19 Best Nootropic Sleep Aids & Supplements (Natural & Most Powerful)

Best Sleep-Aiding Ingredients

Perhaps you don’t want a pre-made product.

Formulating your own sleep supplements has its tradeoffs:

Personally, I use both pre-made products and also keep my own spare ingredients on hand. That way I can easily tweak the formula depending on my particular goals and needs.

If you’re looking for the best sleep supplements and ingredients, look no further.

Full-Spectrum Hemp

Although our current prohibition has demonized hemp, it’s actually required by the body to function optimally. We have something called the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) which is basically the master regulator of all other bodily systems. It’s like the CPU of the body. We have many ways to nourish it, and full-spectrum hemp is the very best.

I haven’t found a stronger natural sleep aid. Full-spectrum hemp contains over 112 cannabinoids (CBD and CBN are especially relevant for sleep), terpenes, and other constituents. Research, as well as overwhelming anecdotal experience and quantified wearable data, link these constituents to improved sleep quality.

Unsurprisingly, ECS signaling helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle and overall circadian rhythm.

But it’s not all the same. You’ll want to find a company that tends to the soil, light, and water of the plants. That dries them properly to prevent mold. Then, that third-party tests each batch for purity and potency. The best products also do something about bioavailability. Stomach acid degrades most of the cannabinoids, terpenes, and other bioactive.

I’ve tried over 15 different hemp-based products, and there’s one I use that’s effective, safe, and well-absorbed.

No matter the other ingredients, full-spectrum (non-psychoactive) hemp is foundational to any sleep stack I make or use.

Magnesium

Nearly 90% of Americans have sub-optimal magnesium levels due to depleted soils, food processing, and modern stress. Even more among high-achievers for multiple reasons. Stress actually further depletes magnesium. As does spending time in gamma brainwaves associated with peak performance and flow state.

This mineral is also one of the most important nutrients required for the body and mind to function well. It’s a crucial part of 3,000+ biochemical processes. Deficiency has serious consequences.

Coach to 100X Olympic gold medal recipients, Charles Poliquin, ranked it as his top supplement.

Magnesium is normally considered for its role in relaxation, minimizing stress, and calming down. Indeed, it improves sleep issues related to stress hormones (cortisol) and general stress.

Independent of that, newer research also suggests it improves the most restorative stages of sleep.

Regarding sleep, magnesium improves multiple parameters:

• Sleep latency
• Sleep wake-ups
• Sleep efficiency
• Insomnia
• Deep sleep

When I began supplementing magnesium, my Oura ring consistently showed personal record deep sleep scores. It also helps me quickly, safely, and effectively shut down overthinking.

To get the best absorption and effects, you’ll want to find a magnesium product that includes these cofactors:

• Vitamin B6
• Manganese
• Monoatomic elements
• Humic acid
• Fulvic minerals

Magnesium is the starting point I recommend to virtually everyone interested in improving their sleep… just make sure to get the right all-in-one product.

DHH-B

DHH-B is an ingredient recommended by longevity scientist and my friend, Ryan Smith of TruDiagnostic. Dihydrohonokiol-B is a highly concentrated (up to 20X stronger) metabolite of magnolia bark extract (also called honokiol). It does everything Honokiol does, but better.

For ages, magnolia bark has been an integral ingredient in different forms of traditional medicine. I discovered it when researching potent anti-anxiety nootropics. But it also has sleep-enhancing, anti-inflammatory, anti-stress, weight loss, neuroprotective, and brain benefits.

In fact, one study even favorably compared its anti-anxiety potential to the benzo Valium.

So it stands to reason that DHH-B would improve sleep impairments associated with rumination, worry, and fear of the future.

My personal use and other research, however, suggest that it helps with general sleep quality. Interestingly, it appears to also activate endocannabinoid receptors, inhibit adrenaline and cortisol, and boost GABA levels in the brain.

DHH-B (upgraded magnolia bark) flies under the radar, but it’s one of the coolest and strongest anti-worry + sleep-enhancing aids.

Theanine

If you’re going the natural route, you’ll inevitably come across an amino acid called L-Theanine. In fact, it’s a key ingredient in several of the above formulas. This calming extract from tea leaves reduces stress and worry associated with low-quality sleep. It also offsets caffeine-induced sleep disruption.

Theanine is one of the original nootropics used to smooth out the jitters and unpleasant effects of caffeine. I, and many neurohackers, have used it almost daily for many years. It works consistently, and tolerance does not build. It shifts the mind into an alpha-brainwave dominant relaxed state.

Theanine calms the mind without drowsiness. It also encourages the production of the inhibitory neurochemical, GABA. Plus, theanine improves and intensifies dreaming.

Yet it’s also non-habit forming, non-stimulating, and non-sedating.

