The Sleep Supplement Guide: What Actually Works (And What’s Hype)

The Supplement Effectiveness Pyramid

Only 23% of sleep aids have strong clinical evidence – most combine effective ingredients with placebos.

Tier 1 (Proven)

Magnesium glycinate | Tart cherry | Low-dose melatonin (0.3-1mg) | L-theanine

Melatonin Myth:

Doses above 1mg cause next-day grogginess and reduce natural production (MIT research).

Condition-Specific Stacks

For Anxiety-Induced Insomnia

200mg magnesium glycinate + 100-200mg L-theanine + 1g glycine reduces sleep latency by 42%.

Jet Lag Protocol:

0.5mg melatonin at destination bedtime + 3mg time-release for 3 nights resets rhythms fastest.

For Menopausal Sleep

50mg GABA + 200mg magnesium threonate reduces night awakenings by 57% (Menopause journal).

Implementation Science

Timing Matters

Magnesium works best taken 2 hours before bed; melatonin 30 minutes before.

Absorption Hack:

Liposomal forms of supplements have 3-5x better bioavailability than standard pills.

Placebo Effect:

30% of sleep improvement from supplements comes from ritual itself (Harvard placebo study).