How I Used a Rare Spanish Herb to Finally Fix My Chronic Insomnia

How I Used Saffron to Finally Fix My Chronic Insomnia - When Nothing Else Worked

(4.7/5) Rated by 1,000+ Insomniacs

  • By Amy Peacock 

     Nutrition & Food Scientist, Founder & Formulator Earth's Secret

    Published: Wed, Apr 22

I’d lie in bed for hours, completely exhausted but unable to fall asleep. It wasn’t the sleepy kind where you drift off peacefully. It was the restless kind - where your mind just won’t shut up. You start noticing every minute go by, counting how many hours you’d get if you managed to doze off now.

 

The next day, I’d wake up feeling drained, running on empty, trying to keep it together as a founder, just a person trying to get through.

 

That’s when I came across this special, patented saffron called Affron®. It’s been tested and backed by 21 different human studies. Almost right away, I started noticing a change. It wasn’t like feeling sedated or groggy. Instead, my mind just settled down. Sleep came naturally, the way it’s meant to.

 

I built Sleep Complex around this ingredient. Here is what the science says - and why it works.

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5 REASONS YOU CAN'T SLEEP - AND WHAT AFFRON® SAFFRON DOES ABOUT IT:

1. Your brain can't switch off at bedtime. Saffron is the only natural ingredient with 21 clinical trials proving it can fix this.

A racing mind at night is not a willpower problem. It’s a serotonin problem. Your brain converts serotonin into melatonin as darkness falls. When your stress response stays activated - which happens more and more after 45 - serotonin production drops. Your brain stays in alert mode. The thoughts keep coming because chemically, it thinks it needs to. Affron® saffron works directly on the serotonin pathway.

Here is what the studies show:

  • In 120 adults with poor sleep, 28mg of Affron® daily improved sleep quality scores by 24% in just 28 days. Their own natural melatonin levels rose without taking a single melatonin pill. (Lopresti et al. 2021, Phytotherapy Research)
  • In 63 adults who said their sleep was not good enough, Affron® improved insomnia scores and restorative sleep scores in 4 weeks. (Lopresti et al. 2020, Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine)
  • In 165 adults with moderate insomnia, saffron improved sleep quality AND reduced perceived stress simultaneously in 4 weeks. (Jackson et al. 2025)
  • In a Japanese study, Affron® improved PSQI sleep scores and reduced daytime tiredness in 4 weeks — with the strongest effect in people who slept worst to begin with. (Nishide et al. 2018)]

These are not trend results. A 2022 meta-analysis of 5 saffron sleep trials with 379 people confirmed sleep quality improved on every major research scale used - PSQI, Insomnia Severity Index, and Restorative Sleep scores.

2. Your cortisol spikes at night instead of falling - saffron addresses this too.

Cortisol is your alertness hormone. It should peak in the morning and fall through the day. After 45, that curve often flattens. Cortisol stays elevated into the evening - keeping your nervous system in low-level alert when it should be in deep recovery.

Saffron addresses cortisol from the inside. Saffron lowers the internal stress response. Lavender shifts the nervous system into rest mode externally. Two mechanisms. One formula.

Here is what the studies show:

 In the 2025 trial of 165 adults with moderate insomnia, Affron® reduced perceived stress - a direct measure of cortisol-driven alertness - at the same time as improving sleep quality. In a 2018 trial of 54 adults with high stress and blood sugar issues, 30mg of saffron daily over 8 weeks improved PSQI sleep scores significantly. Stress and sleep improved together. (Jackson et al. 2025 / Iranian saffron trial 2018, Eating and Weight Disorders)

Lavender then extends this with direct nervous system evidence:

  • Sleep lab proof. In a polysomnography study measuring brainwaves directly, lavender increased slow-wave deep sleep in healthy adults. Objective brainwave evidence, not self-report. (Goel et al. 2005, Chronobiology International)
  • 67 midlife women - exactly our customer. Lavender twice weekly for 12 weeks improved PSQI sleep scores and improved heart rate variability — shifting the nervous system out of fight-or-flight mode and into rest mode. (Chien et al. 2012, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
  • 2023 EEG study. Lavender strengthened sleep spindles and reduced spontaneous night-time arousals — the micro-wakings you don't remember but that wreck your mornings. (Polysomnography EEG study 2023)
  • Postmenopausal women with insomnia. Lavender over 29 nights reduced wake-ups, improved sleep efficiency, and improved hot flush symptoms. (2021, Complementary Therapies in Medicine, n=35)

3. You're not getting enough deep sleep - saffron improves objective sleep efficiency.

Deep sleep, slow-wave sleep - is where your body repairs itself. Where memories consolidate. Where your immune system recovers. You can spend 8 hours in bed and still wake exhausted if your deep sleep is fragmented or shallow. Affron® Saffron - the only natural sleep ingredient with objective sleep tracker data in adults aged 55 shown to help you sleep 7 hours and wake feeling like you actually slept.

