side effects. Even with non-prescription sleeping pills, you sometimes get side effects like morning grogginess.
But I had no issues with Neuro Rest – and didn’t for the rest of the week either.
The following nights
Despite having no effect on the first night, I still took it every night for a week to give it a chance to work.
There was no discernible sedation on any of the nights. My overall sleep time or number of wakings didn’t change from the days before taking it.
Having said that, I didn’t have any of the really bad night’s sleep that sometimes happen either. It’s not uncommon for me to have at least one night a week with only 5 hours’ sleep.
My conclusion
I’m honestly just not sure if the Neuro Rest did anything. It didn’t make my sleep worse, that much I can say for sure. But it didn’t give me a great night’s sleep either.
So with the lack of noticeable sedative effect and the fact that it’s expensive, I wouldn’t choose it to help me in periods of particularly bad insomnia.
Did it help with tiredness, fatigue and mental well-being?
Interestingly, the manufacturer claims that it can help with more than just sleep.
The label on the bottle suggests that magnesium can help reduce tiredness and fatigue. And that Biotin can help with normal psychological function.
These are, of course, very difficult points to measure in an objective way. So I’m left to just give my subjective opinion.
The week I took Neuro Rest was a particularly stressful one for me, so in some ways a little help with fatigue and stress would have been quite welcome.
But if the pills did anything, it again wasn’t noticeable to me.
Further information
Who makes Neuro Rest?
Neuro Rest is made by a company called Utmost Me. They have a dedicated website and a tight focus with just 2 products.
Many supplements sold online don’t even have a website, and there’s little information about who makes them. So if you’re interested, you can find out more about the team behind Neuro Rest.
Ingredients
It’s worth noting that it’s GMO-free and vegan. The label states that 2 capsules contain the following ingredients:
Sleep quality blend
- Magnesium 112 mg
- Griffonia seed extract 90 mg (providing 5 HTP)
- L-Tryptophan 70 mg
Melo-fruit sleep cycle support
- Montmorency cherry 72 mg
- Grape skin extract 25 mg
- Watermelon extract17 mg
Mental wellbeing blend
- Chamomile powder 70 mg
- L-Taurine 10 mg
- Biotin 50 μg
Ingredients update: while updating this article, I noticed that the label on the current bottle sold online shows an increase in the L-Tryptophan quantity from 70 mg to 100mg.
Do the ingredients really help sleep?
As you can see, it’s an extensive list of ingredients. It’s interesting that they’ve tackled the melatonin issue in the UK with natural supplements.
You can buy melatonin over the counter in some countries, like the US, but not in the UK. So fruit sources like Montmorency cherry are sometimes used in sleep aids instead. I noticed that they now have this quote online to explain how they handle the prescription point:
NOTE: This product does not contain pure Melatonin. Melatonin sleeping pills are classed as high strength sleep tablets in the UK and require a prescription. This sleep aid supplement contains our Melo-Fruit blend of which contains Montmorency Cherry, Grape Skin and Watermelon which are natural melatonin sources.
The other ingredients are all known to have associations with what the manufacturer states, such as being calming, improving mood and being important for the body clock’s functioning.
However, they don’t all have conclusive evidence that they make a significant difference when taken in supplement form.
Still, at first glance it’s an interesting blend. If you’d like to find out more about each one, I can recommend doing some reading on the website healthline.com. They have an interesting section about biotin to start with.
Safety warnings
The label has a few simple safety warnings:
- Consult your GP before taking food supplements, especially if you are taking medication or have an existing medical condition.
- Not suitable for children, pregnant or nursing women.
- Don’t take supplements as a substitute for a varied balanced diet or healthy lifestyle.
Some of the individual ingredients can cause side effects, hence the warning to discuss with your GP first. If you’re thinking of trying it yourself, I recommend checking if it will be safe for you.
What do others say?
I couldn’t find any reliable independent reviews from other bloggers.
However, many customers have written about it on the UK Amazon site. There are 1267 reviews at the time of writing, with an average rating of 4 out of 5.
Your views
Have you tried Neuro Rest, or are thinking of taking it? Leave a comment below!
I have taken Neuro Rest since May 2021. I take just one a night with two paracetamol. The two together work well for me. Prior to this, I only took the paracetamol, and they did not work as well. So, Neuro Rest has improved my sleep pattern.
Hi
Thanks for sharing your experience. Were you taking the paracetamol previously to help with sleep, or to reduce pain that was stopping you from sleeping?
Regards
Ethan
Hi I have been taking neuro rest for 4 days now, better sleep pattern and woke up feeling refreshed.
