When you're stressed out, sleep is often the first casualty. Yet, we need good quality sleep and enough of it. Without those precious Z’s, our mental health suffers. It’s a classic Catch-22 situation: You’re stressed so you don’t sleep, and then you grow more stressed because you aren’t sleeping. Sleep is a struggle for many of us and stress or burnout are often to blame.
As a firefighter and an EMT, I can tell you firsthand that no matter how hard I try to avoid bringing the stress from work home, my sleep behavior reflects otherwise. Whether it be trouble falling asleep or falling back asleep in the middle of the night, my sleep seems to never come easy. I’m always looking for strategies that will help me improve my ability to simply sleep better. I don’t think I’m alone.
You may have used supplements to help improve your sleep before. If you didn’t notice any remarkable changes in your sleep quality, or they didn’t work the way you were hoping, here’s a question for you: what if you tried “a probiotic for your brain” instead?
Certain probiotics have been shown in studies to help improve sleep quality without unwanted side effects. Neuralli® Mood is a probiotic option with a clinical study of the actual product (not just its individual ingredients) that shows it helps with sleep, especially for stressed people.
But you may have questions. I know I did!
If you’re looking for real answers and a behind-the-scenes perspective on what customers are actually saying about Neuralli Mood, join me. Here you will find some answers to common questions about Neuralli Mood and sleep.
A probiotic? For sleep?
Why would a probiotic in the intestines do anything for sleep?
Keep in mind that the organs in your body are more connected than you may think. It may surprise you to learn that there is a direct line of communication between the brain and the gut.
This is known as the gut-brain axis - the bidirectional communication pathway between the central nervous system and the gut. This pathway consists of neural, endocrine, and immune pathways, all of which facilitate the physiological processes that promote sleep, with support from the gut microbiota.
A growing body of evidence suggests that the gut-brain axis plays an important role in governing sleep, and certain strains of probiotics have been shown in studies to help improve sleep measures. Neuralli Mood is a probiotic + postbiotic product which has been shown in a clinical study to help improve sleep.
How does it work? Probiotics may improve sleep quality by influencing the production of calming and sleep-promoting chemicals, like serotonin and GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), and/or by influencing the stress response (i.e., lowering stress hormone levels).
Does science show that Neuralli Mood helps you sleep better?
According to clinical research and customer survey results, yes, Neuralli Mood may help you sleep better. For example, in a recent customer survey, 72% of the people who picked “Support sleep” as a top reason to take Neuralli Mood reported improvement in sleep (95 respondents).†
Neuralli Mood is a psychobiotic blend designed to support a healthy stress response in daily life. Stress is known to impair sleep and psychological well being, especially when it is prolonged. Studies show Neuralli Mood and its probiotic strain may also help promote better sleep and a calm mood. Let’s take a closer look at the published findings.
Neuralli Mood study of stressed firefighters
In this study, 116 firefighters were randomly assigned to two groups, a placebo group and a Neuralli Mood group. For two months, the participants took either a placebo or two Neuralli Mood capsules (30B CFU PS128 and 20B cells of HT-PS23), each day.
Before and after the 8-week supplementation period, the researchers analyzed stress- and sleep-related questionnaire assessments and blood biomarkers of the study participants. Blood samples were taken from both groups, once at baseline and again after the 8-week intervention.
The researchers measured stress biomarkers in the samples, including cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and norepinephrine. These biomarkers were selected because they reflect hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity and sympathetic nervous system response, providing objective measures to complement the self-reported stress and emotional indices.
Compared with placebo, the psychobiotics group showed significant findings in the following:
- Better sleep: The psychobiotic group showed a greater reduction in sleep-related difficulties, like trouble following asleep, waking up during the night, or unrefreshing sleep as compared with the placebo group.
- More calmness: The psychobiotic group reported greater feelings of calm, contentedness, security, relaxation and comfort compared with placebo.
- Overall rating of health: The psychobiotic group reported improved health compared to the placebo group.
The study authors observed significant sleep-related improvements in the firefighters and hypothesized that these improvements might be connected to stress hormone levels. Stress and poor sleep has been shown to be closely linked and less circulating stress hormones may play a role in improving sleep quality.
The HPA axis and the sympathetic nervous system are the command centers that regulate our stress response through rapid neural signals (sympathetic) and sustained hormonal/chemical responses (HPA axis). The two work together to regulate how you respond to stress. Scientists measure levels of stress biomarkers, like norepinephrine and ACTH, to determine how much stress a person may be experiencing. Higher levels typically are associated with higher levels of stress and lower levels indicate a calmer, less activated state.
The researchers found that the ACTH levels in the psychobiotics group were significantly lower than the placebo group. ACTH is a hormone released by the pituitary gland that regulates the stress hormone, cortisol. They also observed significantly lower norepinephrine levels in the psychobiotic group compared to the placebo group. These findings may explain why the firefighters in the probiotic group reported greater feeling of calm and relaxation as compared to placebo. Further, these calming effects may point to a mechanism underlying improved sleep in the stressed firefighters who took Neuralli Mood in the study.
PS128 and stressed IT workers
While IT (informational technology) workers do not manage the same physical and psychological demands of stress as firefighters, they do face an immense amount of pressure on a regular basis. High-stakes assignments with short deadlines and other job-related stressors can lead to health issues such as loss of job satisfaction, lack of sleep, nervousness, and loss of concentration.
An 8-week single-arm pilot study showed that the probiotic L. plantarum PS128 helped highly stressed IT workers improve their quality of life. PS128 is one of the two strains in Neuralli Mood. After taking 30B CFU of PS128 daily for eight weeks, their cortisol levels, perceived stress, job stress, negative emotions (sadness, anger or disgust for example), and sleep disturbances were decreased.
