Lifestyle

Supplementation Guide for Sleep

Sleep is the foundation of physical health, mental health, and performance. People with IBD or IBS often report having a hard time either falling asleep or getting a good night’s rest. Minimal sleep, broken sleep, and poor sleep timing will cause you to suffer mentally, cognitively, and physically.

Our goal should be to sleep well 80% of the time or more. This will allow our mental and physical health to thrive.

Ask yourself: How well and how deeply do I sleep through the night? How well do I feel when I wake up?

In this article we are going to look at a few supplements that can aid you in falling asleep and have a good night’s rest.

But before we do, it’s important to consider your caffeine intake. I know through my experience that having a coffee in the afternoon makes it harder for me to fall asleep at night. Do not ingest caffeine after 2 pm and avoid food within 2 hours prior to bedtime (but don’t be hungry when you go to bed). This simple trick might make all the difference.

Supplement stack for better sleep:

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  • Apigenin: 50mg daily, 30-60 minutes before sleep.
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  • Theanine: 100-400mg, 30-60 minutes before sleep.
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Try one of these supplements for one week (without varying anything else) than the other to see which works best for you – then see how well the combination works.

About 5% of people have stomach issues with this form of magnesium, so be careful when starting.

Do NOT take Theanine if you are prone to night terrors or sleepwalking.

Melatonin: Melatonin is often used to help people fall asleep quicker. However, it’s an endogenous hormone and often the over-the-counter doses are way to high for the body. Melatonin is safe to use on occasion, maybe for jet lag or similar occasions. However long term use comes with a lot of side effects such as daytime drowsiness and headaches. Talk to a physician before using melatonin.

There are many factors that go into getting a good night’s rest. It’s important to consider your lifestyle choices. Consider developing a sleep routine, adding exercise, and avoid substances like alcohol. The supplement stack mentioned above should help regardless but how well they work can be negated by poor lifestyle choices.