Thanks for sharing your experience Sarah!
Regards
Ethan
Hi guys, leaving a comment here as I want to share my positive experience with these.
I have struggled for years with a good, full night’s sleep & also suffer from anxiety which makes getting to sleep even worse. This past year has been one of the worst and ramped up with the change of seasons and lack of sunlight this autumn. I dont want to take prescription sleeping tablets as I believe in a more holistic approach. I feel horrendous after taking Valerian and hops and many things I’ve tried either make me feel groggy or don’t do anything at all.
I’m not sure how I came across these but it has really been life changing for me. I don’t get drowsy or sleepy, I just take 2 tablets 30 mins before bed (starting with 1 for the first 4 days) and I have the best sleep in years – sometimes all night!! I feel well rested and my anxiety levels are much more under control.
Granted I am doing a lot of other things to help – better diet, excersise, meditation as well as acupuncture (Which I’ve been doing for some time) I also micro dosed some magic mushrooms in October/Nov and managed a decent break over xmas but I genuinely think these pills have been the turning point for me.
I understand how frustrating (&expensive!) it is when you pin your hopes on these things but I think they’re definitely worth a go. Different things will work for different people and I think it’s important to address lifestyle & wellbeing too.
Good luck to you all xx
Hi Sarah
Thanks for your comment, and for sharing your experience. Just to check, did you mean to say “If I don’t get drowsy or sleepy…” I can’t work out if you mean you take them when you don’t feel sleepy, or if they help you sleep without making you drowsy? I assume it’s the first, but wanted to check.
Thanks
Ethan
Have you tried 5HTP? I ordered a bottle, my God, I was ill only took one 100mg capsule, took it 10pm was asleep by 10.30am woke up at 2am massive panic and anxiety I couldn’t control for at least an hour, I was scared. I felt unwell right up to 10pm the next day. I have read other people have had the same reaction think NICE should check on some of these natural sleep remedies. I have tried Boots sleepeaze 50mg – they get me to sleep but still wake up early feeling groggy.
Hi Lee
Thanks for your comment. I have tried it, but didn’t get that reaction – sounds unpleasant! Natural remedies often go under the radar for various reasons – you’re not the first person, and won’t be the last, to wonder why they aren’t better controlled!
Regards
Ethan
They seem to help me, I was getting 3-4hrs sleep per night, now I’m getting 8-9, although I do also take montmorency cherry capsules with them, which I was taking before the Neuro rest, so maybe it’s the combination of both that’s helping
Hi Michelle
Thanks for sharing your experience. Did the cherry capsules seem to help you on their own though?
Regards
Ethan
Neuro Rest has made no difference in the time it takes me to get to sleep nor has it stopped me waking several times during the night. It is rather expensive not to work at all.
Hi Marie
Thanks for your comment. It’s always good to hear from readers who have tried a sleep aid I review. Shame it didn’t work for you, especially considering the price as you say!
Regards
Ethan
Honestly, I’ve taken this tablet for 4days, I can’t experience any change in my sleep pattern. It sounds so good on paper but I don’t think it works. Thanks
Hi Nkechinyere
Thanks for sharing your experience. These sleep aids won’t work for everyone, as you appear to have discovered!
Regards
Ethan
I took Neuro Rest, and the one tablet led up. I didn’t notice anything. However, when I stepped up to two tablets as directed, I have noticed that I sleep better – a deeper sleep – and I am not waking up in the night. I’ve had months of poor sleep, being a light sleeper, and I feel that this supplement is working. I am a pharmaceutical rep, so I don’t have an issue with prescription meds, and I have also tried Circadin (prescription melatonin) and feel this supplement works just as well.
It improved my sleep quality plus extra 1-2 hour sleep
Hi Irfan
Thanks for sharing your experience – it’s always good to hear from people who’ve tried a sleep aid I reviewed.
Regards
Ethan
Well Iv been taking it this week and it’s knocked me right out sometimes till 2/3 the following day. But Iv been taking 3-4 a night ? and smoking a spliff each night too. That’s not for all people granted. But in my experience the past 2 years of chronic insomnia anything that helps il keep taking or doing.
Hi Kaylie
Thanks for your comment. It’s interesting to hear from someone who had good results with the Neuro Rest. I’d be careful with the dosage though!
Regards
Ethan
Hi Ethan. Thanks for the review. I was thinking of trying this one as I read some good reports online, but I’m not so sure after what you’ve said!
Hi Sarah
You’re welcome. I can understand why, but do remember it’s just my personal experience. There’s no telling what effect it might have for you.
Regards
Ethan