The Modern Sleep Crisis

If it feels as though everyone you know is tired, it is not your imagination. One in five UK adults now fails to get enough sleep, and for many of us the problem is not just how long we sleep, but how well. Late night scrolling, round the clock notifications and permanently busy schedules have blurred the once clear boundary between day and night, leaving bodies overstimulated in the evening and underpowered in the morning.

Sleep has long been recognised by doctors as one of the fundamental pillars of good health, alongside nutrition and movement. It is the time when the body repairs, hormones rebalance and the brain processes emotion and memory. Yet in modern life, that natural “off switch” at the end of the day feels harder and harder to find.

Wellness experts are increasingly pointing to something surprisingly simple as part of the solution: restoring a clearer rhythm between day and night, supported by gentle plant based remedies that work with the body rather than overriding it.

A return to ancient wisdom, with modern science

For thousands of years, humans have turned to plants to support rest and restoration. Long before sleep trackers and supplements, herbs and botanicals were used to calm the nervous system, lift mood and gently prepare the body for rest.

New UK wellbeing brand sofi is drawing on this heritage, blending traditional plant wisdom with modern science and expert input from medical herbalists, sleep specialists and integrative physicians. The brand is built around a simple idea: helping the body remember its natural rhythm between activity and rest.

Rather than offering a single night time remedy, sofi has created two complementary oral sprays designed to act as gentle bookends to the day.

Sofi day contains Ashwagandha, a plant traditionally used to help the body adapt to stress and support hormonal balance. It is designed to ease the pressures of busy daytime schedules, when cortisol levels are often high and mental load is relentless.

Sofi night contains Passionflower, a botanical long used to support relaxation, ease anxious thoughts and help prepare both mind and body for rest.

Used together, the sprays are intended to support the body’s natural sleep wake cycle, rather than forcing sedation at night or artificial stimulation during the day.

“sofi was created to help restore the relationship between humans and plants,” says Pamela Spence, herbal expert at sofi. “Not by fixing people, but by honouring the body’s own innate capacity for balance and renewal. The plants in sofi support a deeper natural process that already exists within each person.”

Why modern life is so hostile to sleep

The problem for many people is not a single bad habit, but the cumulative effect of constant stimulation. Artificial lighting late into the evening, work emails at all hours and the dopamine pull of social media all tell the brain that it is still daytime.

Dr Stephen Dahmer, integrative physician and advisor to sofi, describes sleep as “one of the most powerful yet least understood pillars of human wellbeing”, adding that it is the natural process through which the body restores balance, clarity and resilience.

GP Dr Marion Sloan agrees. “It goes without saying that sleep is vitally important for our bodies to recharge,” she says. “Fast paced modern life with all its stresses means many of us struggle to fully rest and recover. Improving sleep is on many people’s health radars and any natural ways to support this can only be a good thing.”

A particular challenge for women

Sleep disruption is especially common among women, particularly during hormonal transitions such as perimenopause and menopause. Studies suggest that between 40 and 56 per cent of women going through menopause report difficulty sleeping, with up to 65 per cent getting fewer than six hours a night.

Fluctuating oestrogen and progesterone levels can interfere with the body’s natural rhythms, contributing to insomnia, night sweats and broken sleep. Stress, anxiety and low mood often intensify at the same time, creating a vicious cycle of feeling wired but exhausted.

This is another area where plant based support has a long history. Passionflower has traditionally been used to regulate mood swings and reduce anxiety, while Ashwagandha is known for its potential role in lowering cortisol and supporting hormonal balance.

“Optimising sleep is a core part of managing menopause, not an optional extra,” says Dr Sloan. “Adequate, good quality sleep helps regulate mood, maintain cognitive clarity and support cardiovascular and metabolic health at a time when all of these are under pressure.”

A gentler approach to better nights

Unlike strong sedatives or stimulant based energy products, sofi positions itself as a soft, supportive layer within a broader lifestyle approach. It is designed for people who feel wired during the day and restless at night, not because something is wrong with them, but because modern life rarely slows down.

The sprays are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure medical conditions, and the brand emphasises that they work best alongside simple habits such as regular bedtimes, reduced evening screen use and exposure to natural daylight in the morning.

For many people, that combination of routine, light and gentle plant support may be enough to begin shifting the body back towards a healthier rhythm.

Sofi launched in Boots this month and is available via www.sofi.health.

As conversations around wellbeing increasingly move away from extremes and quick fixes, the appeal of a slower, more natural approach to sleep is growing. In a culture obsessed with doing more, sleeping better may quietly be one of the most radical acts of self care of all.