Editorial Standards & Evidence Policy
Restful Ground is a clinical publication, not a lifestyle blog or a supplement storefront. This page explains, once, the methodology that every clinical guide references briefly rather than re-explaining.
Evidence tiers
- RCT
- Backed by randomized controlled trial evidence.
- Observational
- Backed by observational studies — informative, but without the controls a randomized trial provides.
- Consensus
- Reflects professional-society or clinical-consensus guidance where controlled trial data is limited.
- Emerging
- Early or preliminary evidence; we label this honestly rather than overstating certainty, even for popular remedies.
Review cadence and the last-reviewed date
Every clinical article displays the date it was last reviewed by a named, credentialed reviewer. This matters most for pregnancy and older-adult safety claims, where stale guidance carries real risk. A last-reviewed date is not a guarantee against all changes in the underlying research, but it tells you how recently a clinician checked the guide against current guidance.
How safety flags are determined
Where a guide discusses a specific intervention, it may carry a safety flag: generally safe, use with caution, avoid, or consult a clinician. These flags summarize the guide's own reasoning for quick scanning on pages like the Safety & Eligibility Checklist; they are not a substitute for reading the full guide or talking to a clinician about your specific situation.
Informational only, never a storefront
Restful Ground does not sell, rank, or endorse supplements, devices, or services. We do not accept product placement on clinical guides. Where a guide raises finding a clinician or an accredited sleep center as the appropriate next step, we link to established medical directories (AASM, CBT-I/SBSM) rather than building or claiming to vet our own — see Find a Specialist.