Overall, it’s an excellent dual-use ingredient to:

• Balance stimulating ingredients
• Promote sleep

Theanine belongs in any supplement pantry due to its broad benefits, excellent safety profile, and many uses (including enhancing sleep).

Glycine

Glycine is another conditionally essential amino acid that naturally occurs in certain foods and supplements (especially collagen). This molecule is gaining attention for its myriad longevity, beauty, and sleep benefits. In fact, of the 20-23 amino acids, it’s likely #1 in each of those categories.

Depending on its location in the brain, it can be both excitatory (stimulating) or inhibitory (dampening).

Glycine soothes and calms our central nervous system (CNS) helping us wind down and prepare to transition into sleep. It works in both the brain and the body. In the brain, it’s inhibitory and slows down mental processes. Glycine also helps reduce body temperature, which leads to falling asleep faster.

Supplementing glycine also improves sleep quality and rejuvenation.

Like some of the other sleep aids on this list, it resets the circadian rhythm by interacting with the body’s “master clock”, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN).

Glycine is another cheap, multi-use, safe, delicious, powder that I consume most nights for better sleep, longevity, beauty, and much more.

GABA

We’ve talked about GABA multiple times throughout this post, and that’s because it’s the brain’s chief inhibitory neurotransmitter. It acts like the brake pedal to counteract the primary excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate.

Calming the mind to transition into sleep. GABA is also an amino acid supplement too.

GABA improves:

• Sleep latency (time to fall asleep)
• Sleep efficiency
• Deep sleep
• Drowsiness
• Stress response
• Nervous system relaxation
• Human Growth Hormone production
• Endorphin production

Unsurprisingly, insomniacs and those with higher levels of anxiety tend toward GABA deficiency. You can use the free Braverman test to determine your neurotransmitter dominance and deficiencies.

Most forms of supplemental GABA, however, struggle to pass through the blood-brain barrier to exhibit strong effects in the brain. There’s one notable patented exception called pharmaGABA.

To get the greatest effects, you’ll want to combine GABA with:

• Activated Vitamin B6 (P5P)
• Taurine
• Zinc

Together, these supplements enhance the conversion of the conversion enzymes and the bioavailability of GABA. That’s why Sleep Breakthrough contains each.

GABA, especially pharmaGABA, is a literal “chill pill” that shifts the body and mind into rest and relax mode, but for the best effects, you’ll want to combine it with specific cofactors.

Phenibut

Phenibut is a neuropsychotropic drug originally developed by the Russians in the 1960s as an anti-anxiety aid for cosmonauts. Despite that, it’s in the regulatory grey zone in most of the world. This drug is a combination of nootropic, anxiolytic, and sleep enhancer all in one.

Basically, this is the same GABA molecule described above with the addition of a phenyl group (that’s as much chemistry as we’ll get into). That extra ring helps the molecule cross the blood-brain barrier and increases GABA levels in the brain. Something the original molecule causes only indirectly through the vagus nerve.

Phenibut also stimulates the brain’s dopamine receptors. Inducing mild euphoria.

Sleep-wise, phenibut is hands-down the strongest drug I’ve used. I knock out for an entire eight hours whenever I use it. I fall asleep faster, stay asleep, and wake up with a nice energetic glow.

My Oura ring sleep tracking wearable shows impressive and consistent sleep and recovery benefits on the nights I use phenibut. It’s also the holy grail of powerful, pharmaceutical-grade sleeping pills.

There’s just one main issue…

Addiction.

I never use this substance more than 1-2X per week. There are all kinds of horror stories of people using high doses daily and becoming addicted. The withdrawals are nasty. So anyone with an addictive personality should steer clear.

Also, never use phenibut with other sedatives or alcohol. Combining it with others is downright dangerous and potentiates the effects.

I use phenibut ~1X weekly and it’s by far the strongest sleep nootropic I’ve tried, since regular use can cause addiction, those with any predispositions to addictions should definitely avoid it.

Kava

For over 2,000 years, kava has remained a drink prized in the South Pacific Islands. This is a special root (different than “kava kava”) that’s processed into either a powder, capsule, or drink. It induces a pleasant buzz that resembles alcohol but without sloppiness, toxicity, or stupor. In addition to the euphoria and social connection, kava is commonly used to promote sleep.

Kava relaxes the mind and muscles and facilitates the transition into the restorative stages of sleep. Certain strains have sedating properties. The analgesic, muscle relaxing, and anti-stress properties together make kava a viable option to mitigate many of the most common factors that interfere with restorative sleep.

In addition to the beneficial hormonal regulation, constituents within kava shift the brain into a state conducive to sleep and regeneration. Beta brainwaves associated with stress, work, focus, and productivity drop, while the brainwaves of great sleep (alpha, theta) increase.

