THE ONLY 4 SLEEP SUPPLEMENTS WORTH YOUR MONEY

The Night Shift, Part 4 of 4

Under the Hood is a weekly look at what's really driving your health, fixed 1% at a time.

Today: the four supplements with the best research behind them, what I take myself, what to skip, and how to tell a good product from a bad one.

Last week my family and I went to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. We spent a few days at Dollywood, plus a water park at our resort. It was a blast. My son Edyn had the time of his life.

If you’re a dad and you haven’t taken your kids to Dollywood, you should definitely check it out. We’re already planning to go back next year.

When we got home, my wife and I squeezed in a date night. We went to see one of our favorite bands, Johnnyswim. They were celebrating 10 years of their album Georgica Pond. And my wife and I celebrate 10 years of marriage this month. What a coincidence. Woohoo to all the married folks out there! 🎉

We even got to meet them. My wife wasn’t feeling great, but she was a trooper. It topped off the whole trip. (If you don’t know Johnnyswim, check them out on Spotify.)

But man, we didn’t sleep much. Long days, late dinners, late nights. And you can probably guess what happened next. We were struggling this week. Then my kids and my wife got sick to top it off.

So getting deep, restful sleep has been a lot harder this week. But as a parent, you figure it out and keep moving forward. 🙂

They’re on the mend now, and luckily I haven’t caught it. I’ve been loading up on greens, vitamins, teas, and my mom’s amazing Dominican sancocho.

And them getting sick? That wasn’t random. In one study, people who slept less than six hours a night were about four times more likely to catch a cold than people who slept seven or more.

Two weeks ago I told you consistency is the rule that matters most. I’m a big believer in that. But sometimes you adjust, do the best you can, and make memories.

We made great memories, and I’m grateful for every one of them. Now we’re back on our schedule. That’s what “five nights out of seven” looks like in real life.

So let’s wrap up the Night Shift with supplements. Three weeks ago, I told you to run the free stuff first. If you’ve been doing that, good stuff. Now we’ve got something to build on.

THE DEEP DIVE

Cheap and simple first.

Before you buy any supplement, grab an eye mask. In a 2023 study, people who wore one for five nights learned better and reacted faster the next day. Nothing going in your body.

Guys ask me about mouth tape all the time. If you snore, try a nasal strip instead. It might help, it might not. And if your wife says you stop breathing at night, skip both and go talk to your doctor.

The four I’d build.

You know I’m big on research. So I went through it, and here are the four supplements with the best evidence for helping you sleep and wind down from stress.

1. Magnesium glycinate. This one calms your nervous system. A 2025 randomized trial found it helped poor sleepers sleep better than a placebo. Start with 200mg, 30 to 60 minutes before bed. And stay away from magnesium oxide. Your body barely absorbs it.

2. Glycine. It’s an amino acid that helps your body temperature drop, which helps you fall asleep. People who took 3 grams before bed woke up feeling more rested. The studies are small, but it’s very safe. Two to three grams.

3. L-theanine. This is for the guy whose mind won’t shut off at night. A 4-week trial at 200mg improved sleep scores. If you get intense dreams or you sleepwalk, skip this one.

4. Chamomile tea. A review of 12 trials found it improved sleep quality. It won’t fix insomnia. It’s a wind-down. And it’s the easiest one on the list.

Worth knowing about: apigenin, which is actually in chamomile tea, and magnesium L-threonate, which was designed to get into your brain more easily than other forms of magnesium. The research on both is thinner, so I’d start with the four above. If you want to experiment, go for it. Just don’t try too many things at once.

One at a time.

Here’s where most guys mess this up. They buy all four, start them the same night, sleep great, and have no idea which one worked. Even Andrew Huberman, one of my favorite people to learn from, says to start with one supplement, or none, and add one at a time.

Pick one. Run it for two weeks. Then decide. Same process of elimination we used with Edyn. One thing at a time.

What I take.

With my clients, we nail the basics first. Once we’ve exhausted the natural ways, then we look at supplements to take sleep to the next level. Some guys don’t want to take anything. Some like to experiment. I’m in the second group. I’ve tried a ton of different sleep supplements over the years.

