Unwind Herbal Blend - Healthy Sleep and Calming Support
IOH Nutrition · Sleep & Stress Support
Unwind Herbal Blend
Calm the mind. Relax the body. Reclaim restful sleep.
A layered, non-sedating wind-down formula built around three branded botanical forms and a chelated magnesium — designed to be taken every night, without melatonin and without the morning fog.
60 Vegetarian Capsules
30 Servings
10 Active Ingredients
No Melatonin
3 Branded Forms
Every Dose Disclosed
The real problem
You don't have a sleep problem. You have a shutdown problem.
Most people who lie awake at 11:40 p.m. are not short on tiredness. They are short on the transition — the hour where the nervous system is supposed to hand the shift over from alert to asleep.
Stress is not just a feeling. It is a set of signals that keeps the body in output mode: elevated arousal, a mind that keeps re-opening tabs, muscles that never quite let go. When that state runs into the evening, the brain doesn't get the memo that the day is over. You get into bed on time and stay busy anyway.
The common fix is to override the problem — knock yourself out with a sedating dose of something, or push a hormone signal with melatonin every single night. Neither one teaches the body to come down. One leaves you groggy. The other is a circadian signal, not a calming one, and it was never meant to be a nightly habit for people whose actual issue is that they never downshifted.
We built Unwind for the transition, not the knockout. Ten actives, each one disclosed to the milligram, chosen because they work on different parts of the wind-down — the stress signal during the day, and the settling process at night.
The difference
Two ways to build a sleep formula.
The industry standard
Hide it in a blend.
- A "proprietary sleep matrix" that lists nine herbs and one total number, so nobody can tell what's real and what's dusting.
- Melatonin at 5 or 10 mg — far above what the body makes — because it produces a noticeable effect and sells bottles.
- Generic, unstandardized herb powder with no marker compound stated, sourced on price.
- Magnesium oxide alone, because it's the cheapest way to print a mineral on the panel.
- Dose questions answered with marketing language instead of numbers.
The IOH standard
Print the number. Then defend it.
- Every active listed at its own milligram amount. The single blend on this panel is a patented branded ingredient with its own published research.
- No melatonin at all. This formula works on the calming side, not the hormone side.
- Three branded, standardized forms — Relora, CYRACOS and TRAACS — plus stated marker compounds on the rest.
- Chelated magnesium as the primary form, buffered for tolerance.
- A published dose ledger further down this page showing exactly where this formula sits against the research, including where it sits below it.
What this formula is built to do
Four jobs, one capsule pair.
01
Support a healthy stress response
Relora is the anchor here — a patented magnolia and phellodendron bark combination studied for its role in supporting a healthy cortisol response and calm under pressure.
02
Help the mind quiet down
L-theanine, chamomile and lemon balm support relaxation and a settled mental state — the part where the racing thoughts stop being interesting.
03
Support the body letting go
Magnesium supports normal muscle relaxation and nervous system function. Valerian, hops and passionflower are the traditional settling botanicals of the evening.
04
Support restful sleep, nightly
No melatonin and no synthetic sedatives means nothing here is pushing a hormone signal. It is built to be used every night as part of a wind-down routine.
The signature idea
One bottle. Two shifts.
Stress and sleep are not two separate problems that happen to be next to each other. They are the same nervous system on two different shifts. What runs high at 3 p.m. is the reason you're still wired at 11 p.m. This formula was built with both shifts in mind, which is why some of what's inside is calming without being sedating, and some of it is squarely a bedtime botanical.
Shift one · The day you just had
Calm without sedation
Ingredients selected because the research on them centers on stress perception and calm alertness — not on knocking you out.
Relora proprietary blend 250 mg
Magnolia and phellodendron bark, patented and standardized. Studied in adults under moderate stress for its effect on salivary cortisol and mood state — with no sedative effect reported.
L-Theanine 25 mg
The amino acid from green tea associated with alpha brain wave activity — the relaxed-but-awake state. Supports calm focus rather than drowsiness.
Oat Straw 10:1 50 mg
A traditional nervine used to support composure during mentally demanding stretches, without the heaviness of a bedtime herb.
