Sleep supplements: a short honest list
The “for sleep” shelf at the pharmacy is long, while the list of what works has three items. And none of them replaces no coffee after 14, dinner by 19, and darkness: a supplement is the final 10% when the other 90% is in place. Section — recovery tools.
What works
| Supplement | Evidence | Dose | When | For whom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magnesium glycinate | good evidence when deficient | 300-400 mg | one hour before bed | on a low-carb diet — almost everyone: cramps, awakenings |
| Glycine | moderate evidence: deeper sleep, less fatigue in the morning | 3 g | 30-60 min before bed | those who take a long time to fall asleep and feel wrecked in the morning |
| Melatonin | helps you fall asleep, not stay asleep | 0.5-1 mg | 1-2 hours before bed | disrupted rhythm, jet lag, late bedtime; not every day |
What does not work or is questionable
| Supplement | What the evidence shows |
|---|---|
| “Sleep complexes” made from 10 herbs | effect at placebo level; the doses of each component are decorative |
| Valerian | weak and contradictory evidence |
| GABA | does not cross the blood-brain barrier in significant amounts |
| Melatonin 3-5 mg daily | more is not better; disrupts your natural rhythm, daytime sleepiness |
| 5-HTP, tryptophan | weak evidence, interactions with antidepressants |
| CBD | evidence is contradictory, product quality is unpredictable |
| Alcohol | you fall asleep faster, sleep is worse; it is not a supplement but a destroyer |
Magnesium: the first thing to check
On a low-carb diet, magnesium is lost in urine faster, and its deficiency looks like “poor sleep”: it takes a long time to fall asleep, you wake up at 3-4, your calves cramp, your eyelid twitches. Glycinate is the form for sleep: it does not have a laxative effect and gently relaxes. Citrate — if you also have constipation. Oxide — useless. The effect appears within one to two weeks. In detail — magnesium.
Glycine and melatonin
Glycine is an amino acid that lowers body temperature before sleep and deepens slow-wave sleep; 3 g in water before bed, in studies — better sleep quality and less fatigue in the morning with short sleep. Melatonin is the hormone of darkness, not a sleeping pill: at a dose of 0.5-1 mg it shifts the clock — useful for jet lag and a late rhythm; at 5 mg every day — daytime sleepiness and a disrupted natural rhythm. Rhythm is treated with morning light and evening darkness; melatonin is a crutch for two weeks. A supplement-free protocol — how to fall asleep.
Mistakes
- A supplement instead of no coffee after 14 and darkness
- Melatonin 5 mg “stronger” every day
- Magnesium oxide “for sleep”
- A complex of ten herbs instead of one that works
- Wine as a “sleep aid”
Frequently asked questions
Can you take all three at once?
Magnesium and glycine — yes, regularly. Melatonin — only when your rhythm is disrupted, for two weeks.
How long until the effect?
Glycine — from the first night for some people. Magnesium — one to two weeks. Melatonin — immediately, but it is about falling asleep, not quality.
Does any of this cause dependence?
No, none of the three. Dependence occurs with sleeping pills, which are not discussed here.
- Sauna and cold: what the data say, not the ritualFinnish men who used the sauna 4-7 times a week died from heart disease half as often. Cold water triples norepinephrine — but after strength training it interferes with muscle growth. How and when to make it work.
- Active recovery: why walking repairs better than the couchAfter a hard workout, complete rest restores you more slowly than light movement. What counts as active recovery, how much and when, and how it relieves soreness.
- Deload week: one step back, after which the weights go upEvery 4-6 weeks — a week at half the weight. The nervous system and joints rest, the muscles finish building what they have accumulated, and the next cycle begins with new records.
- Circadian rhythms and food: why the same plate costs more in the eveningInsulin sensitivity is 30-40% lower in the evening than in the morning. The liver and pancreas have their own clocks, and a late dinner throws them off. Light, darkness, and meal timing as tools.
- How to fall asleep in 20 minutes: a protocol, not “just relax”The nervous system needs a sequence, not advice. Temperature, light, breathing, paper, and the 20-minute rule—a protocol that works for most people within two weeks.
- Sleep stages and fat: why it matters what time you go to bedDeep sleep comes in the first half of the night, when growth hormone repairs muscles. Go to bed after midnight — you lose it and will not catch up in the morning. Study: 5.5 versus 8.5 hours while dieting.
Reviewed by Anastasia Zhukova, Fitness Trainer • Author of a Nutrition and Training System • Creator of an AI Personal Support Platform
A human has reviewed this material against the method and real client practice.