best sleep supplements to buy 2023

A Deep Performance Lab Sleep Review

David Tomen
Author:
David Tomen
16 minute read

Performance Lab - best nootropics for sleep

Key Takeaways

  1. Performance Lab Sleep is appreciated for its sleep aid effectiveness.
  2. The product is made by a reputable company, ensuring quality.
  3. Contains well-researched ingredients known to aid sleep.
  4. Recommended dosage is provided for achieving desired effects.
  5. The supplement provides good value for the price, making it a recommended choice for those struggling with sleep issues​.

I’ve had Nootropics Expert readers asking me what I use to help me sleep. And what I use every night. This post is a detailed response to that question.

Performance Lab® Sleep is the best sleep and anti-insomnia supplement I’ve found.

Turns out it contains the same basic ingredients I’ve used as individual supplements over the last several years for the perfect night’s sleep.

Performance Lab Sleep - natural sleep supplementI’ve dealt with insomnia all my adult life. But it wasn’t until I wrote a post recently on ‘Best Nootropics for Sleep’ that I understood why.

I was diagnosed with Adult ADD about 10 years ago. Studies show that those of us with ADD and ADHD commonly experience symptoms like daytime fatigue, breathing pauses during sleep, restless legs, and periodic limb movements in sleep.[i]

But even if you are not ADD you may be able to relate to some of these same issues.

Or you must have problems falling asleep. And staying asleep all night.

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

In this review I’ll show you how the ingredients in Performance Lab Sleep help you get to sleep, stay asleep all-night long, and wake up feeling refreshed the next day.

get Performance Lab® Sleep

My Sleep Supplements Criteria

If you are desperate for a good night’s sleep like I was, you’ll try just about anything.

In fact, an entire industry has blossomed around sleep. McKinsey & Company reported in 2017 that the ‘sleep-health’ industry is collectively estimated to be worth up to $40 billion.[ii]

Products and services offered simply to get a good night’s sleep include everything from mattresses to sleep consultants to prescription and OTC sleep aids.

Performance Lab - insomnia supplementsPrescription sleep medications alone generate over $1 billion per year just in the USA. With OTC natural and synthetic sleep aids bringing a few hundred million.

But prescription sleep meds come with some serious problems. Especially for the dedicated neurohacker.

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

The problem is this mechanism of action is likely responsible for memory prevention effects as well.[iii]

We know that sleep is essential for memory consolidation at the end of every day. Using prescription sleep meds prevent that memory formation from happening.[iv]

So if you put a priority on memory and learning, sleep meds may not be the best option.

Which leaves us with natural supplements. But to sort through the 15 supplements I’ve researched and have been shown to help sleep, which ones work best?

Here are my three criteria for choosing the best nootropic supplements for sleep:

  1. Fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow
  2. Stay asleep all night
  3. Wake up feeling refreshed

get Performance Lab® Sleep

Discovering Performance Lab® as a Sleep Aid

If you deal with sleep problems one or more times per week and have searched for an effective natural sleep aid …

… you know how challenging it is to find the right combination of supplements that work …

synthetic melatonin in sleep supplements
Many “natural” sleep supplements use synthetic melatonin in their formula. NOT a good idea.

… and are safe to use long-term.

Nearly every stack of sleep supplements on the market feature a long list of herbs on the label. And most include synthetic melatonin.

Now you need melatonin for sleep without question. But melatonin is hormone. And like many people, I’ve had an unpleasant experience using melatonin as a supplement.

Some question the safety of supplementing with this hormone. Which we’ll talk about in a minute.

So I’ve been on the lookout for a sleep supplement stack that could help replace the individual supplements I’ve been taking every evening. A formula that does not include synthetic melatonin.

And recently I’ve become aware of Performance Lab® and their new line of supplements. Including a supplement stack for sleep that consolidates what I’ve been using as separate supplements for years.

Who Makes Performance Lab?