Shift two · The hour before bed
The settling botanicals
The classic evening herbs, plus the mineral most people running hard are short on. This is the part of the formula aimed at the transition into sleep.
Chamomile + Lemon Balm 200 mg
Chamomile standardized to a stated apigenin content, plus CYRACOS lemon balm — two of the most-studied calming botanicals for evening use, working through related relaxation pathways.
Valerian · Hops · Passionflower 65 mg
The traditional trio of the European evening tradition, each standardized to a marker compound: valerenic acids, a 4:1 hops extract, and 3.5% vitexin passionflower.
Skullcap 35 mg
Scutellaria lateriflora — the American skullcap traditionally used to support a settled, parasympathetic state rather than a sedated one.
Magnesium (TRAACS chelate) 50 mg
Magnesium supports normal muscle and nervous system function. Delivered primarily as a bisglycinate chelate, buffered for stomach comfort.
Inside the formula
Every active. Every dose. In writing.
Amounts below are per 2-capsule serving, transcribed from the printed label. The printed label is also shown in the product images.
Relora Proprietary Blend250 mg
A patented combination of Magnolia officinalis bark and Phellodendron amurense bark extracts. This is the most-studied ingredient in the bottle. In published work on moderately stressed adults, Relora has been examined for its effect on salivary cortisol and mood state, and notably without the sedation that comes with classic sleep herbs — which is why it can sit in a stress formula and a sleep formula at the same time.
Supports a healthy stress response and a calm, composed state under pressure.
Branded · Relora® · Lonza
Chamomile Flower100 mg
Matricaria recutita, standardized to contain 1.9 mg apigenin per serving. Apigenin is the flavonoid that gets the attention in chamomile research, and standardizing to a stated milligram amount is the difference between a real specification and a picture of a flower on a label.
Supports relaxation and the wind-down into sleep.
Standardized · 1.9 mg apigenin
Lemon Balm — CYRACOS Extract100 mg
Melissa officinalis leaf and stem, as CYRACOS — a specific standardized extract characterized for its rosmarinic acid and hydroxycinnamic acid content, and the form that carries the human research on lemon balm for calm and evening rest. Generic lemon balm powder is not the same input.
Supports a relaxed mood and a settled nervous system.
Branded · CYRACOS® · Naturex
Magnesium — TRAACS Chelate, Buffered50 mg
Delivered primarily as TRAACS magnesium bisglycinate chelate and buffered with magnesium oxide. The glycinate chelate is the form chosen for tolerance — it is the version people can take nightly without the gut consequences that come with high-dose oxide. Magnesium is a cofactor in hundreds of enzymatic reactions, including those involved in normal nerve signaling and muscle relaxation.
Supports normal muscle and nervous system function. 12% of the Daily Value per serving.
Branded · TRAACS® · Albion Laboratories
Oat Straw 10:1 Extract50 mg
Avena sativa, concentrated 10:1. A traditional nervine — the herb reached for when the complaint is frayed, over-stimulated and mentally scattered rather than sleepy. It belongs to the daytime side of this formula.
Traditionally used to support composure and mental clarity under load.
Concentrated · 10:1
Skullcap35 mg
Scutellaria lateriflora, leaf and aerial parts. This is American skullcap, not Chinese skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis) — a genuinely different plant with a different use, and one that low-quality sourcing routinely confuses. Named on the panel by species for exactly that reason.
Traditionally used to support a calm, rest-and-digest state.
Species-identified · S. lateriflora
Passionflower25 mg
Passiflora incarnata, standardized to 3.5% vitexin. Passionflower is the herb of nervous tension — the traditional use is the restless, keyed-up feeling rather than outright sedation.
Supports a relaxed state and restful sleep.
Standardized · 3.5% vitexin
Valerian Root25 mg
Valeriana officinalis, standardized to valerenic acid content. The most recognized sleep botanical in Western herbal use. Worth knowing: in the clinical literature, valerian's effects tend to build with consistent nightly use rather than acting like a single-dose knockout.
Supports restful sleep as part of a nightly wind-down.
Standardized · valerenic acids
L-Theanine25 mg
The amino acid from green tea, and the reason a cup of tea reads differently than a cup of coffee at the same caffeine dose. Associated with increased alpha brain wave activity — the signature of relaxed alertness.
