Sleep stacks. What are they? I’ll define them thus: combinations of supplements, whether nootropic or not, that target the facilitation of the systems of sleep.
HOW SLEEP NOOTROPICS/STACKS TARGET SLEEP
- Lowering resting cortisol, a stress hormone, as in the case of the herb Ashwagandha.
- Contributing to the production of GABA or Serotonin, as in the case of the amino acid nootropic L-Theanine.
- Giving the body raw precursors to make calming neurotransmitters, like 5HTP => Serotonin.
- Targeting GABA receptors, like in the case of Valerian root or Phenibut.
Some, may not actually be considered nootropics, like the powdered form of “hops,” a cousin of Cannabis, demonstrated to be able to induce relaxation and sleep.
But they still work quite well. Every now and then, I take a supplement from “Jarrow” called “Sleep Optimizer,” which works quite well at just putting me right to sleep, and keeping me there. One of the main ingredients is hops. The stuff works well. It also contains Valerian root, L-Trytophan (building block to Serotonin), and lemon balm.
But recently, in an attempt to stave off some night time anxiety and brain overactivity, I devised a simple stack of the usual suspects to try to fix the issue, go to sleep soundly, and wake up refreshed.
MY CURRENT SLEEP STACK
I put together the following ingredients:
- Ashwagandha – an Ayurvedic herb that targets the lowering of the stress hormone cortisol.
- L-Theanine – an amino acid nootropic that increases brain Serotonin and GABA. Also helps the brain to get into an “alpha brain wave” state, a state associated with calmness and clear thinking (with an actual marker that defines its state, based on electrical activity in the brain).
- L-Tryptophan – precursor to Serotonin.
- Hops – an herbal compound that works to induce sleep and calm down the nervous system.
In the video below, we lay out the doses, but I just want to briefly lay out the improvements I saw, almost immediately, in my sleep quality and wake up state:
- Easier ability to fall asleep
- Less mental chatter around the time of falling asleep
- Less mental chatter when I wake up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom
- Less waking up in the middle of the night period
- A more refreshed feeling upon waking
- An easier time rolling out of bed
And that has been my experience with this stack! Doses inside the video below. Watch and enjoy.