Performance Lab® is a new line of supplements and sister company to Mind Lab Pro®.

I’ve been using Mind Lab Pro for over 6 years and have come to trust the company. And the quality of their supplements.

Performance Lab® is based in the U.K. and manufactures all their supplements in the USA.

Performance Lab® NutriGenesis Multi is the foundation of their new supplement line.

The company’s multivitamin for men and women supplies the essential vitamins and minerals required for overall body health. Nutrients that may be missing from your diet.

Performance Lab Sleep extends the benefits of their NutriGenesis Multi to cover your entire day and night. But you can also use this formula on its own to promote quality sleep.

Performance Lab - best vitamins for sleep

Performance Lab® Sleep Ingredients

It helps to be familiar with the actual stages and mechanism of sleep and know how sleep works. So we can make the best decision when choosing a sleep supplement stack.

For a detailed explanation on the mechanism of sleep, see “How Sleep Works” in my post on Best Nootropics for Sleep.

Performance Lab Sleep - natural Ambien alternativeOne of the most important parts of quality sleep involves the hormone melatonin. It’s naturally secreted by your pineal gland. And plays a critical role in your circadian rhythm and sleep cycle.[v]

But as I touched on earlier, I’ve had problems when using melatonin as a sleep supplement. And the thing is most sleep supplement stacks on the market use synthetic melatonin.

“Natural” melatonin was first extracted from the pineal gland of cows. But has fallen out of favor since the mad cow disease scare.

Synthetic melatonin for supplements is manufactured by reducing 5-methoxyindole-3-acetonitrile with sodium and ethanol. The resulting product is then acetylated by using glacial acetic acid and acetic anhydride. It’s then mixed with an inert carrier or binder for use in supplements.

A 2017 study investigated 31 commercial melatonin supplements. And screened each supplement for the presence of melatonin and serotonin.

Published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, the researchers found melatonin content ranged from -83% to + 478% of melatonin content listed on the label.

The team also found serotonin (which is a controlled substance) in 8 of the supplements tested.[vi]

The results of this study on supplements containing melatonin are very troubling.

Because if you are sensitive to melatonin as a supplement in the first place like I am, you may be getting less, or nearly 500% more than what you thought you were getting.

And if you are using SSRI antidepressants, using a melatonin supplement with undeclared serotonin can cause Serotonin Syndrome. Which can be fatal.

Performance Lab Sleep does supply melatonin. But as a tightly controlled natural source of this neurotransmitter from Montmorency Tart Cherry.

Montmorency Tart Cherry 500 mg (CherryPURE® 50:1 concentrate)

Montmorency tart cherry is nature’s richest natural source of melatonin. It’s identical to the hormone secreted by the pineal gland in your brain.

CherryPure tart cherry insomnia supplementYour pineal gland receives signals from your hypothalamus in response to your circadian rhythm and environmental cues like light and temperature.

This natural process can be disrupted by exposure to artificial light (i.e. mobile and tablet screens), medical conditions, medications, stress, food, and drink.

Your circadian rhythm can also get out of whack by flying to a different time zone. Or working the night shift.

Supplementing with tart cherry provides melatonin when your natural melatonin may be suppressed.

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial 20 volunteers consumed tart cherry juice concentrate or placebo for 7 days.

Measures of sleep quality were recorded along with urine samples to determine levels of melatonin metabolites.

Total melatonin content was significantly higher in the tart cherry group compared to no change in the placebo group.

And there were significant increases in time in bed, total sleep time and sleep efficiency in the tart cherry volunteers.

The researchers concluded that consumption of tart cherry juice concentrate provides an increase in melatonin. Which improved sleep duration and quality in healthy men and women.[vii]

The added benefit of tart cherry comes from its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Repairing your body while you sleep. Tart cherry contains anthocyanins which block COX-1 and COX-2 proinflammatory enzymes.

