Exploring the short-term influence of a proprietary oil extract of black cumin ( Nigella sativa ) on non-restorative sleep: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled actigraphy study

(black cumin, or black seed) is popularly known as the seed of blessings in the Arab system of medicine. Though not widely recommended for sleep, a unique proprietary black cumin extract (BlaQmax®/ThymoDream™; BCO-5) has been shown to be helpful in the management of stress and sleep issues. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial aimed to investigate the efficacy of BCO-5 on the sleep quality of volunteers characterized with a self-reported non-restorative sleep disorder. Healthy male and female participants ( = 70), aged 18-65 years (BMI 22-28 Kg/m ) were randomized to either placebo or BCO-5 ( = 35/group). Both interventions were supplemented at 200 mg/day for seven days. Actigraphy and a validated restorative sleep questionnaire (RSQ-W) were used to monitor the influence of BCO-5 on sleep. Compared to placebo, BCO-5 significantly improved sleep quality, as evidenced by both intra-group and inter-group analyses of the actigraphy data. The relative improvements observed were sleep efficiency (7.8%,