One interesting finding: The reduction in sleep-related difficulties was complemented by a decrease in salivary cortisol levels. This decrease in stress hormones may play a role in the improvement in sleep, as other studies have shown a correlation between less stress and better sleep.
The study authors also proposed that the sleep-improving effects of PS128 might be related to certain neurotransmitters, like increasing the levels of sleep-promoting GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) and adenosine, and decreasing levels of orexin, an excitatory brain chemical that regulates sleep arousal and wakefulness.
Clinical research helps us understand how Neuralli Mood might support the gut-brain axis and its role in stress and sleep. But for more details about who it helps and how long it takes to work, let’s check out what internal Bened Life customer surveys show.
How long does it take Neuralli Mood to work for sleep?
According to the research studies above, the participants who took Neuralli Mood or PS128 reported improved sleep after 8 weeks, or two months - the set duration of the studies themselves. In customer surveys, however, ~50% of people who have taken Neuralli Mood for less than a month already reported an improvement in their sleep (28 respondents).†
The surveys reveal that Neuralli Mood users often report improvements in quality of life, stress management, and sleep. Of the 312 who answered questions asking the time for noticeable improvement of any kind, 24% stated within the first week, 56% within the first month, and 72% within two months.† These responses suggest that many people didn’t have to wait long to notice a difference, with a little over half reporting improvements within the first month of taking Neuralli Mood, and the majority reported improvement within two months.
One notable result is that adults aged 51-65 reported the highest rate of self-reported sleep improvement among the age groups surveyed.†
Does taking Neuralli Mood longer provide better sleep benefits?
No, not necessarily. Results from 1-6 months are similar; however, those who take it for 3+ months do report additional advantages to this supplement.
Approximately 50% of people who have taken Neuralli Mood for less than a month reported an improvement in their sleep in customer surveys (28 respondents).† Sleep satisfaction rates of customers rise to about sixty percent for those who stick with Neuralli Mood for three (220 respondents, 59%) or six months (149 respondents, 58%).†
Importantly, customers who take Neuralli Mood consistently report improvements beyond sleep alone. Overwhelming majorities reported improved stress and other benefits after taking Neuralli Mood for at least 3 months (220 respondents†):
- Improved quality of life (87%)
- Stress management (84%)
- Improved gut health (61%)
Will taking the recommended daily dose of Neuralli Mood improve my chances of better sleep?
Apparently, yes, taking the recommended daily dose (2 capsules of Neuralli Mood per day) seems to significantly boost the likelihood of getting a good night’s sleep. In fact, an overwhelming majority of individuals who report high satisfaction with the changes in their sleep patterns (84%) take two capsules per day (166 respondents**).
The dosage and time of day you take Neuralli Mood may also influence how well Neuralli Mood improves sleep.
The customers least likely to report improved sleep quality were the ones who took only one capsule, and took it in the morning (23% improved; 31 respondents†). Of those taking 2 capsules in the morning, only 48% reported an improvement in sleep (129 respondents†).
Bened Life recommends taking Neuralli Mood in the evening if a sleep improvement is desired. Because these customers took Neuralli Mood in the morning, it is possible that they were less interested in an improvement in their sleep, and perhaps preferred a mood or stress improvement.
So how did people do who took Neuralli Mood before bed?
Those most likely to report sleep improvement were a small group who split their Neuralli Mood: one capsule in the morning, and one in the evening (75%, 24 respondents). 67% of customers (85 respondents) who took two capsules in the evening said their sleep improved.†
Are certain age groups more likely to experience sleep improvements from Neuralli Mood?
While Neuralli Mood helps across various age groups, older adults experienced the most dramatic success in customer surveys.
A higher percentage of older adults aged 51-65 reported improvements in sleep (65.5%, 84 respondents) as compared to younger adults aged 26-35 (40.7%, 27 respondents). And, 83.9% of people aged 51-65 who were taking Neuralli Mood specifically to support sleep reported improved sleep (31 respondents).
How does a probiotic like Neuralli Mood promote sleep?
While the mechanisms underlying the effects of Neuralli Mood on sleep are still unclear, clinical research suggests that Neuralli Mood may help improve your sleep because of its balancing effects on stress pathways, like the HPA axis. It may also be related to the effects on brain dopamine and/or serotonin observed in preclinical studies of PS128, its probiotic component.
Results from the clinical studies suggest that Neuralli Mood may help you sleep better, wake up too early less often, lower elevated cortisol levels, and support your HPA axis. And many customers report not just better sleep, but improved stress levels and overall quality of life.
If you are managing stress and poor sleep, Neuralli Mood may help.
Recommended reading:
How Our Microbiome Influences Mental Health
Can You Use Probiotics for Sleep?
What to Know about Neuralli Mood
†Customer Satisfaction Survey (Q4 2024–Q2 2026): This survey includes responses from 325 customers who purchased Neuralli Mood. Unless otherwise noted, survey results throughout this article are drawn from this dataset.
**First-Purchase Online Customer Survey (Q4 2023–Q3 2025): This survey includes responses from 355 first-time Neuralli Mood customers and provides additional insights into customer satisfaction, quality of life, stress management, gut health, and product experiences.
About the surveys: The findings are based on Bened Life’s customer surveys of Neuralli Mood users. Both reflect self-reported customer experiences and should not be interpreted as clinical trial outcomes or evidence of cause and effect. Sample sizes are provided throughout because not every respondent answered every survey question, and also reflect subgroup sizes.
