Sleep Supplements

A look into 7 widely researched sleep aids!

My previous post went into the weeds on nine different behavioral sleep-enhancing strategies that are incredibly easy and effective. As mentioned in that post, it’s highly recommended that behaviors are prioritized first and foremost before moving onto additional means of sleep augmentation. Not only are behaviors cost-efficient, but they also nearly always have a plethora of other benefits that apply to more than just the behavior being discussed (sleep in this case).

For many, changing their behaviors and doing most of the nine strategies mentioned will be enough to advance their sleep into the optimal zone. However, others including myself, tend to need something a little extra for an additional push which is where supplements come into play.   

I’d like to start out by mentioning that MORE IS NOT BETTER when it comes to supplementation. I highly recommend that you start out at the lowest dosage possible of a single supplement before increasing the dosage and then perhaps adding another supplement to your regimen if you deem it necessary.

Let’s dive into the seven supplements that will be our topic of discussion today:

1. Magnesium

Magnesium is one of the most used supplements on the market and it’s because many people do NOT consume enough of it in their diet. Along with cardiovascular, cognitive, and musculoskeletal benefits, magnesium plays a crucial role in our ability to get a good night’s rest.

Magnesium promotes restfulness by relaxing our muscles, assisting in the regulation of melatonin release, decreasing stress and anxiety, and essentially dialing down the nervous system so we can enter a sleeping state. The two best ‘forms’ of this supplement for sleep are magnesium glycinate and magnesium threonate – you can’t go wrong with either one of these although the latter tends to be a bit more pricey!

Personally, I recommend starting with magnesium before any other supplement as it’s extremely safe and will yield more benefits than just sleep promotion!

Dosage for sleep benefits: 100-400mg within 30-60 minutes of sleep (depends on magnesium type – follow the supplement bottle for most accurate recommendations)

2. L-Theanine