Best Sleep Supplements to Buy in 2023

There’s nothing quite like a full deep sleep. And waking refreshed the next day.

In fact, we humans covet sleep so much we’ll try just about anything to help us sleep in 2023.

A recent study showed that 70 million Americans have problems sleeping.[i] Another study at The University of Warwick Medical School in the UK with nearly 50,000 people revealed that 17% of the population were dealing with sleep problems.[ii]

Insomnia has been deemed an ‘epidemic’ by researchers and medical scholars throughout Europe and the Americas.

And when it feels like you are perpetually exhausted from lack of sleep, it’s tempting to ask your doctor for a prescription for something like Ambien^® (zolpidem).

Drugs like zolpidem are GABA_A receptor agonists that bind to the α-1 subunit, which is believed to be responsible for the drug’s sedative properties.

Turns out this mechanism of action is very similar to using benzodiazepines (benzos) for sleep. They both cause problems with memory consolidation.[iii]

OTC sleep aids containing the antihistamine diphenhydramine prevent acetylcholine (ACh) action. Low ACh can lead to brain fog, mental confusion, delirium, blurred vision, memory loss and hallucinations.[iv]

And if you try to go ‘natural’, you’ll find most ‘natural’ sleep aids on the market contain synthetic melatonin.

But not only is this form of melatonin not natural, a study published in the Journal of Sleep Medicine showed something very alarming.

Researchers found that synthetic melatonin content ranged from -83% to + 478%. Contrary to what was claimed on sleep supplement labels.[v]

If you are as sensitive to melatonin as a supplement as I am, taking a chance on nearly 500% more than what you thought you were getting is a big problem.

But I have good news for you because experienced neurohackers have found other ways to get a great night sleep in 2023.

And all it takes are 3 supplements that are easy and relatively inexpensive to get.

Best Sleep Supplements for 2023

Put together a stack with the following supplements and you’re sure to get the sleep you need. Night after night.

Tart Cherry

Montmorency tart cherry contains the richest natural source of melatonin. Identical to the hormone secreted by the pineal gland in your brain.

Your pineal gland receives a signal from your hypothalamus in response to your circadian rhythm and environmental clues like light and temperature.[vi]

The problem is this natural process in our modern society can be disrupted by exposure to artificial light from cellphones and tablet screens, medications, medical conditions, stress, food and drink.

And your circadian rhythm can also be disrupted by working the night shift. Or flying to a different time zone.

Supplementing with tart cherry provides melatonin when your natural melatonin is suppressed.

Tart cherry for sleep has been proven in clinical trials as well. For example, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was done with 20 volunteers who consumed tart cherry juice concentrate or a placebo for 7 days.

Sleep quality was recorded along with melatonin metabolites from urine samples.

Melatonin was significantly higher in the tart cherry group compared to no change in the placebo group.

The researchers recorded significant increases in time in bed, total sleep time, and sleep efficiency in the tart cherry volunteers.

And concluded that tart cherry juice does indeed increase natural melatonin. Which in turn improved sleep duration and quality in healthy men and women.[vii]

Tart cherry is also a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. It contains anthocyanins which block COX-1 and COX-2 proinflammatory enzymes.

Several studies show that tart cherry helped reduce muscle damage and pain after strenuous exercise. Offering faster relief from minor aches, stiffness and discomfort.[viii]

Tart cherry extract may help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep, and help repair your body and brain while you sleep. Feeling refreshed and physically ready to start your day.

Recommended dosage of organic tart cherry juice from concentrate is 4 – 6 ounces (120 – 180 mL), or 500 mg of CherryPURE^® which is tart cherry extract in a capsule about 90 minutes before bed.

Magnesium

Magnesium is the 4^th most abundant mineral in your body. And a cofactor in more than 600 enzymatic reactions.

Some of these processes are directly involved in falling asleep and staying asleep. For example, magnesium stimulates GABA_A receptors much the same as prescription sleep aid Ambien^® (zolpidem).[ix]

This GABA action by magnesium helps block the excitability of NMDA receptors. Calming nerve cell signaling which relaxes muscles and brain activity.

