Q&A

Essence of Night™ is a melatonin-free sleep and mood supplement designed for women 35+, with three clinically studied branded botanical extracts, five supporting ingredients and fully disclosed amounts. Created by a woman founder and medically trained formulator, it brings together the concerns women often describe in the same breath: a busy mind at bedtime, daily stress, interrupted rest and feeling emotionally drained the next day.

1. Three branded botanical extracts with their own research. Every two-capsule serving contains KSM-66® Ashwagandha Root Extract, 600 mg; Cyracos® Lemon Balm Extract, 300 mg; and affron® Saffron Extract, 28 mg. These are specific extracts with published human research, rather than interchangeable names for generic herbs. KSM-66® has been studied for stress response, stress-related cortisol and sleep; Cyracos® for stress and sleep-related symptoms in an exploratory study; and affron® for mood and sleep quality. The strength of evidence differs among the extracts, and their studies do not establish the effects of our complete formula.

2. Five supporting ingredients, each with a purpose. Alongside the three branded extracts, we include L-theanine, 200 mg; GABA, 75 mg; organic reishi fruiting-body extract, 10:1, 150 mg; zinc as bisglycinate, 11 mg; and vitamin B6 as P-5-P, 5 mg. L-theanine and GABA contribute to our relaxation-focused formulation; reishi adds a traditionally valued botanical layer; zinc supports normal cellular functions, and B6 contributes to normal neurotransmitter synthesis.* These ingredients have different roles and different levels of evidence; they are not five equally proven sleep treatments.

3. Meaningful doses you can actually see. We disclose every active amount, with no proprietary blend hiding the quantities. Our KSM-66® 600 mg and affron® 28 mg match total daily amounts used in certain human studies. Extract identity, study population and dosing schedule matter as well as milligrams. Our Cyracos® amount is 300 mg; its often-cited exploratory study used 600 mg daily. We do not describe every ingredient as being at a clinically proven sleep dose.

4. Designed around women’s lives after 35. Work, caregiving, everyday stress and, for some women, the menopausal transition can overlap with changes in sleep and mood. We considered those connected experiences when building the formula. “Women 35+” identifies the people we designed for; it does not mean every woman experiences the same changes at 35 or that the formula has been proven to work better in this age group.

5. Support, balance and nourish. Our five connected priorities are evening calm, restful sleep, a healthy response to everyday stress, emotional well-being and nutritional care.* “Support” reflects relaxation and sleep; “balance” reflects stress response and emotional steadiness; “nourish” reflects the botanical and nutrient layer. There is no added melatonin. This approach is intended to support a consistent evening routine, with individual responses varying.

6. A woman-founded company with a medically trained formulator. SilkHerb was founded by Lydia Zhang, whose personal experience of difficult nights helped shape the questions behind this formula. Her medical training informs her approach to ingredient selection, transparent amounts and thoughtful care. It does not mean the product is a medicine or that the finished formula has been clinically proven.

7. Quality you can ask us about. Essence of Night is manufactured in a U.S. cGMP-certified facility with globally sourced ingredients and is third-party tested for product quality. For information about the testing relevant to your bottle, contact care@silkherb.shop with its lot number. Manufacturing standards and testing support quality; they do not certify sleep effectiveness.

Explore the complete ingredient amounts, dose-by-dose research explanation, stress response and cortisol answer and Lydia’s story.

Women 35+ are the people we designed for, not a claim that everyone’s hormones or sleep change at a particular birthday. For some women, this season brings lighter or more interrupted sleep, a mind that stays active at bedtime, and mornings that feel less restorative. Work, caregiving, stress and, for some, the menopausal transition can overlap.

Essence of Night was designed around that lived experience: sleep and mood belong in the same conversation. That is why the formula includes botanicals selected with stress, sleep and mood research in mind, alongside amino acids and nutrients.* It is not hormone replacement therapy, and it has not been shown to correct hormone levels or treat perimenopause. We have not established that the finished formula works better in women over 35 than in other adults.

Learn more: National Institute on Aging: sleep and menopause.