Here’s what’s working best for me right now. About two hours before bed, I make a cup of chamomile tea and mix in glycine and electrolytes. I’ve noticed a big difference. I’ve got a few clients doing the same thing, and they’re telling me the same.

Now, the electrolytes don’t have a sleep study behind them. That part is my own experiment. I want you to know the difference between what the research shows and what works for one guy.

I also add magnesium glycinate back in from time to time. A lot of us don’t get enough magnesium from food, the same way so many of us run low on vitamin D. And it really helps calm your brain down at night.

Save your money.

Melatonin gummies. On average, melatonin only helps you fall asleep about 7 minutes faster. And when researchers tested 25 melatonin gummies, 22 had the wrong amount on the label. Some had less than three quarters of what the label said. Some had more than triple.

Mystery “sleep blends.” If the label says “proprietary blend” and won’t tell you how much of each thing is in there, put it back.

Ashwagandha. The sleep research is real, but it’s under safety review in Europe, with some rare cases of liver injury. If you want to try it, talk to your doctor and get your liver enzymes checked first.

Traveling a lot?

Here’s the one time I’d actually use melatonin: when you travel. It helps reset your body clock to a new time zone. A Cochrane review found it reduced jet lag on flights in both directions.

A few of my clients who travel a ton swear by Eight Sleep’s Jet Lag supplement. It’s low-dose melatonin, you take it at bedtime wherever you land, and it’s NSF Certified for Sport. Use it for travel, not every night.

How to buy a good one.

Here’s something most guys don’t know. Supplements don’t get approved by the FDA before they hit the shelf. Companies can put almost anything on the label, and they know exactly which words will catch your eye. So before I buy anything, I ask two questions.

1. Is it the right dose? I hear it all the time: “I’m taking magnesium. I’m taking this and that.” But the research only works at a certain dose. A lot of guys are taking way too little and don’t even know it.

Glycine is a perfect example. The studies used 3 grams. One capsule is usually 500mg. So if you’re taking one pill a night, you’re getting a sixth of what was studied. Look up what dose the research actually used, then check your label.

2. Can I trust the company? Some companies are just more trustworthy than others. Some products have fillers, or less of what the label says. Remember those melatonin gummies?

So look for a third-party seal on the label. That means an outside lab tested it to make sure what’s on the label is actually in the bottle. The ones I trust:

No seal is a guarantee, but it’s real protection. Whether you’re at the grocery store or shopping online, there’s a lot of noise out there. My goal is to cut through it and help you make wise decisions.

Here are some reputable brands I like. I have no affiliation with any of them.

Too many pills? Go with the powders. Magnesium and glycine both mix right into your chamomile tea.

QUICK HITS

FUEL — Before you buy a sleep supplement, try two kiwis an hour before bed. In one small study, people fell asleep about 35% faster after four weeks. Pumpkin seeds, almonds, and spinach are great for magnesium too. Exhaust the natural ways first.

TRAINING — Getting bloodwork soon? Skip heavy lifting for a few days before. Hard training can bump up AST and ALT, the same liver markers your doctor checks, and make a healthy liver look like a problem.

FAMILY — A trip with the kids is going to wreck everyone’s sleep. That’s okay. The first morning back, get the whole house up at the normal time and outside in the light. That’s how we reset after Tennessee.

MIND — Watch your magnesium math. The NIH sets the limit from supplements at 350mg a day for adults. If your electrolyte drink has magnesium in it, that counts too.

THE NIGHT SHIFT, IN FOUR LINES

If you missed any of them, they’re all in the archive.

Next week, we start a new arc: The Fuel System. What you put in the tank matters just as much as how you sleep. We’ll start with protein: how much you actually need, and how to get it without living on shakes. And yes, at the end, we’ll cover the supplements every man should consider.

If you know a man with a cabinet full of sleep supplements, send him this one.

Your body is worth stewarding.

1% BETTER

— Coach Joshua

Educational content, not medical advice. Partner with your physician, ideally one who believes in proactive care.

New here? Every issue lives in the archive. Last week I covered the sleep habit that predicts how long you live.