Best supplements for sleep. Learn about the most effective suggestions

Sleep is essential for good health, but many people do not experience its full restorative properties. If you suffer from sleep problems or have difficulty getting enough quality sleep, you may want to consider supplements or herbs for better sleep.

• The best supplements and herbs for sleep for daily use
• Powerful sleep pills for emergency use
• Summary

The best supplements and herbs for sleep for daily use

Fortunately, there are at least a few supplements that can help improve sleep quality and help you get a better night's rest. Such over-the-counter sleep pills can successfully help with mild sleep problems that do not require the inclusion of drug treatment.

Below we will briefly discuss the best supplements for sleep and how they can help you get a good night's rest.

Magnesium - Magnesium ions inhibit glutamate, a major inhibitory neurotransmitter. This is an element that, on the one hand, is critical for efficient neurotransmission and the maintenance of normal psychological function, and on the other hand, is very often deficient in the average diet. For this reason, its supplementation benefits a huge number of people. Supplementation is economical and very beneficial, and the effects are usually quick and pronounced. For sleep, forms of magnesium such as magnesium diglycinate (chelate) or magnesium taurate work well, as both of these amino acids, to which magnesium ions are bound, produce an additional calming effect when dissociated in the body.

Melatonin - in doses of up to 1 mg, it can easily be taken daily for months without adverse effects or impairment of the pineal gland's own melatonin production. It is a hormone produced naturally by the body that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. It is widely available as a dietary supplement to help regulate the diurnal rhythm and improve sleep quality.

L-theanine - a tea-derived amino acid that increases the involvement of alpha waves in the brain, mimicking the state of meditation and relaxation. Theanine is known for its versatility of use. It can be used both as a calming and anti-stress supplement for the evening, and as a coffee/caffeine supplement to aid concentration and thinking performance. It is very safe, and shows effectiveness both in daily use and when used only on an ad hoc basis.

Kanna - the African plant Sceletium tortuosum is known for its serotonin-elevating effects, and its mechanism of action is similar to antidepressants. It is used both to improve mood and just to improve sleep quality.

Ashwagandha - an already iconic adaptogenic herb that has its roots in Ayurvedic medicine. Numerous scientific studies confirm its anti-stress and anti-anxiety effects, and some publications have also noted its effect on improving sleep quality. A very multifunctional supplement that, by the way, also supports general health and well-being on a daily basis.

Valerian - Trestle preparations have been a constant guest in our home medicine cabinets for decades. Tinctures, dries for brewing an infusion, or capsules with the extract - all these forms work well as evening sleep aids.

Interesting suggestions for comprehensive sleep supplements:

• Apollo's Hegemony Relatonic Forte
• MyLabs My Sweet Sleep
• HealthLabs Care RestMe
• Jarrow Sleep Optimizer

Powerful sleep pills for emergency use

This category undoubtedly includes 5-HTP, or 5-hydroxytryptophan. It is a derivative of the amino acid tryptophan and also a direct precursor to the construction of serotonin, from which melatonin is formed. Both serotonin and melatonin promote evening relaxation and improved sleep. Supplements with 5-HTP are very effective, especially when combined with EGCG from green tea, but the cost of this effectiveness is a slight invasiveness. Namely, daily supplementation is not recommended so as not to create an imbalance between serotonin and dopamine. If the effects of 5-HTP are very satisfactory, then l-tryptophan can be considered for daily supplementation, which is a milder but also safer option.

Higher doses of melatonin, on the order of 3, 5 or even 10 mg, are also sometimes used on an ad hoc basis. Using such large doses on a daily basis does not work well, as they are well beyond our physiological levels. Such doses can sometimes cause us to feel worse in the morning and have difficulty waking up smoothly.

Another supplement is methystine pepper, more widely known as Kava kava. Kava kava root supplements can be found in two variants: Kava tudei, in the form of encapsulated extracts standardized to a percentage of kavalactones, and Noble kava, which is a powdered root for preparing aqueous extracts. Extracts of tudei kava are considered very poor quality products, not purified of the harmful parts of the plant, and its regular consumption is associated with a risk of burdening the liver, nevertheless for sleep support it is effective, and in larger doses it is even considered a substitute for alcohol. Noble kava is much safer, but it is much more expensive, requires preparing the extract yourself and tastes nasty, so it is very impractical for daily use. What's more, kava kava is hard to come by in Poland, due to our specific regulations. Importing it directly from the Pacific islands, on the other hand, involves additional costs.

Summary

If you have a mild sleep disorder, it is definitely worth helping yourself with safe supplements such as magnesium, theanine, or ashwagandha. The effects can be surprisingly good after just a few days of supplementation. However, if neither supplementation nor other treatments help you improve your sleep and its poor quality is significantly affecting your life, don't hesitate to seek medical advice.