Yes—a supplement does not need added melatonin to be considered for sleep support. Its usefulness depends on the ingredients, amounts, evidence and the person taking it. Melatonin is involved in sleep timing; difficulty settling at night is not always simply a shortage of melatonin.

Essence of Night takes a different formulation approach, with botanicals and other ingredients selected for evening relaxation, sleep and mood support.* For example, controlled studies have explored KSM-66® ashwagandha and affron® saffron without adding melatonin as the treatment. Those ingredient findings support a reason to consider the formula; they do not prove how the finished blend will work for you.

Melatonin-free does not mean side-effect-free or guaranteed to prevent morning grogginess. If you take a sleep medicine or another sleep supplement, have a clinician or pharmacist review the combination first.

Ingredient studies: Ashwagandha root extract, sleep study (2019); affron® evening-dose sleep study (2021).

• Support: we selected ingredients with evening relaxation and sleep support in mind, including lemon balm, L-theanine and GABA.*
• Balance: we considered emotional well-being and the way daily stress can follow us into the night. Ashwagandha and saffron are part of that formulation thinking.* Here, “balance” does not mean that the product balances your hormones.
• Nourish: organic reishi adds a botanical layer, while zinc and vitamin B6 contribute essential nutrients. B6 has established roles in normal neurotransmitter synthesis; including nutrients does not mean that you have a deficiency or that extra amounts improve sleep.

These words describe the care and priorities behind the formula. We do not present them as three separately proven effects of the finished product. Good sleep, adequate food and appropriate health care remain important parts of feeling restored.

A full serving is two capsules. The active ingredients and amounts per serving are:

The product contains no added melatonin. The full active amounts are disclosed; there is no proprietary blend concealing those amounts. See the bottle’s complete label for other ingredients, directions and warnings. The standard supply estimates on our website assume two capsules daily.

For SilkHerb, meaningful doses begin with making the amount of every active ingredient visible and considering the specific extract and published evidence, rather than relying only on an ingredient’s familiar name. A trademark, extract ratio or bigger milligram number alone is not proof of effectiveness.

Our KSM-66® 600 mg and affron® 28 mg match total daily amounts used in certain human studies. The study schedules, populations and formulas differ from Essence of Night, so matching an amount is not the same as proving the finished product.

The distinction matters for Cyracos®: our serving contains 300 mg; the small, uncontrolled pilot study often cited for this extract used 600 mg daily. We do not claim that our 300 mg amount reproduces that study. Evidence is also more limited for some supporting ingredients, including reishi as a sleep ingredient. Our ingredient library explains these differences.

Read the sources: Ashwagandha root extract, sleep study (2019); affron® evening-dose sleep study (2021); Cyracos® exploratory study (2011).

We have not conducted a clinical trial on the complete eight-ingredient Essence of Night formula. Our research references concern individual ingredients and specific extracts, not a trial of this finished product.

That research helps explain our choices and gives us a basis for discussing the formula thoughtfully. It does not establish that combining the ingredients produces the same results, that they work synergistically, or that every person will benefit. Customer reviews offer another kind of information—individual experiences—not clinical proof.

Third-party testing addresses product quality within the scope of the tests performed. It is different from a clinical trial measuring whether a product improves sleep or mood. You can explore the research and its limitations in our Science & Ingredients library.

A gentler night. Built over time. With consistent nightly use, here is what you may notice:*

• In the first nights: A quieter wind-down, a mind that’s easier to settle.*
• Over the first weeks: A steadier nighttime experience.*
• Over time: Wake more restored, more like yourself.*

Take two capsules 30–60 minutes before bed, with food. If you are sensitive, start with one capsule. Continue nightly for ongoing support.* Follow the directions and warnings on your bottle.

Individual experiences and timelines may vary. These stages describe what you may notice, rather than guaranteed results or a fixed timetable.

Those are experiences we considered when creating Essence of Night: a mind that keeps working after the day ends, or sleep that feels light and interrupted. The formula is intended to provide a layer of relaxation, sleep and mood support.* It cannot tell you why you are waking, and we cannot promise that it will prevent a particular wake-up time.