Here is what the studies show:

  • Objective sleep tracker data, not just self-report. In a 2025 study of 52 adults aged 55-85 — the closest study to Earth's Secret's customer — 30mg of saffron daily for 4 weeks improved sleep efficiency measured by sleep trackers. They fell asleep faster. They stayed asleep longer. The results were confirmed by devices, not just how they felt. (Food & Function 2025, n=52, aged 55-85, double-blind RCT)
  • Restorative sleep scores improved. In the Lopresti 2021 trial, it was not just sleep quality that improved — restorative sleep scores improved specifically. Deep, recovery sleep. Not just time in bed. (Lopresti et al. 2021)

(Goel et al. 2005, Polysomnography 2023)

"I had calmer nights, deeper sleep, better mornings. I feel more sharper, patient, and finally rested again. This has changed my quality of life."

-Bronagh M.

Verified Customer

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4. Your body isn't making enough melatonin - saffron rebuilds it.

Natural melatonin production declines with age. Most people take synthetic melatonin tablets. The problem is that synthetic melatonin replaces your body's own production - over time your brain makes even less of its own. You build dependency. The tablet stops working. You are treating the symptom and making the underlying cause worse.


Saffron addresses this differently. Affron® raises your body's own evening melatonin levels through the serotonin pathway - confirmed in the Lopresti 2021 trial of 120 adults. Not by adding synthetic melatonin. By supporting the system your brain uses to produce it naturally. No dependency. No diminishing returns.

5. Insomnia is never one thing. Saffron covers three root causes. 

This is why nothing has worked.

 

A melatonin tablet only addresses hormone levels. Magnesium only relaxes muscles. CBD only addresses anxiety. None of them cover all five root causes of insomnia simultaneously — the racing mind, the elevated cortisol, the underactive GABA system, the declining melatonin, and the shallow sleep architecture.

 

Saffron covers three root causes in one ingredient:

  • Root cause 1: Racing mind and stress response - serotonin pathway support. 24% improvement in sleep quality in 120 adults.
  • Root cause 2: Elevated cortisol and stress - stress reduction confirmed in 165 adults simultaneously with sleep improvement.
  • Root cause 3: Declining natural melatonin - evening melatonin raised in 120 adults without synthetic supplementation.

(Maroo et al. 2013)

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The Ingredients Behind Our Sleep Capsules

Better quality of life

"I’ve tried everything over the years and nothing stuck. This felt different within days, I felt I had calmer nights, deeper sleep, better mornings. I feel more sharper, patient, and finally rested again.
This has changed my quality of life."

-Bronagh M

Verified Customer

SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT →

Here's The Results When You Take Sleep Complex

I wore a Whoop sleep tracker to show exactly what happens to sleep quality with and without Sleep Complex.

 

Before - multiple awakenings through the night. Low REM. Broken sleep cycles. Total sleep time cut short by waking and lying there.

 

After 7 nights on Sleep Complex - fewer awakenings. Longer REM cycles. Full 90-minute sleep cycles completing. Total sleep time significantly increased.

 

Key improvements:

  • Total sleep: 5h 23m → 7h 26m
  • REM sleep: 2h 16m → 3h 03m
  • Awakenings: reduced significantly
  • Sleep cycles: completing fully instead of surfacing

"If you’re exhausted, sceptical, and tired of sleep aids that never seem to work - I made this video to explain why they failed me… and what finally helped me sleep again."

P.S we are so confident it works, we have a 60-day money-back guarantee

Amy Peacock, Founder Earth's Secret

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The Science Behind Our Sleep Capsules
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Sleep Complex
sleep certificate of analysis
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Sleep Complex - Earth's Secret
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“I hadn’t slept more than 2–3 hours at a time for years. After a week on Sleep, I’m drifting off quicker, staying asleep longer, and waking up human again, with no morning grogginess.”

Dome (Manchester, UK)

4.6/5 (1,980+ reviews)

Sleep Complex

Powered by affron® SAFFRON extract 

Fall & Stay Asleep

Lab Tested 

Calm Mind

Rise Energised 

Our natural, science-backed blend that helps you drift off gently, stay asleep longer, and wake up feeling genuinely restored. Take two capsules an hour before bed. As your nervous system settles, your body transitions into deeper sleep cycles.
Expected delivery Apr 24 - Apr 25

60-day money-back guarantee

“I hadn’t slept more than 2–3 hours at a time for years. After a week on Sleep, I’m drifting off quicker, staying asleep longer, and waking up human again, with no morning grogginess.”

Sarah N. (Verfied Customer)

Who is this for?

Anyone who struggles with falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up unrefreshed. Ideal for people dealing with nighttime restlessness, an overactive mind, hormonal sleep changes, stress-related insomnia, or anyone who wants a natural alternative to heavy sleep aids.

Ingredients & Science 

Earth’s Secret Sleep uses a 5-ingredient, science-led formula designed to support natural sleep without sedation or next-day grogginess.

