Sleep and relaxation supplements soar due to COVID-19 stress, say PharmaLinea experts

01 Mar 2021 --- Consumers increasingly turn to sleep and relaxations supplements to tackle COVID-19 stress and this market is pegged for further growth in 2021, according to PharmaLinea experts.

“Google searches for ‘sleep supplement’ grew in 2020, but in 2021 growth seems to be accelerating – January 2021 saw 37 percent year-over-year growth,” Matevž Ambrožič, marketing and PR director at PharmaLinea, tells NutritionInsight.  

“We firmly believe the demand for sleep supplements will endure after COVID-19 and there are indicators to confirm it. Unfortunately, we expect the psychological impact of COVID-19 to last significantly longer than the immediate immunity-related threat,” Ambrožič notes.

“Stress, anxiety and sleep quality are very intertwined and we see demand for stress supplements or OTC drugs increasing simultaneously with sleep support,” he adds.

Stress impacting sleep
Innova Market Insights reports that consumers increasingly see physical and mental health with equal importance. The market specialist pegged “Mood: The Next Occasion” as a top trend for 2021 and found a 21 percent average annual growth rate in launches carrying a brain or mood health claim between 2015 and 2019.

The two most popular subcategories of supplements carrying brain mood health were vitamins and minerals, constituting 34 percent of product launches in 2019, and botanical or herbal supplements, constituting 29 percent. 

The demand for sleep supplements will endure after COVID-19, as its psychological impact will last longer than the immediate immunity-related threat, says PharmaLinea,Moreover, product launches with nootropics are having a moment, reflected by an average annual growth of 70 percent in product launches (Global, CAGR 2015 to 2019).

“Consumers who claimed to experience high or extreme stress also fared much worse in several sleep quality parameters (e.g. waking up refreshed or falling asleep easily) when compared to consumers experiencing low or no stress,” Ambrožič details.

Restorative sleeping
Maja Orešnik, science and research director at PharmaLinea, tells NutritionInsight that COVID-19-related stress is impacting sleep quality. 

“While various factors affect sleep, looking strictly from a mechanistic perspective, there is a close interaction between sleep and stress systems in the body,” she says.

To achieve restorative sleep, it is very important to have steady sleep hygiene and routine. This is affected by various habits throughout the day and especially in the last hours before bedtime, Orešnik explains.

“Clinical research has outlined that the same nutritional intervention can be helpful for both stress and sleep. Sleep issues are also one of the most common symptoms of excessive exposure to stress and naturally, success in addressing any mood issues is expected to translate into improved sleep,” she says.

A rising sleep health market
Ambrožič claims that it’s somewhat intuitive that after a year like 2020, consumers would be suffering a decline in sleep health. 

“There is a sizable number of new consumers that were and will be looking for solutions, also in supplements,” he supports. 

The consciousness of sleep health was already translated into consumer interest for supplements and into sales. Mood/relaxing supplements was one of the fastest-growing categories in 2020 global sales, Ambrožič notes. 

“With PharmaLinea products, the strategy is always to win both doctor and consumer trust through efficacy and solid clinical support thereof. It is no different in the sleep category. This is why >Your< Good Night Line – PharmaLinea’s line of private label sleep support supplements – is highly clinically supported in both efficacy and safety.”

The capsules for adults and syrup and sachets for children are all based on the same branded and patented ingredient and incorporated into a proprietary product matrix that allows the user-friendly forms for children to be stable. 

The strategy of partners who launch PharmaLinea’s products under their brand is to convince doctors, pharmacists and key opinion leaders through clinical support. 

“It is a sensible marketing strategy, seeing as consulting a healthcare professional is the best approach to tackle sleeping problems for consumers,” Ambrožič supports. 

“Once efficacy is felt by consumers, word of mouth is also a strong tool for promotion. >Your< Good Night Line products are present in several markets in Europe and the Middle East. In 2020 in particular, the product line was successfully launched to three new markets and its total turnover doubled,” he highlights.

Hero ingredients for snoozing
Valerian, lemon balm, lavender, melissa and chamomile are among the most well-known ingredients in the sleep support space, says Orešnik. 

These herbals have a strong recognition due to traditional use in medicinal products. While they are used with the best intentions, their source, quality and standardization should be in focus, she flags. 

“On top of the traditionally used materials, new ingredient players are entering the market with clinically supported raw materials. These are either originating from traditional use in Eastern medicine or more advanced biotechnological processes.”

“We would also mention basic nutrients such as magnesium and vitamin B6, which is essential for the biosynthesis of melatonin, a hormone involved in the regulation of sleep and waking.”

She adds that whatever the chosen formulation strategy, PharmaLinea strongly recommends using ingredient sources that are standardized, quality controlled and (if possible) directly clinically studied.

As far as ingredient synergies go, combining ingredients that work through different mechanisms of action is always a smart approach, Orešnik says. 

“Depending on the cause of sleep issues, there are several approaches. In general combining the usage of adaptogens to tackle cortisol surplus and offer calmness, neurotransmitter balancing ingredients, alpha-wave promoting ingredients would bring synergistic effects,” she concludes.

By Kristiana Lalou