For sleep problems, don’t start with supplements. That would be like polishing the silver when the floor is covered with mud. Instead, start with the sleep fundamentals.

Sleep Foundation

Start with a regular schedule, especially your wake schedule. Wake up at the same time every day. Avoid bright lights or screens in the hours before bed, but get bright light during the day. Sleep in a cool, dark room or wear an eye mask. The light-dark shift is a key signal for the sleep cycle. Avoid late eating and alcohol, and avoid caffeine after lunch. Get daily activity to make your body tired.

Nutrition for Sleep

Sleep is a complicated process for the body. It requires your brain to produce and release a set of molecules. To build the right molecules, we need nutritious foods for our bodies. A high-carb diet is linked to poorer sleep quality. This is especially true for refined or simple carbs---white carbs and snacks. Focus on eating carbs from whole grains and vegetables. Eating fruits and vegetables is linked to better sleep quality. Eating at irregular times is also linked to poor sleep.

Sleep Change Eating

Sleep also affects our eating. When we are short on sleep, we tend to eat more. We especially tend to eat more snacks. This leads to weight gain. Poor sleep impacts more than eating. Many diseases are linked to poor sleep quality.

Sleep Supplements

Melatonin

Melatonin is the natural hormone that helps us sleep. We start producing it a few hours before bed, typically at sunset. Melatonin production peaks around midnight and then decreases until we wake. The scheduling of melatonin is why consistent bedtimes help sleep quality. Part of melatonin production happens in the eyes in response to darkness. That is why darkness before bed helps you sleep. Bright light in the morning also helps stop the production of melatonin.

Melatonin Time

Melatonin is rapidly absorbed, so it needs to be taken only shortly before bed. It also is cleared out of the bloodstream quickly, so time-release melatonin supports sleeping through the night. Some foods contain melatonin. For example, a glass of milk has a few milligrams of melatonin, so a glass of milk before bed might aid sleep.

Long-Term Melatonin

Taking melatonin for a short time doesn’t interfere with your body’s natural melatonin production. But, melatonin supplements may decrease your natural output if you take it daily for months. If your natural melatonin output is already low, you can commit to taking melatonin long-term, understanding that you may not sleep as well if you stop taking it.

L-tryptophan

L-tryptophan is an amino acid found in many foods.¹ Tryptophan is one of the essential building blocks of many other compounds in the body, including melatonin. Most meat contains tryptophan, as do eggs. Milk and many types of beans are also good sources. If your diet is low in these proteins, it may be worth taking an L-tryptophan supplement. It doesn’t need to be taken before bed. In fact, morning is the best time to take it. Depending on your diet, you can take anywhere from 500 to 2,000 mg.

5-HTP

5-HTP is another compound your body makes from tryptophan. It is a natural treatment for depression but also works as a sleep aid. It can take more than a month of taking it to help sleep. A dose of 300 mg a day is recommended.

Niacinamide

Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B. Niacinamide is not niacin, although both niacin and niacinamide are forms of vitamin B3. Your body converts extra niacin into niacinamide. Niacinamide has a calming effect on the nervous system. A dose of 500 to 1,000 mg of niacinamide can help sleep. Time-release niacinamide is a good option so that it is available through the night.

Vitamin D

Low vitamin D levels are linked to sleep problems. Vitamin D is involved in our natural melatonin production, so a deficiency can interfere with sleep. In northern countries, up to 80% of the population is low in vitamin D. Vitamin D has many other benefits, it’s a good place to start as a sleep supplement. Take around 1,000 IU a day.

Magnesium

Magnesium is the sleep mineral. Take it at night before you go to bed. It can help you sleep and may prevent nighttime muscle cramps or restlessness. It promotes quiet sleep. A 200 mg tablet at bedtime is a good dose.

Iron

Another mineral that can help with sleep is iron. If you are low in iron, you are more likely to get restless legs. The movements that interfere with sleep don’t always wake us up, so iron may help if you have fatigue. With iron, it can be dangerous to get too much, so get a blood test before you start taking a daily iron tablet. An iron dose to help with sleep is about 300 mg, best taken on an empty stomach.

Oleamide

Oleamide is relatively new, and not much is known about its uses. It seems to regulate the messaging system of the brain, providing a calming effect. It seems to help with sleep. It is derived from natural fatty acids in olives and is typically available as a powder. Depending on your needs, the dose is 50 to 1000 mg daily.

Valerian

Valerian is a herb that has been used to help with sleep for hundreds of years. Over 400 different extracts have been derived from valerian, primarily from the root. It makes falling asleep easier without feeling groggy the next day. It also reduces the number of wakings at night. Be sure to buy a good source, the quality of herbs like valerian can vary a lot, which dramatically impacts effectiveness. A dose of between 500 and 750 mg is optimal.

Hops

Valerian is often combined with hops. Hops help promote sleep. The sedative effect of hops is well-known, but how it works is not known. The dose to improve sleep is 1,000 mg about an hour before bed.

Lavender

The oil produced by lavender is widely used in aroma therapy as a calming agent. It is also used to help you fall asleep by spraying a mist of lavender oil on your pillow or putting a few drops on your temples. Lavender helps your brain relax so your body can slow down to sleep. Essential oil production can vary, and high-quality oil is critical to its effectiveness. An ISO-certified oil and a GC report are two ways to verify potency.

Passionflower

Although passionflower has less history of use as a sleep aid, it is approved by the German Health Commission for herbs to aid with rest. A 400 mg daily dose is recommended.

Relieve Pain Naturally

Often, the pain we can manage during the day interferes with nighttime sleep. To get a good night’s sleep, it can help to take an herbal pain reliever like white willow bark, devil’s claw, turmeric, or Boswellia. A natural, roll-on pain reliever can also help relieve pain to get a good night’s sleep.

First Step to Sleep

Don’t ignore disordered sleep. Sleep is important for good health. The first step to improving sleep quality is to change what we do: consistent wake time every day, sleep in a dark room, avoid screens and bright lights in the late evening, exercise early afternoon, avoid caffeine after lunch, and avoid late meals.

Step 2 for Sleep

If you are still having trouble getting a good night’s sleep, try some natural supplements. Start with 1,000 IU of vitamin D a day. This can aid with natural melatonin production and make sure you get enough good proteins. If not, take tryptophan. Lavender is an easy addition to bedtime. Also, a magnesium tablet at night can help, as can time-release niacinamide. If you’re still not sleeping well, add the herbal sleep aid valerian. If you need, add time-release melatonin. Melatonin and niacinamide work well together.

Footnotes

1. The L refers to left-handed. The right-handed form of amino acids, the mirror image molecule, cannot be used by most living things. ↩