Struggling with Sleep? Here’s How to Reset Your Schedule
Here's something interesting: we're the only mammals that purposefully delay sleep. Despite knowing better, human adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night to function properly. Sleep isn't just downtime. It's when your body does some of its most important work.
Getting the recommended amount of sleep matters for every major body system, including your nervous, cardiovascular, immune, endocrine, digestive, and respiratory systems. Sleep is so fundamental that if you stay awake for 17 hours or more, your motor performance can be impaired as much as if you had a blood alcohol level of 0.05%. The legal limit is 0.08%, which means being overtired is almost as bad as being legally impaired.
Millions of Americans suffer from sleep disorders like insomnia, which has been linked to chronic health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and obesity. Creating a solid sleep routine may be the key to a more healthful life.
Sleep Stacking with Supplements for Restful Nights
Sometimes your diet and routine need a boost. That's where sleep stacking comes in. This approach uses supplements that work together to help your body relax and prepare for quality rest.
Why Magnesium Helps You Relax
Magnesium is an important mineral needed for over 300 chemical reactions within your body. Among its many functions, magnesium is involved in intracellular transmission, regulation of neurotransmitter transmission, and synapse formation and maintenance. It also influences how your body responds to stress and sleep.
Interestingly, magnesium levels have been reported to be lower in patients with chronically disturbed sleep, such as those who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. Research over the past few decades has increased, and a 2017 systematic review reported that magnesium intervention improved subjective markers of anxiety. These findings are strengthened by a 2024 systematic review of 15 studies, most of which reported improvements in at least one measure related to sleep or anxiety.
A 2023 systematic review involving 7,582 participants found an association between higher magnesium intake and sleep quality in healthy adults. The included randomized controlled trials showed a positive effect of magnesium supplementation, such as magnesium citrate, on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score, sleep efficiency, and sleep time.
Different Forms of Magnesium
Magnesium can be found in many forms. Researchers have investigated magnesium threonate for brain health because it's been found to cross the blood-brain barrier more readily. Other forms of magnesium are beneficial as well. You can find magnesium naturally in commonly eaten fruits and vegetables such as green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, avocados, and even blueberries. If you're not getting enough through your diet, supplementing with magnesium may support a restful night's sleep.
L-Theanine and GABA for Calming Support
L-theanine is an amino acid found in green tea that has demonstrated health benefits, including promoting a healthy stress response, supporting sleep, and improving cognitive function, thanks to its calming properties. Gamma-aminobutyric acid, better known as GABA, is the body's main inhibitory neurotransmitter. GABA works to counteract the effects of glutamate, which is the body's main excitatory neurotransmitter.
An imbalance between GABA and glutamate is thought to contribute to sleep disturbances. Theanine has a molecular structure similar to L-glutamic acid, where it may help reduce the binding of glutamine to glutamate receptors. Additionally, theanine and GABA may support relaxation by promoting the modification of brain wave patterns to reflect a peaceful and meditative state.
How Theanine Improves Sleep Quality
Theanine has been demonstrated to promote healthy sleep without the risk of increased drowsiness. In one study involving 22 subjects, those who consumed theanine experienced improved sleep and dream quality by reducing dream recall and nightmares. Compared to the placebo group, participants taking theanine reported feeling significantly more refreshed and recovered from exhaustion or fatigue upon waking. There were no significant differences in sleep duration between the theanine and placebo groups, which shows that quality matters just as much as quantity.
The Synergistic Effect
Magnesium, L-theanine, and GABA support similar functions within the nervous system, which may cause them to act synergistically to support a normal stress response and normal sleep. An animal study evaluated the effect of L-theanine compounds with varying magnesium concentrations on sleep quality compared to L-theanine alone.
Mice were separated into five groups and given different treatments. The strongest effects were seen for the group that received both magnesium and L-theanine together, where sleep duration increased and sleep latency decreased. Other notable findings included that L-theanine administration with varying magnesium concentrations helped reduce the adverse sleep effects of caffeine consumption, supported delta wave activity, and modulated neurotransmitter receptor levels. This suggests that combining these supplements could be more effective than taking them separately.
Supporting Your Circadian Rhythm
Your body runs on an internal clock that operates on a 24-hour cycle. Understanding and working with this natural rhythm can dramatically improve your sleep quality and overall health.
Understanding Your Body's Master Clock
The physiology of most animals, including humans, is dictated by changes to genetic expression that are experienced over a 24-hour cycle. These changes are influenced by genes that are innately inseparable from the presence or absence of light. These genes are called "clock" genes and are found within the brain but also in other organs of the body.
The master timekeeper, called the suprachiasmic nucleus, is found deep within the brain and controls sleep, metabolism, and hormone production. Living in accordance with the natural solar and lunar rhythms of life may help to support health and optimal sleep.
Get Morning Sunlight Exposure
One of the most powerful things you can do is get sunlight exposure as soon as possible after waking up. This signals to your brain that it's time to be awake and alert. It helps set your internal clock for the entire day ahead.
Keep Consistent Sleep and Wake Times
Try to keep your sleep and wake cycle as consistent as possible, even on weekends. Your body thrives on predictability. When you go to bed and wake up at roughly the same times each day, it's easier for your internal clock to stay regulated.
Time Your Meals and Exercise
Consuming your meals at or near the same times each day and exercising regularly around the same time also supports your circadian rhythm. These activities send additional signals to your body about what time of day it is, reinforcing your natural sleep-wake cycle.
Wind Down in the Evening
Switch to more relaxing and meditative activities during the evening while dimming the lights. This helps your body understand that it's time to prepare for rest. Reduce the use of electronic devices for at least one hour prior to bedtime, as the blue light from screens can interfere with your natural sleep signals.
Create an Optimal Sleep Environment
Finally, ensure an optimal sleeping space by making the room cool, quiet, and completely dark. Temperature, noise, and light all play crucial roles in sleep quality. A cool room around 65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit is often ideal. Blackout curtains and white noise machines can help create the perfect environment. Explore our sleep support collection for products that can help you create your ideal sleep sanctuary.
Top Recommended Products for Resetting Your Sleep Schedule Naturally:
Sleep Formula - Gaia Herbs Pro
or some of us, falling asleep is sometimes the most troubling aspect of the sleep cycle. Sleep Formula’s all-herbal formula features extracts of herbs historically recognized to facilitate the transition from wakefulness to sleep.* Encapsulated in Gaia’s patented, readily-absorable Liquid Phyto-Caps®, Sleep Formula works quickly to help you fall asleep with more ease.
Zen Sleep - Allergy Research Group
Zen Sleep supports a calm, relaxed state and promotes healthy sleep patterns by combining clinically studied nutrients that influence neurotransmitter activity.* It supports the stress response and provides nutritional building blocks for serotonin and melatonin production.
Sleep Support - Klaire Labs/SFI Health
Sleep Support (Stress Support Complex) is a powerful blend of sleep-promoting botanicals along with L-Theanine and GABA (gamma-amino butyric acid), two neurotransmitters that promote relaxation.† Together, these provide your body with the building blocks it needs to promote a healthy stress response and quality sleep.
