What are common medicinal ingredients that help improve sleep?

According to the relevant regulations, sour jujube kernel, jujube, lily of the valley, gardenia, Poria, Buddha’s hand, etc. can be used both as food and medicine, i.e., they have the characteristics of medicine and food. Studies have shown that the above Chinese medicines have certain sedative and hypnotic effects.
Sour jujube kernel
Literature reports that the total saponin, total alkaloids and unsaturated fatty acids in the oil of sour jujube kernel have certain sedative-hypnotic effects, with sour jujube kernel saponin being the strongest. Studies have shown that spironolactone and sour jujube kernel saponin A are the main components of the sedative-hypnotic activity of sour jujube kernel, and its mechanism of action is related to antagonism of the postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptor and increase in the expression of GABAA receptor.
Jujube
Jujube contains alkaloids (such as light chrysanthemum vine alkaloids, N-desmethyl hordenine), triterpenoids (such as oleanolic acid, hawthorn acid), glycosides (such as unarmed jujube benzyl glycoside I, unarmed jujube benzyl glycoside Ⅱ), saponins (such as jujube saponins, sour jujube saponins) and other components. Studies have shown that the alkaloids, flavonoids and glycosides of jujube have certain sedative sleep effects.
Lily
Lily contains lily polysaccharides, lily saponins and other active ingredients. Literature reports, fresh lily to mouse has obvious sedative hypnotic effect; Lily total saponin to mouse 5-hydroxytryptamine system function has regulating effect.
Gardenia
Gardenia extract contains gardenia yellow pigment, gardenia glycoside, gardenia lactone, gardenia flavonoid and other ingredients. Research shows that gardenia yellow pigment has certain sedative hypnotic effect.
Poria
The main active ingredients of Poria are Poria polysaccharide and triterpenoids, Poria acid is a tetracyclic triterpenoid compound unique to Poria. Literature reports, Poria decoction, Poria carboxymethyl Poria polysaccharide, Poria total triterpenoids and Poria acid have sedative-hypnotic effect, Poria acid hypnotic effect is related to the regulation of brain γ-aminobutyric acid A receptor expression level.
Forsythia
Buddha’s hand contains volatile oil (such as β-stilbene, α-stilbene), flavonoids, polysaccharides, polyphenols, amino acids and trace elements and other components. Studies have shown that Buddha’s hand has a sedative effect on mice. The antidepressant effect of the volatile oil of Forsythia showed an obvious dose-related characteristic, which is related to its role in regulating central functions and improving sleep.
Perilla
Perilla can be used as medicine in three parts: leaves, peduncles and fruits, of which perilla seeds mainly contain unsaturated fatty acids and proteins; perilla leaves contain volatile oils, with perilla aldehyde, limonene, β-butene, etc.; perilla peduncles contain perilla aldehyde, isobetulinone and other components. Literature reports that Perilla water extract has good sedative-hypnotic effect on mice.
Black Pepper
Black pepper contains piperine, piperine, volatile oil, piperamidin and a variety of piperamidin and other active ingredients. Research shows that pepper has a significant sedative-hypnotic effect.
Nutmeg
The seed kernel contains fatty oils (e.g., triglycerides of myristic acid, glycerides of oleic acid), volatile oils (e.g., α-pinene and dextroamphene), and myristyl ether. Literature reports that the volatile oil of nutmeg has a certain sedative-hypnotic effect.
Job’s tears
Coix seed contains lipids, polysaccharides, lignans, phenols and adenosine, etc. The oil of Coix seed is mainly oleic acid and linoleic acid. Research shows that Coix seed extract can reduce the voluntary activity of mice, so that the rabbit brain wave amplitude increases, slow down the frequency, showing a certain sedative effect. Licorice
Licorice mainly contains glycyrrhizin, as well as glycyrrhizin, glycyrrhizin Xieyuan and other flavonoid components. Literature reports that intraperitoneal injection of licorice extract in mice can produce significant sedative-hypnotic effects.
Longan Flesh
The methanol extract of longan aril enhances the hypnotic effect of pentobarbital; the extract of longan meat has anti-stress and anti-anxiety effects, and its active ingredients are adenosine, adenine and uridine.