Tart cherry has been found in several studies to reduce muscle damage and pain during strenuous exercise.[viii] Offering faster relief from minor aches, stiffness and discomfort following muscle exertion.

Tart cherry extract in Performance Lab® Sleep may help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep, and help repair your body and brain. Leaving you feeling refreshed and physically ready to start your day.

Magnesium 100 mg (from Magnesium Bisglycinate, and Magnesium NutriGenesis® )

Magnesium is the 4th most abundant mineral in your body. And a cofactor in more than 300 enzymatic reactions.

Some of these processes are directly involved in falling asleep and staying asleep. Magnesium helps calm nerve cell signaling; relaxing and calming muscles and brain activity.

Magnesium helps relax smooth muscle cells. Allowing for easier blood flow and lower blood pressure that precedes sleep.

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

Magnesium is required for ATP (adenosine triphosphate) synthesis. Which is the main energy source for the mitochondria in brain cells.[x] And for the synthesis of DNA and RNA.[xi]

Many are living with a magnesium deficiency and unaware that this lack may be contributing to sleep and memory problems.[xii]

Regular magnesium is not very bioavailable. Performance Lab Sleep solves the bioavailability issue by using 3 forms of magnesium for your body and brain.

Magnesium Bisglycinate is a chelated form of magnesium bound to the amino acid glycine which improves bioavailability.

NutriGenesis® Magnesium is Performance Lab’s proprietary magnesium grown in lab-cultured yeast. Producing a nature-identical form of magnesium which enhances bioavailability.

The combination of three forms of magnesium provides a total of 100 mg of elemental magnesium.

L-Tryptophan 200 mg

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 (in Performance Lab Sleep), and Vitamin B6 because both are required to synthesize serotonin.

Vitamin B6 is available as one of the essential vitamins in Performance Lab’s Multi for men and women.

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.

Sea Buckthorn 100 mg

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.

NutriCaps® capsules

The capsules used in Performance Lab® Sleep are so unique I had to include them the list of ingredients. And here’s why …

The premium ingredients used in Sleep will only provide the benefit promised if your body can use them. How the ingredients get into our body matters a great deal.

Every other pre-formulated sleep supplement on the market use either gelatin capsules, or vegetarian capsules.

Gelatin capsules are made by boiling down animal hoofs, bones, and connective tissue to form a gel-like substance. This material cools and dries. Then is formed into capsules.

Vegetarian capsules are Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose which are made from pine or poplar tree pulp. The end result is a type of plastic.

Performance Lab uses NutriCaps® which are made from pullulan (fermented tapioca). A much costlier way to encapsulate their supplements. But safer, vegan-friendly, and disintegrates right away once you take it.

And Performance Lab infuses each capsule with a prebiotic that helps support your digestion.

I’m not aware of any other quality supplement manufacturer who goes the extra mile by using NutriCaps®.

get Performance Lab® Sleep

BioGenesis vitamins for sleep and anxiety

Performance Lab® Sleep Dosage

The amount of each ingredient listed on the label is for Performance Lab’s recommended 2-capsules per day.

I recommend using 2-capsules about 90 minutes before you’re planning on going to bed. And if you have real problems with insomnia like I do, you can safely boost your dose to 4-capsules.

However, use extreme caution if you are using a prescription SSRI medication. Because Tryptophan increases serotonin. And SSRI’s increase serotonin.

Too much serotonin can produce Serotonin Syndrome which can lead to delirium, involuntary muscle contractions, high fever, and coma. Worse case and a very real scenario is death.[xiii]

It is unlikely that the low doses of L-Tryptophan in Performance Lab Sleep will lead to Serotonin Syndrome if taken with SSRI’s. But you may want to check with your doctor to be safe.

How Performance Lab® Sleep Works in Real Life

Performance Lab - what vitamins help you sleep at night?I’ve been using tart cherry juice concentrate, magnesium, and L-Tryptophan for the last couple of years to help me sleep with remarkable success. Before I found Performance Lab Sleep.

