There’s nothing better than a good night’s sleep, yet anywhere from 50-70 million adults in the United States have a sleep disorder and aren’t getting the sleep they need. In general, we’re pushing ourselves too hard and not giving our bodies the chance they need to recover.
Lack of sleep can lead to a host of health problems, but it’s usually cognitive function that suffers first. Lack of sleep makes us cranky, with the inability to focus and think clearly. When you haven’t gotten enough shut eye, even the simplest everyday tasks suddenly feel like tremendous mountains to overcome. In this article, we will review some of the best nootropics for sleep.
What’s the solution to our sleep woes? There’s plenty of advice out there – everything from dietary changes to taking potentially addictive sleep medications. Each person will decide the best course of treatment on their own, hopefully with guidance of a physician by their side, but it’s important to know about all the options that exist.
Product | details | RATING |
|---|---|---|
 Nature's Trove Melatonin | ||
 Physician's Choice Ashwagandha | ||
 Superior Labs Gaba | ||
 VH Nutrition Kava Kava |
Nootropics is one area that’s gaining some steam in the treatment of sleep disorders. Nootropics are substances that enhance cognitive functions in a number of ways. Nootropics can also be beneficial in addressing the underlying causes of some sleep disorders, like depression, anxiety, muscle tension and unbalanced hormones.
That said, not all nootropics are the same. You can’t just go through the list of dozens of nootropics, put your finger on one and hope for the best. Many nootropics are contraindicated for sleep disorders, so knowing which are safe and effective is important.
Where should you start? We’ve made that easier by highlighting some of the best nootropics for sleep disorders that are available today.
Nature's Trove Melatonin
Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that helps to regulate your body’s circadian rhythm and promote healthy sleep. Natural melatonin production is easily affected by your environment. For example, travel or exposure to the light coming from the smartphone you scroll through right before bed can interfere with melatonin production.
Melatonin supplements have become quite popular, but a common problem that people have when taking them is the “hangover” effect. The potency of many melatonin supplements can leave you feeling a little groggy the next day. Nature’s Trove Melatonin takes a different approach by creating a 1mg, chewable tablet that induces sleepiness without some of the more unpleasant side effects of melatonin.
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Physician's Choice Ashwagandha
Stress, anxious thoughts and a seemingly unending list of things to do are enough to keep anyone awake until the wee hours of the morning. A racing mind is one of the main reasons why people lose sleep at night, and if it continues, lack of sleep can spiral into other health issues.
Ashwagandha is a nootropic that helps ease the effects of stress and anxiety by producing a calming effect. If stress is behind your lack of sleep, Ashwagandha can help restore a sense of balance and help you get some shut eye.
Physician’s Choice works directly with farmers who grow, harvest and process the herbs that go into their products. This allows them greater quality control over what goes into their products. With this Physician’s Choice Ashwagandha supplement, you know you’re getting the purest, most potent Ashwagandha possible.
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Superior Labs Gaba
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a naturally occurring neurotransmitter that affects mood by blocking certain nerve impulses that create feelings of stress and anxiety. We can get GABA from some food sources, primarily teas and fermented foods.
GABA’s stress relieving properties make it a good choice for individuals who have difficulty quieting their minds at bedtime. Superior Lab’s GABA formula calms restlessness and supports balanced cortisol levels with a high-quality product that we’ve come to expect from this brand.
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VH Nutrition Kava Kava
Kava’s claim to fame as a nootropic lies in kavalactones, which are compounds that increase levels of all the good mood stuff – like dopamine, serotonin and GABA. These feel good chemicals are also important for relaxation and restful sleep.
In addition to kava’s nootropic effects, it also helps to improve digestive health, alleviate headaches and reduce inflammation – all of which are discomforts that can keep an otherwise healthy person up at night. VH Nutrition’s Kava Kava is a high potency supplement that delivers results and the restful sleep you deserve.
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Fresh Nutrition Lemon Balm Extract
Lemon balm is one of the gentlest nootropics for helping you get some much-needed restful sleep. Lemon balm has a bright, crisp citrusy fragrance, but this doesn’t get in the way of its ability to induce relaxation. The herb itself is so gentle that it is believed to be safe even for children, however caution and physician approval is advised before giving any supplement to children.
Even though lemon balm is so gentle and generally well tolerated, you want to ensure that the supplement you choose meets the highest quality standards. Fresh Nutrition’s Lemon Balm Extract is third party tested to ensure quality, purity and safety.
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Life Extension Magnesium
Magnesium is one of the most important minerals in the body, being absolutely essential for many bodily functions – promoting healthy sleep being just one of more than 300. In regard to sleep, magnesium activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which regulates how relaxed – or anxious – you feel.
When you take in magnesium, it functions to regulate neurotransmitters, which in turn balances sleep-wake cycles. Life Extension Magnesium is also helpful in treating restless leg syndrome and may be helpful in easing muscle cramps that are keeping you up at night.
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NOW Foods Double Strength L-Theanine
Wouldn’t it be great to take a supplement that lulled you to sleep at night and left you feeling bright eyed and ready to take on the world the next day? NOW Foods Double Strength L-Theanine is an amino acid that is found in many types of tea- especially green tea. It enhances levels of dopamine, serotonin and GABA to help you relax and fall asleep.
On the other side of the coin, L-Theanine enhances memory function and increases alertness. Turns out that nightly cup of tea has really been doing something this whole time.
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NOW Foods L-Tryptophan
Tryptophan is an amino acid that plays a pretty important role in engaging certain brain chemicals that are responsible for the body’s sleep/wake cycle. NOW Foods L-Tryptophan is a precursor to melatonin, which has a crucial role in regulating the body’s natural clock and signaling when it’s time to fall asleep.
Tryptophan’s benefits extend far beyond promoting healthy sleep. The supplement has been shown to regulate appetite, metabolism, and has even been shown to be useful in the addiction recovery process
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Rest Easy Tonight
The best part of using nootropics to promote healthier sleep habits is that most of them are fast acting and begin producing results the very same day you start to use them. This means that restful sleep could be yours as early as tonight. Now’s the time to take action against lack of sleep interfering with your life and turn to nootropics to get the relief you deserve.