Supports a calm, focused mental state and relaxation.
Free-form amino acid
Hops Strobile 4:1 Extract15 mg
Humulus lupulus, concentrated 4:1. Hops has been paired with valerian in European herbal preparations for a very long time, and most of the combination research on valerian includes it.
Traditionally used alongside valerian to support evening rest.
Concentrated · 4:1
Straight talk
Where this formula sits against the research.
Most brands will show you a study and let you assume their product matches it. We won't. Here is every active in Unwind next to the amounts used in the published human research on that ingredient — including the places where this formula sits below them.
| Ingredient | In one serving | Amounts used in published human research | Where we sit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relora blend | 250 mg | 500–750 mg per day, split into 2 or 3 doses | One study dose, once |
| Lemon balm (CYRACOS) | 100 mg | 600 mg per day, taken as 300 mg twice | Below |
| Chamomile extract | 100 mg | Around 270 mg twice daily in the sleep trial work | Below |
| Magnesium (elemental) | 50 mg | Roughly 200–500 mg in relaxation and sleep research | Below |
| Oat straw extract | 50 mg | Several hundred milligrams and up for standardized extracts | Below |
| Skullcap | 35 mg | Around 350 mg per dose in the small human trials available | Below |
| Valerian extract | 25 mg | Commonly 300–600 mg before bed | Well below |
| Passionflower | 25 mg | No settled standardized-extract dose; trials generally use more | Below |
| L-Theanine | 25 mg | Commonly 100–400 mg in human trials | Well below |
| Hops extract | 15 mg | Around 40 mg and up in valerian combination products | Below |
Read this part before you buy
This is a layered wind-down blend, not a single-ingredient clinical dose.
Nine of the ten actives in Unwind sit below the amounts used in the published research on that ingredient in isolation. That is not an accident and it is not a secret. It is a formulation choice: a broad, gentle, multi-pathway blend intended for nightly use, where no single herb is loaded high enough to leave most people heavy in the morning.
What that means practically. If you want a hard sedative effect from one ingredient at a research dose, this is not that product and we would rather tell you now than have you find out on night three. If what you want is a nightly wind-down that supports coming down from a stressful day without a morning hangover, this is exactly what it was built for.
One number, stated properly. The 2013 trial most often cited for Relora used 500 mg per day, split between breakfast and dinner, and reported lower salivary cortisol exposure and improved mood indices against placebo over four weeks. One serving of Unwind provides 250 mg — one of those two study doses. We are describing the research on the ingredient. We are not claiming that result for this product.
If magnesium is your priority, do not rely on this bottle for it. Fifty milligrams is 12% of the Daily Value. 5X Chelated Minerals is the product built for that job, and the two work well on the same evening.
Supplement Facts
The full panel.
Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 2 Vegetarian Capsules
Servings per Container: 30
| Amount per Serving | % DV | |
|---|---|---|
| Magnesium (as Magnesium Bisglycinate Chelate Buffered) (from Magnesium Bisglycinate Chelate, Magnesium Oxide) (TRAACS™) |
50 mg | 12% |
| Proprietary blend: Magnolia officinalis (bark) & Phellodendron amurense (bark)** |
250 mg | * |
| Chamomile (flower) (Matricaria recutita) (Standardized to contain 1.9 mg Apigenin) |
100 mg | * |
| Lemon Balm (leaf/stem) (Melissa officinalis) (CYRACOS® Extract) | 100 mg | * |
| Oat Straw (flower/leaves/stem) (Avena sativa) (10:1 Extract) | 50 mg | * |
| Skullcap (leaf/aerial) (Scutellaria lateriflora) | 35 mg | * |
| Passionflower (herb) (Passiflora incarnata) (3.5% Vitexin Extract) | 25 mg | * |
| Valerian (root) (Valeriana officinalis) (0.8% Valerenic Acids Extract) | 25 mg | * |
| L-Theanine | 25 mg | * |
| Hops Strobile (flower) (Humulus lupulus) (4:1 Extract) | 15 mg | * |
* Daily Value (DV) not established.
Other Ingredients: Vegetarian Capsule (Hypromellose, Purified Water), Rice Flour.
