Best Vitamins For Sleep – Top 4 Picks For Quality Sleep

Sleep is very important for our overall health and general well-being. In fact, trying to achieve both quantity and quality sleep should be part of our everyday efforts to live a healthy lifestyle.

Sleep is often an underrated factor when it comes to keeping oneself healthy. When we talk about a healthy lifestyle, we usually think of only two factors – a clean and proper diet, and regular exercise.

While sleep is important, it’s often hard for people to achieve peak sleep because of how fast-paced our society is. Whether you struggle with falling asleep, waking up in the middle of the night, or chronic insomnia, it might be time to think about taking a vitamin for sleep. Today we are going to address the different sleep vitamins that we recommend, and how they can help you.

In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know before choosing a sleep vitamin, including our picks for the best vitamins for sleep.

Let’s start by looking at our top picks.

Best Vitamins For Sleep 

What Are Vitamins For Sleep? 

Sleep vitamins come in a variety of forms and can help with a plethora of sleeping issues. 

Just as you want to stick to a healthy diet and commit to your regular workout routine, you should also commit to quality sleep as much as possible. In fact, even if you work out regularly and stick to a healthy diet if your sleep is not good, it can reverse some of the gains you get through proper diet and exercise.

Here are some of the negative effects if you are not sleeping well (yes, even if you are working out and eating well):

• Weight gain
• Risk of heart disease and diabetes
• Poor mood and mood changes
• Cognitive issues such as memory problems and troubled concentration
• Potential accidents (i.e. higher risks of car accidents if you’re driving drowsy)
• Poor balance
• Hallucinations
• High blood pressure
• Decreased sex drive

Of course, you will not recognize these effects right away (or, the effects happen but very minimal to be noticed), but in the long-run, if you keep depriving yourself of sleep, these effects will become recognizable.

Sleep is part of your overall health, so it is important you make the effort to go to bed on time as much as possible. Of course, those who work during graveyard shifts will find this impossible, but for many of us, we stay awake past midnight for no good reason.

So, how can you get proper sleep? Clearly, it starts by having good sleep habits – such as simply making the effort to get to bed on time. But if you need a little help to sleep, consider taking supplements that will help you sleep faster and better.

These vitamins are not sleeping pills – they will not knock you off while sleeping pills do, but instead, they will help you relax your body so you can sleep fast.

Types of Sleep Vitamins

1) Melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone that our body naturally produces. Melatonin tells or signals to your body when it’s time to sleep. This is why melatonin is sometimes called the “sleep hormone” – and the reason why it is one of the most popular sleep supplements around.

Naturally, melatonin will rise during night time and drop during day time to facilitate our body’s normal sleep cycle. However, if your body clock is disturbed or changed (such as during jet lag or graveyard shifts), it will cause melatonin disruption as well, leading to poor sleep at night. Taking melatonin supplements will help you rebalance your system to help you sleep better at night again.

For those who need to sleep in the daytime, such as people who work overnight shifts, melatonin supplements can help you sleep better during the day.

Melatonin is generally safe to use in the short-term, but it is still not clear if it is safe to use in the long-term. We advise you to use melatonin only to help you sleep better, but once you do, gradually decrease your intake until you can sleep without the vitamin.

2) Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral that is known for a few health benefits, mainly impacting your heart and brain health. Not only is magnesium great in these ways, but it can also help you sleep better.

This is because magnesium partly affects the regulation of your melatonin production, which is again, our “sleep hormone.” Magnesium also appears to affect the brain levels of GABA, a neurotransmitter that can help calm the brain. This, in turn, can help you relax and sleep better.

3) Glycine

Glycine is an amino acid that has a key role in our nervous system. Among its other roles, recent research suggests that glycine can help us improve our sleep.

For instance, in one research study, participants who suffer from poor sleep consumed 3g of glycine and then a placebo for another group. They consumed them immediately before going to bed. The end result: those in the glycine group reported that they felt less fatigued and were more clear-headed when they wake up the next morning.

To further enhance the sleeping-benefits of glycine, it is suggested that you consume nutrient-rich foods that include glycines like poultry, meat, eggs, spinach, kale, and certain fruits like bananas.

For a sleep supplement that contains glycine, consider checking out EarlyBird Night Cap.

4) Valerian Root

Valerian root is a herb that’s known and commonly used as a treatment for depression and anxiety. Aside from that, Valerian root is also used and promoted for sleep purposes. In fact, it is known as one of the best sleep supplements used in the US and Europe.

Despite the popularity, it is still not clear if Valerian root does help us sleep better because of the lack of consistency in the research. So, if you are going to take this supplement, take it with a grain of salt, and consider it experimentation and see it for yourself.

5) Lavender

Lavender is a plant that is well-known for its fragrant scent and its therapeutic benefits, which is why it is one of the most common flowers used in aromatherapy.

Aside from its other benefits, lavender is known for helping someone sleep better. This is especially true for females and young individuals who suffer from mild insomnia, according to some studies. In another study, it is shown that elderly people who used lavender aromatherapy can be as effective as conventional sleep medicines – with possibly fewer side effects.

How To Take Sleep Vitamins

As with most supplements, the most common form of sleep vitamins come in pill or capsule form. However, if you prefer liquid supplements, they can come in that form as well.

The exception in this list is the lavender. Although there are capsule lavender supplements, the more commonly used form of lavender supplements for sleep are lavender aromatherapy oil supplements.

Do Vitamins For Sleep Really Work?

Sleep vitamins, as with most supplements, generally work. However, before buying your supplements, be sure to check the label to see if you’re getting the nutrients you’re aiming to get.

It is also great if you seek recommendations from someone you know – be it a family member, friend or even trusted blogs or social media brands. This way, it will be easier for you to get a potentially reputable supplement.

Are Sleep Vitamins Right For You?

Generally, sleep vitamins work well for the average healthy. However, it is a best practice to consult your doctor if you’re planning to take supplementation, especially if you plan to use it on a long-term basis.

If you are pregnant or are currently undergoing a medical condition, consult your doctor first before adding supplements in your daily routine.

Final Thoughts: Taking Vitamins For Sleep

If you are thinking about adding a vitamin for sleep to your diet, now is a great time to try it out. Sleep vitamins are easy and safe supplements to test that carry a variety of benefits, the biggest being better sleep. If you start taking sleep supplements and experience any negative symptoms, contact a medical professional for help.