Quality kava improves:

• Sleep latency
• Total sleep duration
• Wake-ups throughout the night
• Mood

I keep my backpack stocked with at least one shot of kava at all times. Several years back, I used it to save the day. Someone was having a panic attack, and the kava completely settled them down within a few minutes.

High-quality kava is an excellent choice for insomniacs and those with racing thoughts, as it rapidly shifts the brain and body into an ideal state for sleep.

Melatonin XR

Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain and is also abundant throughout the gut. It’s one of few hormones that are sold over the counter, and despite what you’ve heard, there are a ton of myths surrounding this sleep aid.

Unlike every hormone, however, the latest science suggests it is not subject to typical feedback loops. Meaning that even if you supplement it, your body will still continue producing melatonin.

Melatonin, in fact, is the number one dietary supplement used for sleep. It’s also so much more than just a sleep hormone.

Melatonin is one of the body’s most powerful antioxidants. It protects mitochondria from damage.

Melatonin is also one of the chief sleep-wake cycle (circadian rhythm) signaling molecules. Production increases in the absence of light, and this sends out a cascading signal to slow down the body for sleep.

Now here’s what you probably don’t know…

Ideal melatonin dosages for sleep range from 0.01-0.3mg. Most supplements, however, contain 3.0-10.0mg. Up to 1000X more than necessary. High doses have other uses, but sleep levels are quite low.

There’s one other important caveat.

Melatonin naturally gradually builds throughout the night and then slowly declines towards morning. Melatonin supplements, however, cause a quick spike and decline. Not at all bioharmonous. There are two primary solutions.

Plant-derived melatonin supplements naturally come in very low concentrations and are better tolerated by the body. We saw one example of this (CherryPURE) in a previous product.

The other is low-dose extended-release melatonin. Some companies sell dosages under 1mg specifically designed to keep melatonin levels high throughout the night.

Quality, properly dosed melatonin (ideally extended release), is the number one sleep aid used globally for a reason.

Ashwagandha

Although not technically a sleeping pill, Ashwagandha is one of my favorite supplements. It’s a time-proven herbal adaptogen that’s central to the oldest known medical system (Ayurveda). As a true adaptogen, it fulfills very specific criteria.

Including outstanding safety, modulating the HPA axis, improving the stress response and hormones, and rebalancing the body.

Of course, Ashwagandha has potent relaxing effects and makes falling asleep easier. Manufacturers standardize it to different constituents, and the extract you buy will determine the dominant effects. Two of the most common Ashwagandha extracts include KSM-66 and Sensoril.

Like many of the others, sleep quality enhancement partially comes from offsetting the effects of stress. But that’s not all. The glycol-withanolides within Ashwagandha exhibit potent GABA-A activating effects.

This explains the countless anecdotal reports of Ashwagandha improving sleep latency, deep sleep, and nighttime awakenings.

Ashwagandha is one of the most widely used and favorite adaptogenic herbs due to its anti-stress, relaxing, and sleep-promoting benefits — all with an incredible safety profile.

Tryptophan

L-Tryptophan is an essential amino acid famously blamed for the “post-Thanksgiving” lethargy. While you can certainly get some from certain foods and drinks, supplementation is generally easier. Tryptophan is another one of the classic nootropics used to enhance sleep.

The primary mechanism explaining how L-Tryptophan works is fairly straightforward. Essentially…

Tryptophan —> increases serotonin —> increases melatonin

We cannot directly supplement with serotonin, so we either can use the precursor, tryptophan, or melatonin.

Supplements containing this ingredient are routinely used to help improve mood (and conditions associated with impaired mood), as well as insomnia.

I notice that tryptophan induces feelings of sleepiness and laziness but doesn’t actually deepen my sleep all that much.

Tryptophan is a common ingredient in sleep formulations because it reliably induces feelings of sleepiness.

Lemon Balm

Lemon balm is a nootropic herb commonly found in “sleep aid” teas. The usual purported benefits include relieving stress, sleep disturbances, insomnia, head pain, and others. It’s another natural anxiolytic.

Constituents within lemon balm include triterpenes, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and tannins. One of which is called Rosmarinic acid. RA both improves blood flow and slows the breakdown of GABA. Resulting in higher circulating levels of the calming neurotransmitter.

Boosting GABAergic activity reduces night awakenings, increases deep sleep, and helps us fall asleep faster.

As a supplement, it stacks nicely with other GABAergic substances. Although I prefer to drink it in evening teas rather than supplementing. I find the effects of lemon balm extract alone quite underwhelming.

Lemon balm extract is a gentle sleep aid to relieve stress and slightly increases GABA and you can find it as an ingredient added to many “sleepy time” teas.