Top 5 Supplements to Aid Sleep
These are my top 5 supplement recommendations for anyone struggling with getting enough sleep or poor sleep quality. Now that you’ve been biohacking your sleep, you can take your sleep quality one step further with these supplements to aid sleep!
I know it can take time to adapt your lifestyle, diet and overall sleep hygiene. The biohacks I recommended are not always easy for everyone. Life gets in the way! I understand! These sleep supplements help to jumpstart your proper sleep schedule and improve your sleep now!
1. Magnesium/calcium
Calcium and magnesium were instrumental in resolving my sleep issues.
Magnesium is the first supplement to aid sleep that I recommend. It is a relaxing mineral in which almost everyone is deficient. When we are stressed, this mineral is the first to go!
Almost everyone is deficient in magnesium. Many are supplementing, but usually not enough. You need roughly five times your body weight in pounds in mg per day of this vital mineral.
Calcium is another one of those relaxing minerals. This is critical for calming the nervous system and getting to sleep!
The best way to get your doses of these vital minerals is to do a combo. My favorite is Endomet Paramin. The forms of calcium and magnesium in this supp are chelated for the highest absorption rate.
2. GABA
This neurotransmitter is the brakes that turns off the stimulating neurotransmitters like epinephrine and norepinephrine. When we are stressed GABA becomes depleted to calm the body down.
There are many different forms of GABA, but the only one that really works well is phenylated GABA. There are not many companies that make this form. My favorite brands are Dave Asprey’s GABAwave and Liposomal GABA by Quicksilver Scientific. I take it every night to get my ZZZ’s.
3. Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb that calms the body and aids stress management and the proper release of cortisol.
This herb has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. Today, medical researchers have been studying Ashwagandha for years with great interest. It’s been found to reduce stress, fatigue and improve sleep, of course!
When I take it, I wake up feeling much more calm and feeling that I got a deeper, more quality restorative sleep. My favorite brand is Banyan organic Ashwagandha.
4. Adaptogenic Herbs
Adaptogenic Herbs like ashwagandha, rhodiola, astragalus, schizandra berry and holy basil calm the body and the mind. They help to normalize biochemical imbalances, in particular modulating cortisol production to calm the adrenals so you can sleep. My favorite brand is Adrenal Response by Innate Response. All the herbs are organic. I also like Pique’s Medicinal Mushroom Elixirs, which you can learn more about here.
If you get plenty of rest, but still feel tired, you may suffer from adrenal fatigue like 2/3 of the US population. The primary symptoms associated with adrenal fatigue are anxiety, chronic fatigue, sleep disturbances, suppressed immunity, weight gain, insulin resistance and an array of other clinical conditions. A broad range of underlying symptoms may arise because adrenal hormones exert a profound influence on the body’s overall response to stress…and your quality of sleep.
5. Melatonin
Melatonin is best for those that have trouble falling asleep. It can really help to reset your internal clock to get your sleep schedule back on track.
Don’t be tempted to simply supplement melatonin and expect sleep miracles to happen. I only suggest supplementing time-released melatonin for a few weeks or as needed to get circadian rhythms back in order.
You can also take 5-HTP to facilitate production of melatonin. 5-HTP is the precursor to melatonin and serotonin. It really works to regulate behaviors and moods. Serotonin is involved in the wake/sleep cycles that allow your body to get the good night’s rest it needs in order to repair itself at night. When you are depleted in serotonin, there is not enough left over to be converted to melatonin. Supplementing 5-HTP can give you the building blocks to make more melatonin.
In our high-stress environment, it’s no wonder that people are having a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep. Using supplements to aid sleep, including relaxing minerals, are a must in today’s fast-paced society that is suffering from sleep deprivation.
Even with supplementation, you must improve sleep hygiene and recreate a primal environment to facilitate quality sleep.