Taking Performance Lab Sleep 90 minutes before you plan on sleeping means you should fall asleep soon after your head hits the pillow.

Anxiety levels should decrease during the day and feelings of happiness increase.

Memory should improve. Music may sound better. And feelings of self-esteem could get a boost.

Many neurohackers even report being able to taper off prescription antidepressant meds. And never again needing to use a prescription sleep med to get to sleep.

Performance Lab® Sleep is Good Value

You may have found like me that nootropic supplements are not cheap. Particularly if you’re putting together your own stack.

Performance Lab SleepBut using Performance Lab’s Sleep formula has reduced my sleep supplement budget.

For example, here in the USA at the time I write this:

Montmorency Tart Cherry (as CherryPURE®) sells for around $15 for 60 capsules.

Magnesium Bisglycinate chelate is about $19 for a 2-month supply. So figure around $9 per month for magnesium.

L-Tryptophan is about $25 for a 3-month supply. So it works out to about $8 per month.

So my total sleep supplement budget using 3 separate supplements before finding Performance Lab Sleep worked out to around $32 per month.

Performance Lab Sleep for a one-month supply is only $44.

And you get one bottle FREE when you order 3-bottles of Performance Lab Sleep plus FREE shipping.

get Performance Lab® Sleep

Pros & Cons of Performance Lab Sleep

Performance Lab® has taken an extra step to include NutriCaps® instead of regular vegetarian capsules in their sleep stack. These vegan caps are made from tapioca. And are infused with Prebiotics for better digestion and bioavailability of the nootropics in this sleep supplement.

All of the other competitors with a quality sleep formula use HPMC vegetarian capsules which are a semi-synthetic polymer made from wood pulp.

Now, let’s look at what I think are the pros and cons of this premium sleep supplement.

Pros

  • Full disclosure on the amount of each ingredient
  • Highest quality, nature-identical, eco-friendly NutriGenesis® and patented ingredients
  • No added ingredients
  • No World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned substances
  • Vegan-friendly ingredients including NutriCaps® capsules
  • Tested prior to encapsulation for allergens, GMOs, microbes, pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, and other contaminants
  • Tested again to confirm potency, purity, and activity after encapsulation
  • Ships in recyclable cardboard security boxes filled with biodegradable packing peanuts
  • Competitively priced
  • Empty bottle, money-back guarantee (less shipping)
  • 24/7 customer support

Cons

  • Only available on their website

I honestly can’t think of any other cons for this sleep supplement. It works for me and I truly hope it works as well for you.

Nootropics Expert Recommendation

Nootropics Expert Tested and ApprovedI recommend the use of Performance Lab® Sleep as a sleep supplement stack.

Pricing of Performance Lab Sleep is competitive for what you get. Buying these supplements separately can cost up to twice as much depending on where you get them.

But the biggest advantage with this sleep supplement stack is it avoids what every other “natural” sleep formula on the market uses – synthetic melatonin. At doses much higher than most would consider safe.

With Performance Lab Sleep you get a very small but effective dose of natural melatonin from tart cherry.

Performance Lab Sleep pairs well with the company’s NutriGenesis® Multi formula which supplies the B-Vitamins that ensures your body can produce serotonin.

Performance Lab® only offers their Performance Lab supplements including their Sleep formula on their website. You will not find it on Amazon or other online retailers.

Performance Lab® goes the extra mile by using top-notch ingredients in this formula. Including nature-identical NutriGenesis® magnesium, peer reviewed Tart Cherry extract, L-Tryptophan, and Sea Buckthorn. Even their product packaging is second to none.

The company uses vegan NutriCaps® for capsules to ensure quick absorption. And testing before and after encapsulation of each batch of product.

And Performance Lab® also offers a risk-free, “empty bottle”, money-back guarantee if you are not happy with any of their products.

So if you’d like to get off the prescription sleep meds, or simply haven’t had much luck with other natural sleep formulas – I recommended trying Performance Lab Sleep.

