Goals ›

Sleep

Falling asleep, staying asleep and relaxing before bed.

Strongest evidence: GABA, Melatonin and Lavender.

Supplements for sleep

Each supplement gets the grade of its strongest sleep benefit. Open one to see each benefit.

StrongModerateWeakNo trials
SupplementMain effects in studiesEvidenceBenefits studied
GABASleep improved; pain eased, Sleep worsened; sedation roseStrong3 of 3
MelatoninSleep onset/quality, 31%↓ deliriumStrong2 of 3
LavenderRelaxation: less anxiety/pain, Relaxation: better sleep/HRVStrong3 of 3
MagnesiumRelaxation & pain ↓, Opioids/sedation ↓Strong2 of 3
ProbioticsVagal HRV + sleep, PSQI ↓ ~4Strong1 of 3
TryptophanTRP↓ melatonin↓, Sleep onset↓ duration↑Strong3 of 3
ValerianSleep quality + latency, Deep sleep + durationStrong3 of 3
ChamomileAnxiety ↓ ~5-20, Sleep improvedStrong2 of 3
Omega-3 fatty acidsSleep efficiency/time +58m, Fewer wakings/arousalsStrong1 of 3
Fish oilBetter sleep quality, +58 min sleepStrong1 of 3
Showing 10 of 62 supplements.

What sleep covers

3 benefits that studies measure, and the supplements with the strongest evidence for each.

Sleep quality

How well you sleep rather than how long. It covers how easily you fall asleep, how often you wake, how deep the sleep is and how rested you feel afterwards, and it is usually scored on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.

49 supplements, 8 strong
  1. MelatoninStrong, 162
  2. GABAStrong, 158
  3. LavenderStrong, 35
  4. ProbioticsStrong, 27
  5. TryptophanStrong, 21

Sleep onset

How long it takes to fall asleep once you are trying to, called sleep latency. It is measured in minutes by sleep diary, by actigraphy on the wrist, or by polysomnography in a laboratory.

9 supplements, 3 strong
  1. MelatoninStrong, 132
  2. GABAStrong, 86
  3. LavenderStrong, 33
  4. TryptophanModerate, 11
  5. ValerianModerate, 6

Relaxation

Feeling calm and physically unwound. It is measured on self-rated calmness scales and by physical signs such as heart rate variability, muscle tension and cortisol.

30 supplements, 4 strong
  1. GABAStrong, 154
  2. MagnesiumStrong, 65
  3. LavenderStrong, 64
  4. ChamomileStrong, 15
  5. ValerianModerate, 11