** From RELORA®, a proprietary standardized blend of extracts of Magnolia officinalis and Phellodendron amurense bark.
Panel transcribed from the printed label. The printed label is also shown in the product images. Contains no melatonin, no artificial colors, and no synthetic sedatives.
What it is
A ten-active herbal and mineral capsule for evening use. Three branded standardized forms — Relora, CYRACOS and TRAACS — plus six additional botanicals, each listed at its own milligram amount. Sixty vegetarian capsules, thirty servings.
What it does
Supports a healthy stress response, supports relaxation and a settled mental state, supports normal muscle and nervous system function, and supports restful sleep — without melatonin and without synthetic sedatives.
Who it's for
- People who are tired but wired at bedtime
- Anyone who wants a nightly option that isn't melatonin
- People who wake up foggy on stronger sleep products
- Anyone carrying a heavy stress load into the evening
How to take it
Two vegetarian capsules in the evening, roughly 30 to 60 minutes before bed, or as directed by your healthcare provider. Follow the directions printed on your bottle. Do not drive or operate machinery after taking it.
Honest expectations
How to actually evaluate this.
We are not going to hand you a countdown to better sleep. Individual response varies, and anyone who promises you a specific night is selling you something. What we can give you is a fair way to judge whether this is doing anything for you.
Step one
Take it at the same time, every night
Same clock time, 30 to 60 minutes before you intend to be asleep. Consistency is not a nice-to-have here. In the clinical literature on botanicals like valerian, the response tends to accumulate with repeated nightly use rather than showing up in a single dose.
Step two
Fix the obvious variables at the same time
Screens, late caffeine, late alcohol, and a bedroom that isn't dark or cool will beat any capsule in this category. If you change nothing else, you have not run a fair test. Give the formula an environment where it can be the variable.
Step three
Judge it on the transition, not the total
Ask a specific question: is the hour before bed easier than it was? Is the mind quieter? Do you wake up clear rather than heavy? Those are the things this formula is aimed at. If after several weeks of consistent nightly use nothing has shifted, this is not your formula, and I would rather you know that than keep buying it.
What to look for
Read the panel before you read the front.
If you are comparing sleep formulas, these are the lines that actually separate them. Here is how Unwind reads against the typical off-the-shelf herbal sleep blend.
| What to check | Typical off-the-shelf blend | Unwind Herbal Blend |
|---|---|---|
| Ingredient amounts | Grouped into a single proprietary total | Nine of ten actives listed individually; the tenth is a patented branded blend |
| Melatonin | Usually 3–10 mg, often the actual active | None |
| Branded ingredient forms | Rarely any; generic herb powder | Three — Relora, CYRACOS and TRAACS |
| Standardization stated | Usually absent | Apigenin in milligrams, 3.5% vitexin, 0.8% valerenic acids, stated extract ratios |
| Skullcap species named | Often just "skullcap" | Scutellaria lateriflora, named on the panel |
| Magnesium form | Oxide alone when included | TRAACS bisglycinate chelate, buffered |
| Dose transparency vs. research | Not addressed | Published on this page, including where the formula sits below study amounts |
| Capsule and fillers | Gelatin capsule, magnesium stearate, dyes | Vegetarian hypromellose capsule; rice flour only |
Proof, not promises
What we will put in writing.
- Ten actives, ten disclosed amounts, transcribed from the printed label
- Three branded ingredient forms, attributed to their trademark owners
- Standardization markers stated for chamomile, passionflower and valerian
- Skullcap identified to species on the panel
- No melatonin, no synthetic sedatives, no artificial colors
- Vegetarian capsule; rice flour is the only other ingredient
- A dose ledger on this page naming where the formula sits below the research
- Manufactured in a US FDA-registered, GMP-compliant facility
Quality and standardization
How this one is made.
Where it's made
Manufactured in the United States in an FDA-registered facility operating under current Good Manufacturing Practices. FDA registers facilities; it does not approve dietary supplements, and we will not use that word.
Raw material controls
We specify branded, standardized forms where a branded form exists with research behind it — Relora for the magnolia and phellodendron blend, CYRACOS for the lemon balm, TRAACS for the magnesium chelate. Testing is performed at stages of production.