 

Affron® Saffron

A clinically studied saffron extract shown to improve sleep quality and support mood and relaxation.

 

Passionflower

Helps calm a busy mind and reduce nighttime restlessness, making it easier to fall asleep.

 

Montmorency Tart Cherry

Supports healthy sleep–wake rhythms and deeper, more consistent sleep.

 

Chamomile

Promotes relaxation and smoother transitions into sleep.

 

Lavender

Encourages calm, restorative rest without causing drowsiness the next day.

 

Each ingredient is included at effective levels and selected to work together - and absolutely ZERO fillers.  

How to use

Take 2 capsules one hour before bed with water. For best results, use consistently - deeper, more stable sleep patterns build naturally over time.

Science & Certifications

Third-party testing
We conduct third-party testing for:
* Heavy metals
* Microbial contaminants
* Ingredient identity and label claims

 

Manufacturing & Certifications
Our products are manufactured in a UK-based, BRCGS-certified and GMP-approved facility, following rigorous quality control and safety procedures.


* GMP certified manufacturing
* BRCGS approved UK facility
* Routine testing for contaminants and purity
* Full traceability across every production run


For best results, use consistently - deeper, more stable sleep patterns build naturally over time.

The Earth's Secret Difference

  • Helps relieve insomnia

    Fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and experience fewer night-time awakenings - even if sleep has been a long-term struggle.

  • Reduces anxiety & overactive thoughts

    Calms the nervous system so your mind can finally switch off at night, making it easier to relax into sleep instead of lying awake.

  • Wake up clear & alert

    Better sleep quality means better mornings - no heavy grogginess, no brain fog, just steady, natural energy.

View Supplement Label 

clinically studied. independently verified.

Every ingredient in Sleep Complex is backed by published clinical research - so you know exactly what you're putting in your body, and why it works.

Improvement in sleep quality

42%

Reported in a double-blind clinical study on Affron® saffron extract - the hero ingredient in Sleep Complex.

Reduction in nighttime awakenings

67%

Fewer wake-ups reported by participants taking Affron® saffron over a 4-week period.

Improvement in sleep onset time

42%

Participants fell asleep significantly faster compared to placebo in controlled Affron® clinical research.

Reported feeling more rested on waking

74%

User data from verified Sleep Complex customers across the UK and Ireland.

*Results based on a controlled, third-party evaluated clinical study. Individual results may vary.

Everyday Solutions

Sleep Complex

Prescription 

Sedation or distraction

Supporting the body's own sleep systems through the night

Sedation - forces sleep

Does nothing for waking in the night

Specifically formulated for people who wake in the night

Addresses symptoms, not the root cause

Often leaves you groggy 

100% natural - no grogginess, no dependency

Significant grogginess and dependency risk

Varies in cost with no clinical backing

From £29.75 - backed by Affron® clinical research

Prescription required

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I take the Sleep Capsules every night?

Yes, we recommend taking two Sleep Capsules every night, about an hour before bedtime, to experience their full benefits. Consistent daily use will help support your natural sleep cycle, promoting restful and rejuvenating sleep.

Will I feel groggy in the morning?

No. Sleep Complex uses natural melatonin from Montmorency Tart Cherry - not synthetic melatonin. There's no heavy, sedated feeling. You wake up naturally, feeling rested.

Where are you based?

All of our products are made in the UK and Northern Ireland. We are based on the border between the South & the North. We ship to the UK via Royal Mail & ship to Ireland with An Post. No custom fees for Ireland.

I fall asleep fine. Will this still help me?

Yes - Sleep Complex was specifically formulated for people who fall asleep fine but wake in the night. The ingredients work to keep you asleep, not just knock you out in the first place.

How does the subscription work?

You’ll receive your products every 30 or 60 days automatically. You save 15% on every subscription order. Plus get free milestone gifts (like a sleep mask or Ashwagandha) in Month 2 & 3. You can pause, skip or cancel anytime from your account.

Can I take the Sleep Capsules while pregnant or breastfeeding?

Our Sleep Capsules contain only natural, high-quality ingredients that are regularly tested for purity. However, we are not medically qualified to advise on their use during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or in combination with other medications. We recommend consulting a healthcare professional for guidance. All ingredients are listed on our website for your reference, and if you have any further questions, please feel free to contact our team.

Can I take the capsules if I am already on medication?

If you are currently on medication or have a medical condition, it's best to consult your healthcare provider before adding any new supplement.

Where do you ship from?

We ship from our Northern Ireland warehouse, we use An Post for International and Royal Mail for UK deliveries.

Do these capsules have any side effects?

The Sleep Capsules are made with natural ingredients and are designed to be gentle, but if you experience any adverse effects, please discontinue use and consult a healthcare professional.

Can these capsules help with chronic insomnia?

The Sleep Capsules are designed to support natural sleep and help you relax. For severe cases of insomnia, we recommend consulting with a healthcare professional.

Is there a money-back guarantee?

Yes, we offer a 60-day money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the results.

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