Sleep: best nootropics for getting better quality sleep, is sleep itself

There are many nootropics for a good nights sleep. We suggest starting with making sure you are well hydrated. Water should be your first item on your list.

L-theanine. Although commonly marketed as “non-drowsy,” taking higher doses (500-600 mg) seems to produce a state of mind much easier to fall asleep in. I find that even at regular 200-300 mg doses, while not making me drowsy, it is much easier to close my eyes and drift off to sleep.

Bacopa monnieri. Many users of bacopa report varying degrees of lethargy; some say it completely kills their motivation, some say the lethargy creeps in after extended use, and others (myself included) say that the lethargy tends to dissipate with chronic use. Others still say that bacopa makes their thoughts go very quickly, making it hard to sleep.

Ashwagandha. As an anxiolytic, ashwagandha works for me to help me sleep a bit at night. However, most reports that I’ve read say that ashwagandha produces kind of a stimulating anxiolysis which can make it hard to sleep.

Magnesium bisglycinate. Although the magnesium I have (133 mg, by Swanson Ultra) is buffered–the significance of which I didn’t understand when I bought it–so it isn’t pure bisglycinate. However, magnesium is associated with feelings of calm/relaxation, which may help with sleep.