Identity, stated on the panel
Botanical species and plant parts are printed on the label rather than left generic — Scutellaria lateriflora, Passiflora incarnata, Matricaria recutita, Valeriana officinalis, Humulus lupulus, Melissa officinalis, Avena sativa. Herbal adulteration usually happens in the gap between "skullcap" and a named species.
What we are not claiming
We are not publishing a lot-specific certificate of analysis for this product on this page. When we have one to show for a given lot, it will appear here and in the product images. Until then, this section describes manufacturing and specification only.
From the founder
I spent most of my forties treating the evening as a place to put the leftover work. The training kept happening, the practice kept running, and the part that broke first was not my body — it was the hour before bed. Recovery is not what happens after the work. It is part of the work.
This is what I reach for on the nights when the day did not end when it should have.
Ironman finish line. The reason the recovery side matters. Photo is not a product claim.
Dr. Andreas Boettcher, B.S., D.C., C.F.M.P.
Founder, It's Only Halftime
Ironman Triathlete / Master's Men's Physique Competitor
Medication-Free at 56 / 33 Years of Clinical Practice
Stacks
What this pairs with.
A stack should have a reason behind it, not just two products in a cart. Here is why each of these belongs next to Unwind — and one pairing we specifically do not recommend.
The magnesium stack
Unwind + 5X Chelated Minerals
This is the most useful pairing on the list, and it exists because of an honest gap. Unwind carries 50 mg of magnesium — 12% of the Daily Value. That is a supporting amount, not a corrective one. 5X Chelated Minerals is the product built to actually move your magnesium intake, in chelated forms selected for tolerance.
Unwind handles the botanical wind-down. 5X handles the mineral load. Taken on the same evening, they are covering two different reasons a body won't settle.
The daytime pairing
Calm & Focus in the day, Unwind at night
Stress does not start at bedtime. Calm & Focus is the daytime formula — a powder built around calm alertness for the hours when you still have to perform. Unwind is the evening end of the same problem.
Running both means you are addressing the whole arc of the day rather than trying to undo eleven stressful hours with two capsules at 10 p.m. Note that both contain L-theanine and magnesium, which is intentional and well within normal intakes.
One we do not recommend
Do not run Unwind and Daily Balance + at the same time without guidance.
Both formulas are built on Relora. Taking them together stacks the same patented magnolia and phellodendron blend on top of itself, which is not what either product was designed for. Pick the one that fits the job — Daily Balance + if the priority is daytime cortisol and stress-related eating, Unwind if the priority is the evening wind-down — or talk to your provider about how to sequence them.
I did not build this one for the nights when everything is fine. I built it for the ones where the day ran long and my head was still at work at 11 p.m. That was my problem for years, and it is the reason this formula exists.
Stay Strong,
Dr. Andreas
Dr. Andreas Boettcher, B.S., D.C., C.F.M.P.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Will this make me groggy in the morning?
It was formulated to reduce that risk. No individual botanical here is loaded to the high end of its research range, and there is no melatonin and no synthetic sedative in the bottle. That said, individual response varies, and valerian in particular produces morning heaviness in some people. Take your first dose on a night where a slow morning would not be a problem, and do not drive or operate machinery after taking it.
Why is there no melatonin in a sleep formula?
Because melatonin and calming are two different jobs. Melatonin is a hormone signal about timing — it is genuinely useful for shift work and jet lag, where the clock is the problem. Most people reaching for a sleep product do not have a clock problem. They have a shutdown problem: the day is over and the nervous system has not been told. Unwind works on that side. If you want a melatonin option, IOH sells it separately, dosed at 3 mg rather than 10.
Medications and safety — what do I need to know?
This formula contains several botanicals with real interaction potential. Talk to your physician or pharmacist before using it if any of the following apply to you.
Sedatives and CNS depressants. Valerian, hops, passionflower, chamomile, skullcap and lemon balm may add to the effects of benzodiazepines, non-benzodiazepine sleep medications, barbiturates, opioids, muscle relaxants, sedating antihistamines and alcohol. Do not combine without medical supervision.
