Introduction

If you’ve ever experienced insomnia, lying awake at 3 a.m., stressing over everything all at once, or even just battling that restless feeling in your legs, then you know how hard it is to find a solution that works for you. By now you probably know that you’re not alone and that there are a million supplements, tricks, and questionable pieces of advice floating around the internet, begging for your attention and extra cash. As someone who has experienced chronic insomnia myself, I have spent countless hours researching solutions and theorizing causes to my sleeplessness. Deep down I felt that if I could just persuade myself into a calm state I could achieve the daily sought after energizing sleep. As it turns out, there is research to support this. 

Research shows that placebos can improve sleep function, particularly by helping you fall asleep faster, through the expectation of rest. At Stoica, we’ve harnessed this science with SHIFT, a placebo-powered product designed to help you find calm and ease into sleep through intentional rituals. We’re passionate about helping you thrive, even in your quietest moments. In this post, we’ll discuss the evidence behind placebos and their effect on falling asleep, reflect on how this can transform your nightly routine, and show how SHIFT can support you in achieving restful, rejuvenating sleep.

Placebo Sleep

Placebos can have a surprising impact on sleep function, particularly in helping people fall asleep faster, by leveraging the power of expectation and ritual. According to a 2005 study in the Journal of Neuroscience, the placebo effect has a tremendously positive influence on sleep when paired with verbal suggestions or sensory cues, or in other words: rituals.¹ If your grandparent ever tucked you in, sang a lullaby, or made you soup during a childhood sickness, you have already experienced a placebo ritual. Another study in Scientific Reports (2023) showed that open-label placebos (OLPs) often yield comparable results to deceptive placebos (DPs) which are placebos disguised as active treatments with the key being method of administration.³ The way in which someone takes their OLP must be a therapeutic action, like taking a pill and affirming oneself that it will result in symptom relief, just like a grandparent may soothe a sick child. 

The mechanism behind this effect lies in the brain’s response to expectation. A 2014 study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology found that believing you’ve slept well can make you feel as though you have.² In our blog post The Astonishing Power of Belief: Dr. Ted Kaptchuk and Stoica’s Mindset, we explore some of Kaptchuk’s ideas and studies regarding real symptom relief following placebo use. Kaptchuk is a major proponent of the power of ritual. He believes that the method of administration is key to the perceived effects. These findings highlight that the act of taking a placebo, paired with the belief in its potential, can create a powerful pre-sleep ritual. By creating the most relaxing and calming environment possible before sleep and taking 2 SHIFT pills, you can find peace in a full 8 hours of deep sleep. 

At Stoica, we designed SHIFT to harness this placebo effect for better sleep. SHIFT helps you create a nightly ritual that signals to your brain it’s time to unwind, making it easier to fall asleep. Whether you’re dealing with stress or a racing mind, SHIFT offers a safe, side-effect-free way to find calm and drift off with ease. 
Here are some ways you can harness SHIFT for your nighttime routine:

• Take 2, turn off the lights and practice deep breathing in your sleeping position

• Take 2, dim the lights, sit crisscross on the ground, close your eyes, and repeat a mantra to calm your mind and focus on your goal 

• Take 2, dim the lights, read a few pages of a good book, allowing it to take you to a faraway place.

• Take 2, play noise (white, pink, grey, etc) or nature sounds at low volume in earbuds or speaker and practice deep breathing. Let your thoughts carry you far away.
  

Reflection

The research on placebos and sleep function reveals a profound truth: your mind plays a crucial role in how easily you fall asleep. Stoica’s mission is to help you thrive through intentional, placebo-powered rituals. For those who struggle with falling asleep, like the insomnia patients in these studies, this offers a safe alternative to sleep medications, which often come with side effects like dependency or grogginess. Even without a grandparent’s nightly lullaby offering soothing comfort you can have the sleep you deserve.

Our Thrive Ritual Guide offers tips to build your own pre-sleep ritual with SHIFT, such as pairing it with deep breathing or journaling to enhance its calming effect. By using SHIFT, you’re not just taking a capsule; you’re tapping into a scientifically supported method to fall asleep faster and thrive through better rest. What could a better night’s sleep do for your day?

Call-to-Action

Ready to fall asleep with ease? Try SHIFT today and start a placebo-powered ritual—take 2 capsules, set an intention for calm, and drift off peacefully. SHIFT helps you relax and fall asleep faster, supporting restful sleep without side effects. We challenge you: join our Thrive Tribe on Discord and share your nightly SHIFT ritual for 7 days, reflecting on how it helps you fall asleep. Use #StoicaThrive to show us how you’re thriving with better rest—we’re excited to support your journey to restful nights!

Try It Yourself

At Stoica, we’ve bottled this science into GRIT, SHIFT, and FLOW: placebo-powered tools for thriving. Small rituals, big wins...that’s how we thrive.
 

For more information, click here for access to extensive placebo research!

Works Cited

1. Benedetti, Fabrizio et al. “Neurobiological mechanisms of the placebo effect.” The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience vol. 25,45 (2005): 10390-402. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3458-05.2005
2. Draganich, Christina, and Kristi Erdal. “Placebo sleep affects cognitive functioning.” Journal of experimental psychology. Learning, memory, and cognition vol. 40,3 (2014): 857-64. doi:10.1037/a0035546
3. “The Roles of Expectation, Comparator, Administration Route, and Population in Open-label Placebo Effects: A Network Meta-analysis.” Scientific Reports, vol. 13, no. 1, July 2023, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-39123-4.