The Lotus Sleep sleep aid product comes in the form of a thin film. Users simply need to peel the film from its packaging, place it on their tongue, and let it dissolve completely.
Targeting elderly individuals, busy professionals, and those experiencing stress that leads to insomnia, a group of students from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry, including Đinh Nguyễn Bảo Trân, Trần Thị Thùy Trang, Tạ Ngọc Bích Du, Nguyễn Anh Vũ, and Trần Quang Khải, developed the idea of researching a purely natural sleep aid product.
Using Familiar Ingredients
“As my grandmother gets older, she finds it increasingly difficult to sleep, averaging only 2 to 3 hours a night. Lack of sleep is a major risk factor for hypertension and heart attacks in the elderly,” said group leader Đinh Nguyễn Bảo Trân, sharing the concern that motivated her to research a product to promote better sleep.
Trân noted that all group members hail from the Mekong Delta region, sharing a common interest in the lotus plant, which is integral to local life and valued as a medicinal herb. Notably, the lotus seeds contain alkaloids that help calm the mind, extend sleep duration; and asparagine, which helps lower blood pressure, improves conditions of cardiac ischemia, and combats arrhythmia.
The student group from Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry with the idea of extracting lotus seeds into a sleep aid product.
Using extraction technology, the group has produced a product with standardized ingredient concentration. Lotus seeds undergo thermal fermentation before extraction to separate active alkaloids (asparagine, nelumbin, nuciferine, liensinin) and antioxidants (flavonoids, polyphenols). The resulting extract is concentrated and fixed onto a thin film.
During the market survey phase, the Lotus Sleep product received positive feedback, as most users reported improved sleep after 2-3 weeks of use. The product is priced at an estimated 120,000 VND for a box of 10 films. According to traditional medicine, lotus seeds have a cooling property and should not exceed 2 boxes per month, which translates to about 8,000 VND per day for better sleep without the need for medications or supplements containing numerous additives. – Bảo Trân shared.
Quick, Convenient, and Effective
According to Tạ Ngọc Bích Du, a group member, with the fast-paced lifestyle, many people lack the time to brew lotus seed tea daily, even though they are aware of its benefits. Therefore, designing the product in a film format allows for maximum convenience for users.
“Each film contains about 5 grams of lotus seeds; it has a sweet taste and dissolves easily in the mouth. After 30 minutes of holding the film, the lotus seeds help the body relax and gradually drift into deep sleep. The compact film shape also makes it easy for users to carry during business trips or travel, unlike cumbersome medication bottles.” – Bích Du explained.
The thin film sleep aid derived from lotus seeds.
Providing additional information about the product, Bích Du mentioned that Lotus Sleep has been enhanced with ingredients such as coconut flower nectar, cinnamon, and licorice to reduce the characteristic bitterness of lotus seeds. Coconut flower nectar contains up to 17 types of amino acids, 9 of which are essential and cannot be synthesized by the body. Notably, the glycemic index (GI) of coconut flower nectar is less than 35, lower than most other sugars, making it suitable for dieters and individuals with diabetes.
“The team hopes the product can be applied practically, but currently, the entire production process is conducted in the university’s laboratory. To mass-produce, we need a partner to transfer technology,” Bích Du expressed.
Dr. Nguyễn Thị Thùy Dương, a lecturer at the Food Technology Department of Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry, commended the group for optimizing parameters, maximizing extraction of active ingredients, and ensuring stability over time. Furthermore, there are currently no sleep aid products in film form on the market, making this innovative shape a plus for attracting consumers. “However, transitioning from a research project to commercializing the product will take a significant amount of time, and the group needs to further improve the technology,” Dr. Nguyễn Thị Thùy Dương advised.
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