What to take for sleep

Graded by the strength of the evidence — strongest first. Nothing here is sold to you.

Melatoningrade B— reduces time to fall asleep; best for circadian timing

Ashwagandhagrade C— small, early-stage effect on sleep

Magnesiumgrade C— may modestly reduce sleep-onset latency in older adults with insomnia, but the evidence is limited and low quality; benefit for general adults or magnesium glycinate specifically is uncertain

5-HTPgrade C— limited evidence for sleep; serotonergic, so caution with antidepressants

Glycinegrade C— small trials suggest improved subjective sleep quality and reduced next-day fatigue

Valeriangrade C— evidence is genuinely mixed: some low-quality trials report small improvements in subjective sleep quality, but the most rigorous reviews find no significant difference from placebo. Considered safe; not reliably effective.

L-Theaninegrade C— may improve subjective sleep quality via relaxation rather than sedation

Saffrongrade C— small RCTs suggest improved sleep quality

Vitamin Dgrade C— Systematic review and meta-analysis (moderate certainty): vitamin D supplementation showed promise for improving sleep quality, but its effect on sleep quantity, sleep disorders, sleepiness, and restless legs syndrome was inconsistent across studies. Promising but not settled.