This process also boosts nitric oxide (NO) which helps relax smooth muscle cells. Allowing for easier blood flow and lower blood pressure that precedes sleep.[x]

Magnesium ions control the ion channels required for brain cell signaling. And is critical for the neuroplasticity required for memory consolidation while you sleep.

Magnesium is required for adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis. Which is the main energy source produced by your mitochondria in nearly every cell in your brain and body.[xi] And for the synthesis of DNA and RNA.[xii]

The problem is most people are unaware that they are living with a magnesium deficiency. Which is contributing to sleep and memory problems.[xiii]

Over the last 60 years, the magnesium content in fruit and vegetables has declined by 30%. And a further 80 – 90% of magnesium is lost during food processing.

But the thing is that supplementing with regular magnesium won’t do you much good. Because it’s not very bioavailable. And the high dosage required to elevate your magnesium levels can cause diarrhea.

The best option is to choose the right form of magnesium. Magnesium Bisglycinate is a chelated form of this mineral bound to the amino acid glycine which boosts bioavailability.

Or use Magnesium Taurate which is magnesium bound to the amino acid taurine which inhibits neurotransmission (helping sleep), acts as an antioxidant, assists long-term potentiation, and helps magnesium cross the blood-brain barrier.

And the addition of taurine also aids in the movement of potassium, sodium, and calcium into and out of cells. Which helps alleviate muscle twitches that can keep you awake.

Recommended dosage of magnesium is 100 – 400 mg about 90 minutes before bed.

Sea Buckthorn

Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is a plant native to China and is also found growing in temperate zones throughout the world. 

Sea Buckthorn is a natural source of serotonin which goes on the naturally produce the sleep hormone melatonin in your brain. This plant is also rich in flavonoids and other antioxidants, fat- or water-soluble vitamins such as vitamins C and E, β-carotene, and lycopene, phytosterols, amino acids, and minerals.

This natural sleep supplement,  Sea Buckthorn helps your body and brain repair itself during the night, supports natural sleep cycles, and contributes to a more restful night.

L-Tryptophan

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid and precursor to serotonin, melatonin, and Vitamin B₃ (niacin) in your body and brain.

Tryptophan is one of the best natural sleep aids available without the unwanted side effects of prescription sleep meds.

You’ll get better results supplementing with Tryptophan as a sleep aid by stacking it with magnesium, and Vitamin B₆ because both are required to synthesize serotonin.

Tryptophan converts to 5-HTP, and then with the help of Vitamin B6 (P-5-P) produces serotonin.

The further conversion of serotonin into melatonin requires the presence of SAM-e.

The entire pathway from Tryptophan to 5-HTP to serotonin to melatonin provides a good mood during the day. And a calming influence preparing you for relaxation leading to sleep, and sound sleep all night.

Recommended dosage of L-Tryptophan is 250 mg about 90 minutes before bed.

Best Pre-formulated Sleep Stack for 2023

For years, I used the above individual supplements as my sleep stack taken about 90 minutes before bed.

I’d fall asleep in less than a minute, and sleep through the night. Feeling refreshed the next morning.

Then in early 2018, Performance Lab^® came out with a sleep stack using the same ingredients. It’s what I now use instead of individual supplements which is less expensive but still works like a charm.

Performance Lab^® Sleep contains 100 mg of Magnesium (as Magnesium Bisglycinate, Magnesium Taurate, and NutriGenesis^® Magnesium), 500 mg of tart cherry extract (as CherryPURE^®), 200 mg of L-Tryptophan, and 100 mg certified organic Sea Buckthorn.

Performance Lab^® also uses NutriCaps^® vegan-friendly capsules which are made from tapioca. Rather than ‘veggie capsules’ which are actually a type of plastic made from pine or poplar tree pulp.

And there no fillers or additives! Just plain, pure, patented ingredients.

If you are craving a great night’s sleep, I highly recommend this premium stack.

Get Performance Lab^® Sleep or

See my complete Performance Lab^® Sleep Review or

See my deeper dive into how sleep works, how much sleep you really need, and health problems associated with not getting enough sleep in my post on “Best Nootropics for Sleep”.