If you’d like to try the Performance Lab® Sleep supplement, or learn more about this exceptional line of supplements, please go to their website and take a look around. And while you’re there, get Performance Lab® Sleep.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may also contain other affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

[i] Bjorvatn B., Brevik E.J., Lundervold A.J., Halmøy A., Posserud M.B., Instanes J.T., Haavik J. “Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Report High Symptom Levels of Troubled Sleep, Restless Legs, and Cataplexy” Frontiers in Psychology. 2017 Sep 20; 8: 1621 (source)

[ii] “Investing in the growing sleep-health economy” McKinsey & Company August 2017 (source)

[iii] Morgan P.T., Kehne J.H., Sprenger K.J., Malison R.T. “Retrograde effects of triazolam and zolpidem on sleep-dependent motor learning in humans.” Journal of Sleep Research. 2010 Mar;19(1 Pt 2):157-64. (source)

[iv] Rasch B., Born J. “About Sleep’s Role in Memory” Physiological Reviews 2013 Apr; 93(2): 681–766 (source)

[v] Macchi M.M., Bruce J.N. “Human pineal physiology and functional significance of melatonin.” Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology. 2004 Sep-Dec;25(3-4):177-95. (source)

[vi] Erland L.A.E., Saxena P.K. “Melatonin Natural Health Products and Supplements: Presence of Serotonin and Significant Variability of Melatonin Content” Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine 2017 Feb 15; 13(2): 275–281. (source)

[vii] Howatson G., Bell P.G., Tallent J., Middleton B., McHugh M.P., Ellis J. “Effect of tart cherry juice (Prunus cerasus) on melatonin levels and enhanced sleep quality.” European Journal of Nutrition. 2012 Dec;51(8):909-16 (source)

[viii] Kuelh K.S., Perrier E.T., Eliot D.L., Chesnutt J.C. “Efficacy of tart cherry juice in reducing muscle pain during running: a randomized controlled trial.” Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition 2010 May 7;7:17. (source)

[ix] Palacios-Prado N., Chapuis S., Panjkovich A., Fregeac J., Nagy J.I., Bukauskas F.F. “Molecular determinants of magnesium-dependent synaptic plasticity at electrical synapses formed by connexin36.” Nature Communications. 2014 Aug 19;5:4667. (source)

[x] Garfinkel L., Garfinkel D. “Magnesium regulation of the glycolytic pathway and the enzymes involved.” Magnesium. 1985;4(2-3):60-72. (source)

[xi] Grober U., Schmidt J., Kisters K. “Magnesium in Prevention and Therapy” Nutrients. 2015 Sep; 7(9): 8199–8226. (source)

[xii] Rude R.K., Singer F.R., Gruber H.E. “Skeletal and hormonal effects of magnesium deficiency.” Journal of American College of Nutrition. 2009 Apr;28(2):131-41. (source)

[xiii] Fernstrom J.D. “Effects and side effects associated with the non-nutritional use of tryptophan by humans.” Journal of Nutrition. 2012 Dec;142(12):2236S-2244S (source)

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Join The Discussion - 48 comments

Yazan
June 4, 2021

Hi David,

Is there any relation between EMS (Eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome) and L-Tryptophan?

Thanks,

Yazan

    David Tomen
    June 4, 2021

    Yazan, there was back in 1989 with Tryptophan produced by Japanese manufacturer Showa Denko. They produced a bad batch of Tryptophan that made hundreds of people sick with EMS which was reported to the CDC.

    The scare caused the FDA to ban the sale of all L-Tryptophan supplements beginning in 1990 and that ban was not fully lifted until 2005. I have not heard of a case of L-Tryptophan causing EMS since.