Stress, night sweats, alcohol, caffeine, sleep timing, medications and health conditions can all be relevant. Waking at 3 a.m. does not by itself establish a cortisol or hormone problem. Persistent sleep difficulties, loud snoring or gasping, and significant daytime sleepiness deserve professional assessment. A supplement should not delay that assessment.

The intention behind Essence of Night is gentle nighttime support, with clearer mornings as a goal—not a promise that it cannot make you drowsy.* There is no added melatonin, but the formula still contains biologically active ingredients, and people can respond differently.

Morning grogginess, unusual dreams, stomach upset or other unwanted changes are possible. Do not drive or operate machinery if you feel sleepy or impaired. Avoid alcohol and do not combine it with sleep medicines or other sedating products without a clinician or pharmacist reviewing the combination. If it does not agree with you, stop using it and seek advice rather than pushing through symptoms.

Supporting a healthy response to everyday stress is part of our formulation approach.* That is different from claiming to correct a hormone imbalance. The most relevant cortisol research among our ingredients is on KSM-66® Ashwagandha Root Extract, which provides 600 mg per two-capsule serving.

Cortisol is a normal, necessary hormone involved in the stress response and the body’s daily rhythm. It is not something we want to eliminate or continually push lower. Stress, sleep and cortisol can influence one another, but waking at 2 or 3 a.m. does not by itself show that cortisol is too high or that a hormone disorder is present.

What does the KSM-66® research show? A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial enrolled 64 adults reporting chronic stress. Participants received KSM-66® 300 mg twice daily, or placebo, for 60 days. The extract group showed greater improvements in stress measures and a greater reduction in serum cortisol than the placebo group. This supports the rationale for including KSM-66® in a stress-focused formula. Essence of Night supplies the same 600 mg total daily amount, but our evening dosing schedule and complete blend differ from that trial. The study does not prove that our product normalizes cortisol, restores its daily rhythm or produces the same result in women 35+.

What about affron® saffron? We include affron® 28 mg for its research on mood and sleep support.* In a 28-day randomized trial of 120 adults with unsatisfactory sleep, affron® improved certain self-reported sleep and morning mood outcomes, but did not significantly change evening cortisol compared with placebo. We therefore do not describe affron® as a proven cortisol-lowering ingredient.

What does “balance” mean for SilkHerb? It means attention to emotional well-being and the body’s response to everyday demands as part of support, balance and nourish.* Essence of Night is not hormone replacement therapy and has not been shown to correct estrogen, progesterone, thyroid or cortisol abnormalities. It is not a treatment for menopause or an endocrine condition.

If you have a diagnosed hormone condition, use hormone therapy or take medication, have your clinician review the complete label before use. Ashwagandha can affect thyroid function and interact with medicines; a hormone-related concern deserves assessment rather than an assumption based on sleep symptoms.

Read the research: KSM-66® stress and cortisol trial (2012); affron® sleep, cortisol and melatonin trial (2021); NIH: ashwagandha evidence and safety.

For adults, take two capsules once daily with water, preferably 30–60 minutes before bedtime. Take them with food or a small snack. Do not take on an empty stomach. Follow the directions and warnings on your bottle.

The label allows sensitive individuals to start with one capsule. Check with your healthcare professional if you have questions about whether that approach is appropriate for you, especially if you take medicines or have a health condition. One capsule supplies half the listed two-capsule active amounts; research on a full daily amount does not establish the same outcome at half that amount.

Do not exceed two capsules in a day, take an extra dose during the night or double up after a missed dose. Pair the routine with a regular sleep schedule and a calmer wind-down, rather than expecting the supplement to compensate for too little sleep.

Do not use Essence of Night as an additional middle-of-the-night “rescue” dose. The directions are for once-daily use, with a maximum of two capsules in a day. If you miss your usual dose, do not double the next one.

A late-night dose may leave too little time before you need to be alert in the morning. If you have already gone to bed or the timing no longer suits your schedule, skip the missed dose and return to your normal routine. If repeated waking continues, seek advice about the underlying sleep problem rather than taking more.

