A PEA (Palmitoylethanolamide) ingredient, marketed by Gencor as Levagen+, may reduce sleep onset time and improve perceived sleep quality, according to a human clinical trial published in the journal Sleep Science and Practice. The study assessed the efficacy of the dispersible ingredient as a sleep aid in adults who reported disturbed sleeping patterns.
 
In the study, 103 healthy adults over the age of 18 supplemented with either a maltodextrin placebo or a 350 mg dose of Levagen+ PEA with water one hour before bedtime daily for a period of 8 weeks. Throughout the study duration, sleep quality and quantity was assessed in both groups using wrist actigraphy, a sleep diary, and questionnaires, with results being scored based on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. At baseline, participants had a PSQI global score of at least 5, which indicates poor sleep quality, where 0-3 are considered a normal range.
 
By the end of the study period, investigators determined based on the wrist actigraphy results that there were significant improvements in the amount of time taken to fall asleep in the intervention group, which, on average, fell asleep 20 minutes sooner than they did at baseline.
 
 Furthermore, the participants taking the supplement reported in questionnaires that the amount of time upon waking to feel fully awake improved, which researchers noted to be “of particular interest as sleep inertia and daytime grogginess is a common side effect of many pharmaceutical options for the treatment of sleep disturbance.”
 
The reduction in sleep onset latency could be the result of a number of physiological responses to PEA, the authors of the study concluded, such as resulting increases in AEA levels via the endocannabinoid system, which could change inflammatory signaling and reduce cannabinoid sensitivity, based on prior research. “Overall, the results of this study support PEA as a potential sleeping aid capable of reducing sleep onset time in individuals with sleep latency issues and improving cognition on waking,” the authors concluded.
 
“We are extremely pleased by the results from the PEA group reporting falling asleep faster and waking up the next day feeling more alert and awake without the grogginess and other cognitive impairments,” Chase Shryoc, vice president of Sales and Business Development for Gencor, said. “It is encouraging to see the efficacy of Levagen+ as an effective sleep aid.”