Nat
October 19, 2020

Hi David,
I have ADHD and have just started on Vyvanse and have trouble getting to sleep.
2 capsules doesn’t seem to do much while a synthetic melatonin I bought at an airport pharmacy in Mexico (who knows what’s in it!) knocks me out.
Do you regularly take 4 capsules of this? Do you notice a difference on stimulants or not in terms of dosage?

    David Tomen
    October 20, 2020

    Nat, Performance Lab Sleep works better the longer you use it.

    But if you’re using a stimulant it’s even more challenging. Here’s what I suggest.

    Add another 500 mg L-Tryptophan, 200 mg L-Theanine, 500 mg GABA, 400 mg Lemon Balm, and get Charlotte’s Web “Calm” gummies (https://bit.ly/3dH6Ndx). Do NOT use their “Sleep” gummies because they contain melatonin.

    Take 2 gummies with the rest of this stack about 60 mins. before bed. And please do NOT use melatonin of any kind. It’ll more often than not come back to bite you.

      Nat
      October 20, 2020

      Thank you so much, David.
      I will do that!

Jon Moore
July 14, 2020

Hi David,

I tried this for a couple of weeks both 1 or 2 capsules but didn’t see a lot of benefit as felt over-sedated and had strong heartbeat. I’m thinking it most likely to be the tryptophan even though the dose is low as I previously had similar reactions but stronger when trying 5-htp years ago. I’ve used various forms of magnesium with no probs for years including taurate.

I used to benefit from synthetic melatonin (luckily I didn’t have the problems with depression you had), but over time its effect has worn off. So I thought a good thing to do was to try tart cherry juice extract and magnesium without typtophan and see if I get any benefit without any side-effects.

So my questions are:-

1) Could trytophan side-effects be due to deficiency in something else such as b-vits or SAMe?

2) Do you know much about cherryPure in Performance Lab Sleep? I found Life Extension do a supplement with cherryPure extract in but it says cherryPure (skins) whereas Performance Lab Sleep says cherryPure whole. Despite looking on the cherryPure website I’ve not been able to establish if there are two forms of cherryPure, whole and skin or if they are the same?

    David Tomen
    July 15, 2020

    Jon, I’ve come across some people who do not respond well to L-Tryptophan. I don’t know why but my experience over the years has been that some people simply cannot tolerant certain supplements. But who know why.

    It could be due to a deficiency. The only way to find out if this is true is to use a high quality B-Complex supplement like the one produced by Life Extension. And see if that solves the problem. Same thing with SAM-e.

    There is only one patented CherryPure extract. I can’t vouch for the copywriter who did the label text for Life Extension. But I can vouch for the writer at Performance Lab and I know they’re spot on target.

    You can also try Lemon Balm, GABA, and CBD Oil with Tart Cherry and magnesium. One or more of those may help you.

FERGUS LEE
May 24, 2020

Hi thanks for the detailed review. As an insomniac and terrible sleeper I purchased this. The first time i tried it the product seemed to help a bit and I had a few hours sleep. The second night it did nothing – i even had another tablet at 3am and stacked it with melatonin and I drink Cheery Active juice as well. It did not help at all and I’ve been awake all night again. The reality is that the only thing that properly works and guaranteed to knock you out are prescription sleep tablets…FACT!! Yet again I am spending more money on stuff that simply does not work. The hunt continues!!

    David Tomen
    May 24, 2020

    Fergus, PL Sleep has been around long enough that we’ve received plenty of feedback on how this supplement works. One common theme is it seems to work best for some people after 2-3 weeks of daily use.

    Others may need more magnesium and/or L-Tryptophan than what’s in Sleep. So adding another 400 mg of magnesium could help. And/or another 500 mg of L-Tryptophan.

    I’ve personally found that adding a CBD Oil supplement to this stack helps me sleep through the night. I use Charlotte’s Web “Calm” gummies which are very effective.

    The thing I’ve found that’s NOT effective is synthetic melatonin. See my melatonin review for more on reasons why if you’re interested. https://nootropicsexpert.com/melatonin/

Lee Frantz
May 23, 2020

Hi David — Just found your site. I love it. So so so glad I found it on my journey to get some things fixed naturally without any prescription drugs.