The evening timing fits the purpose of the formula and gives you a consistent moment to wind down. It can also make self-care easier to remember after a busy day. That is the idea behind treating the night as a chance to recharge.

We have not shown that all of these ingredients are absorbed better at night, or that nighttime is universally the best time to take vitamins and minerals. Taking the capsules with food or a small snack follows the product’s directions and may be more comfortable than taking them on an empty stomach. The benefits of adequate sleep and the effects of a supplement are separate questions.

The directions are for once-daily evening use. That is a dosing schedule, not proof that the complete formula has been studied for indefinite use. Long-term safety of this eight-ingredient blend has not been established, and most ashwagandha studies have been relatively short; information beyond roughly three months is limited.

If you plan to continue regularly, discuss it with your healthcare professional and reassess whether it is helping, whether you are having unwanted effects and whether your medicines or health circumstances have changed. There is no proven cycling schedule for Essence of Night. A recurring delivery plan is a shopping convenience, not a recommendation to take the product indefinitely.

Read more: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: ashwagandha.

Designed for Gentle, Non-Habit-Forming Nighttime Support

Essence of Night is formulated without added melatonin, estrogen or progesterone, and contains no prescription sedative-hypnotic drugs such as benzodiazepines. We selected botanical extracts, amino acids and nutrients to support evening relaxation, a healthy response to everyday stress, sleep and mood.*

Each two-capsule serving provides KSM-66® Ashwagandha Root Extract, 600 mg; Cyracos® Lemon Balm Extract, 300 mg; and affron® Saffron Extract, 28 mg, alongside L-theanine, GABA, reishi, zinc and vitamin B6. The amount of every active ingredient is clearly disclosed, with no proprietary blend hiding the quantities.

Our design goal is for Essence of Night to be part of your evening self-care routine, supporting relaxation and care for your sleep and emotional well-being.* It is not intended to encourage continually increasing the dose in pursuit of drowsiness. Always follow the label directions.

Enjoying a familiar bedtime routine is different from physical dependence. If your original sleep difficulties return after stopping, that alone does not establish addiction; stress, daily routines or other factors affecting your sleep may still be present.

“Non-habit-forming” describes our formulation goal, not an absolute guarantee that no individual will experience dependence or discomfort after stopping. Individual responses vary. If you experience significant discomfort during ongoing use or after stopping, consult a healthcare professional.

Do not use during pregnancy or breastfeeding. This is an adult product, not intended for children. Keep it out of their reach. Do not use if you are allergic to an ingredient.

Before use, have a healthcare professional review the full label if you take medication, have a medical condition or are preparing for surgery. Ashwagandha is not recommended for people with thyroid or autoimmune disorders or those about to have surgery. People with liver disease or a history of supplement-related liver injury also need specific medical advice; rare liver injuries have been reported with ashwagandha products.

Possible unwanted effects include drowsiness and digestive upset. Stop using it and seek medical advice if symptoms appear or worsen. Do not use a supplement to postpone care for persistent sleep difficulties or significant mood symptoms.

Safety sources: NCCIH: ashwagandha safety; NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: ashwagandha.

Have a clinician or pharmacist review the complete combination first. “Natural” does not mean there are no interactions. Ashwagandha can interact with sedatives, thyroid medicines, immune-suppressing medicines and some treatments for blood pressure, diabetes or seizures. Other medicines and ingredients may also need review.

Avoid alcohol. Do not add melatonin, prescription sleep treatment or other products that cause drowsiness without professional advice. Also check for duplicate ashwagandha, saffron, zinc or vitamin B6 in products you already use. Taking multiple formulas can change the total amount even when each bottle is used as directed. Do not stop a prescribed medicine in order to try Essence of Night.

Essence of Night is labeled as 60 vegan capsules. Always read the complete label on your bottle for active ingredients, other ingredients and warnings. If you have a food allergy or require a particular manufacturing or cross-contact assurance, contact care@silkherb.shop before use so we can check the relevant information.

Vegan labeling is not the same as a guarantee that a product is free of every allergen or suitable for every dietary restriction. We do not ask you to infer an allergen-free claim from a botanical ingredient list.