Liver-metabolized medications. Valerian and other constituents here may affect drug-metabolizing enzyme pathways, which can change blood levels of medications processed through them. This matters most if you take a drug with a narrow therapeutic window.
Thyroid medication. Lemon balm has been examined for effects on thyroid signaling. If you take levothyroxine or another thyroid medication, clear this with your prescriber.
Blood thinners and antiplatelet drugs, and surgery. Several botanicals in this class warrant caution. Discontinue at least two weeks before any scheduled surgery and tell your surgical team what you take.
Magnesium timing. Magnesium can reduce absorption of tetracycline and quinolone antibiotics and of bisphosphonates. Separate those medications from this product by at least two hours.
Blood pressure and blood sugar medications. Botanical calming agents can compound the effects of some of these. Monitor and discuss with your provider.
Not for use if you are pregnant or nursing. Valerian, hops, skullcap and passionflower are not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Not intended for children. Hops contains plant compounds with estrogenic activity, which is worth discussing with your provider if you have a hormone-sensitive condition.
Is this habit-forming?
This is a botanical and mineral formula containing no melatonin, no prescription sleep agent and no synthetic sedative. It is not a controlled substance. We are not going to make a broader claim than that, because "non-habit forming" is a phrase the supplement industry uses loosely and we would rather describe the formula than market a reassurance. If dependence on a sleep product is a live concern for you, that is a conversation to have with your physician.
Can I take more than two capsules?
Follow the directions printed on your bottle, and talk to your healthcare provider before exceeding them. Serving size is two vegetarian capsules and the bottle contains thirty servings. If two capsules are not doing what you hoped, the better next step is usually to address magnesium intake separately and to look hard at caffeine timing, alcohol and light exposure, rather than to stack more capsules.
Why is the magnesium dose only 50 mg?
Because this is a botanical formula that includes magnesium as a supporting cofactor, not a magnesium product. Fifty milligrams is 12% of the Daily Value. Fitting a meaningful magnesium dose plus ten botanicals into two capsules is not physically possible — you would be swallowing six. We would rather be direct about that and point you to 5X Chelated Minerals, which is the product designed for magnesium repletion.
What is Relora, and why is it a proprietary blend?
Relora is a patented, standardized combination of Magnolia officinalis and Phellodendron amurense bark extracts, trademarked by Lonza. It is the only line on the panel not broken into individual amounts, because the ratio between the two barks is the patented part of the ingredient itself. This is the one case where a blend on a label represents a real specification rather than a hiding place — it comes with its own published human research and its own identity testing.
Is the skullcap in this the same as Chinese skullcap?
No, and the distinction matters. This is Scutellaria lateriflora, American skullcap, and it is printed on the panel by species. Chinese skullcap, Scutellaria baicalensis, is a different plant with a different traditional use and a different safety profile. Products that print only "skullcap" are not telling you which one you are getting.
Is it vegetarian?
Yes. The capsule is hypromellose and purified water, and rice flour is the only other ingredient in the bottle. No gelatin, no magnesium stearate, no artificial colors.
How long does a bottle last?
Sixty vegetarian capsules at a serving size of two capsules is thirty servings. Taken once nightly, that is a thirty-day supply.
It's only halftime
The second half is won in the hours nobody sees.
You already know how to push. That part was never the problem. What most high-output people never built is the other half of the equation — the shutdown, the transition, the hour where the body is supposed to be allowed to stop.
Unwind is ten actives, every dose printed, three branded standardized forms, no melatonin, and a ledger on this page showing you exactly where this formula sits against the research — including where it sits below it. That last part is not a weakness we forgot to hide. It is the reason you can trust everything else on the page.
Take back the hour before bed. Everything downstream of it gets easier.
Relora® and logo are trademarks of Lonza or its affiliates. CYRACOS® is a registered trademark of Naturex, Inc. TRAACS™ is a trademark of Albion Laboratories, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Manufactured in the United States in an FDA-registered facility in compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices. We use high-quality raw materials and testing is performed at stages of production.
Consult your physician before beginning any new supplement, particularly if you are pregnant or nursing, have a diagnosed medical condition, are scheduled for surgery, or take prescription medication. Not intended for children. Do not drive or operate machinery after taking this product. Keep out of reach of children.
‡ These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
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