I’m trying to hack my insomnia problem and have found melatonin does not work for me. Tart cherry does and Valerian root/hops combo. So I have them as part of my stack. What about the combo of Gaba and L-theanine. I am supported you recommend PL when the use L-Tryptophan. Why is this better than the Gaba/L-Theanine combo?

Thanks much, Lee

    David Tomen
    May 24, 2020

    Lee, it really depends on which neurotransmitters you need to boost to feel better. The combo you mentioned is not a “which is better” scenario. L-Theanine boosts all the major neurotransmitters and helps suppress excess cortisol.

    GABA is direct support for more GABA in your system.

    L-Tryptophan is a direct precursor to the synthesis of serotonin which goes on to make melatonin. The only way to tell is trying each and seeing if it works for you.

John
February 25, 2020

Hello,

I’ve been taking Performance Labs Sleep for around 2 weeks. When I take the supplement, I stay asleep all night but I wake up feeling more tired than when I don’t use it.

Initially, I was hoping to use this supplement to improve my sleep quality. I’m getting 8-9 hours per night, but I never feel totally rested. Prior to PL Sleep, I tried using 1 mg and 3 mg of melatonin, but that left a similar groggy feeling. I swapped to PL Sleep hoping the non-synthetic melatonin production could resolve the drowsiness.

I’ve experimented with taking 1 and 2 PL Sleep pills 90 minutes before bed, but they both result in the same outcome. What would you recommend to improve my quality of sleep? I don’t have any issues falling sleep.

    David Tomen
    February 27, 2020

    John, it sounds like you’re having a problem with using melatonin in any form. PL Sleep provides natural melatonin with Tart Cherry Juice extract and L-Tryptophan which is a precursor to melatonin. That may be too much for you.

    You could try instead to use Tart Cherry Juice from concentrate, and 400 mg magnesium as separate supplements and see if that’s enough for you.

Galya Campano
December 27, 2019

December 27, 2019

Hi, David,

I scanned your responses above and I think that I am asking a question that you have not answered above.

Regarding Performance Lab:
Have you ever developed a tolerance to it?
In other words, has PL ever stopped working, causing you to cycle out of it–then resume again later, after you have become sensitive to it, again?

I find that NOTHING seems to work indefinitely for me; that is, I have to stop supplements, leave for a while, then start again once I have developed a tolerance to them again.

If so, what do you alternate in place of PL?

Thank you for your reply.

Galya Campano

    David Tomen
    December 28, 2019

    Galya, I do not develop tolerance to nootropics and it’s never been an issue for me personally. But some do develop tolerance to certain nootropics and each has their favorite method of dealing with it.

    Opti-Nutra who make Mind Lab Pro and the Performance Lab line of supplements recommend this for people worried about tolerance: use the recommended dose for 5 days then take a two day break.

    I’ve written more about what causes tolerance and how to deal with it in a newsletter sent a few months ago. You can read that article here > https://mailchi.mp/31ec6378a9f4/how-to-avoid-nootropic-tolerance

      Galya Campano
      December 31, 2019

      David,

      Thank you so much for your response.
      I will read your attached article for my information.

      Have a Happy New Year!

Larry Trowbridge
November 26, 2019

What would be a good substitution for l-tryptophan in PL-Sleep? The reason I ask is that it seems like every time I use l-tryptophan I end up getting some significant heartburn. Or, instead of replacing l-tryp, is there something I could add to PL-Sleep that would stop the heartburn?

    David Tomen
    November 27, 2019

    Larry, there is really no substitute for L-Tryptophan because it is the precursor for making serotonin which goes on to making melatonin. Have you tried PL Sleep? It may be possible the dosage is low enough that it would not cause heartburn. Have you tried a lower dose of Tryptophan to see how that felt?

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