Third-party testing means the sample is tested by a laboratory outside the manufacturer. For Essence of Night lot 2026270, CTLA report 174186, dated July 7, 2026, records results for arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead, plus six microbiological tests.

View the batch testing summary for the reported results, test methods and units. You can read this information directly without emailing us. Match the lot number shown there to the lot number on your bottle.

These results apply to the submitted sample from the identified lot. The summary covers the listed heavy metal and microbiological tests; it does not verify every active ingredient amount or results for other lots. Product quality testing is separate from clinical research on sleep or mood benefits.

If your bottle has a different lot number or you need further documentation, email care@silkherb.shop with the lot number.

Essence of Night is manufactured in a U.S. cGMP-certified facility with globally sourced ingredients. This describes where the finished product is manufactured while being clear that the ingredients are sourced internationally.

cGMP stands for current Good Manufacturing Practice. Our manufacturer's facility holds UL Solutions cGMP certification for dietary supplement manufacturing and packaging. This certification concerns manufacturing and quality controls, not proof that the finished formula improves sleep. FDA registration is separate and does not mean FDA approval of the facility or this supplement. SilkHerb is the brand behind the formula; we do not present the manufacturing facility as our own factory.

For more about supplements and oversight, see FDA: questions and answers on dietary supplements.

Yes, SilkHerb is a new company, and Essence of Night is our first product. We are comfortable saying that plainly. We want your trust to come from what you can examine: the full ingredient amounts, the research we reference, clear manufacturing and testing statements, responsive support and honest answers.

The product is new; several of the ingredient extracts have an existing history of research and use. That is a foundation for our formulation choices, not proof that this finished combination will work for everyone. Early customer feedback has been encouraging, and we continue to listen to the experiences that differ as well.

You can read the ingredient research and the product page’s source-attributed reviews, including the disclosures on reviews from free-product programs. Newness makes transparency especially important to us.

SilkHerb is a small, woman-founded wellness company. I’m Lydia Zhang, its founder and medically trained formulator. The beginning of SilkHerb was personal: I knew the feeling of a tired body and a mind that would not settle, and I heard women around me describe the same difficult nights and mornings.

What stayed with me was how far a poor night could reach into a woman’s day—her energy, her patience, her mood, and the feeling that she had very little left for herself. I wanted to create something I would feel comfortable taking myself, with ingredients chosen carefully, amounts stated openly and quality I was willing to stand behind.

That became Essence of Night. I see the evening as a small opportunity to give care back to the person who has spent so much of the day caring for everything else. My hope is to support rest, emotional steadiness and a sense of nourishment from within, so a woman can begin to feel more like herself again.* That is what support, balance and nourish mean to me.

We are a new company, and this is a new product. I am grateful for the encouraging early feedback, and I know we still have listening and learning to do. I want us to earn trust through a real product, transparent doses, thoughtful quality choices and the way we care for each woman who comes to us.

My faith is part of that care. I pray for every woman who takes Essence of Night: May the peace and rest that come from God be with you, right where you are.

Love and care,
Lydia

You can contact us under our 30-Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Email care@silkherb.shop within 30 days of delivery, with your order number, to request a refund of the product price. You do not need to wait for a set number of nights before reaching out.

The guarantee applies to one-time and subscription purchases. Original shipping fees are non-refundable. The full refund policy explains eligibility and the process. If you are also subscribed and want future deliveries stopped, cancel that subscription separately; requesting a refund does not itself cancel future deliveries.

One bottle contains 60 capsules: a 30-day supply at the labeled two-capsule daily serving. Two bottles supply about two months and three bottles about three months at that serving. Supply estimates change if your healthcare professional recommends a different amount.

You can buy once or choose a subscription. The product page shows the quantity, delivery interval and recurring price for each option. Each subscription delivery is billed and assessed for shipping separately. You can manage upcoming deliveries through Manage Subscriptions.

U.S. standard shipping is free on orders of $60 or more after discounts, before tax, and $4.99 below $60. Processing is normally 1–3 business days after payment; standard transit is estimated at 3–4 business days after shipment. See our shipping policy and subscription policy for complete details.