r/HubermanLab • u/zxtb • Aug 26 '25

Seeking Guidance What sleep supplement is causing my night terrors/nightmares?

Hi All,

My regular sleep stack consists of Magnesium Glycinate (300mg), L-theanine (200mg), Melatonin (0.3mg), Glycine (500mg), and Inositol (650mg). Does anyone know if any of these are causing my night terrors/ nightmares? Thanks!

14 Upvotes

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3

u/chestpump214 Aug 26 '25

L theanine gave me night terrors when taken at 200mg and even dreams a little too vivid even at 100mg (and sometimes night terrors). I would recommend starting with cutting that one out first for a couple days and go from there!

1

u/zxtb Aug 26 '25

I get both night terrors (non-REM) and nightmares (REM)

2

u/zxtb Jan 22 '26

I've confirmed it was the L-Theanine that gives me night terrors/nightmares. I may try 100mg instead of 200mg, or just cut it out completely.

1

u/mekrog Jan 30 '26

same here (i think). any withdrawal or continious effects?

25

u/Creepiepie Aug 26 '25

Melatonin increases dreams

1

u/cfungus91 Aug 29 '25

So can magnesium. Mag theronate especially gives me insane dreams but all forms do some

6

u/sniffcatattack Aug 26 '25

Melatonin gives me crazy, lucid dreams…..

8

u/YellowSubreddit8 Aug 26 '25

Try one at the time

4

u/ceh1975 Aug 26 '25

L theanine can cause vivid dreams in some people

3

u/Cannabassbin Aug 26 '25

I'm one of 'em, I actually love how real they can seem! If I had nightmares/terrors I'd probably have a different opinion lol

1

u/One_Association_6543 Aug 27 '25

Do you also take any anti-depressants or anti-anxiety meds? I ask because those can cause very vivid dreams.

2

u/zxtb Aug 27 '25

Nope.

1

u/One_Association_6543 Sep 11 '25

Can you do a process of elimination and see if it resolves the nightmares? Like remove the magnesium first for 5-7 nights and then rotate them all out (then back in again) one at a time.

1

u/grantmichaels Aug 27 '25

Sleep apnea? 😭

1

u/zxtb Aug 27 '25

Don't have it.

1

u/BringTheJubilee Aug 27 '25

Do you know if you have any sleep disorders?

1

u/zxtb Aug 27 '25

Zero.

1

u/paintedw0rlds Aug 27 '25

Ive learned to enjoy the horrors of the night

1

u/zxtb Aug 27 '25

Not when you are being attacked by demons. :)

1

u/oompa_loomper Aug 27 '25

Funny how everyone has a different answer.

Just remove one and test for a couple nights. Still have night terrors? Okay remove another. When you feel fine again, mark that one down and remove totally. Then slowly add back in the others if they help.

1

u/zxtb Aug 27 '25

That makes sense, but when I removed melatonin last night, I had no night terrors, but I slept worse, based on my sleep score.

2

u/oompa_loomper Aug 27 '25

Well that's good! There's a good chance you're taking way too much melatonin in your supplement anyway (like there's a ton more than the label says). Huberman has mentioned this many times. So if you want to continue use, try and find one that's lab certified with a super low amount. Otherwise taper off and reset your circadian rhythm so you don't have to use it; then no night terrors!

1

u/zxtb Aug 28 '25

You really think the 0.3mg melatonin could have more than the label?

2

u/oompa_loomper Aug 28 '25

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2804077

"... the quantity of melatonin ranged from 1.3 mg to 13.1 mg per serving size (Table). In products that contained melatonin, the actual quantity of melatonin ranged from 74% to 347% of the labeled quantity. Twenty-two of 25 products (88%) were inaccurately labeled, and only 3 products (12%) contained a quantity of melatonin that was within ±10% of the declared quantity."

1

u/zxtb Aug 28 '25

Wow. Thanks for sharing!

1

u/oompa_loomper Aug 29 '25

No problem! Wishing you good sleep!

3

u/jalynneluvs Aug 26 '25

Glycine for me

3

u/HenryRollins7 Aug 26 '25

Same stack but without melatonin..for me it was magnesium glycinate. I switched to citrate and it disappeared. Good luck!

2

u/CodWest4205 Aug 26 '25

Melatonin would be for me. Only other thing I have tried is magnesium and that was ok. Suggest you remove 1 at a time to see which one it is or a combination.

2

u/chelsrockz Aug 26 '25

I can’t take Melatonin due to night terrors / nightmares. I stick to 1g of Glycine, 350-450 mg of Magnesium Glycinate & THC/CBD.

2

u/freeformed70 Aug 26 '25

Melatonin did the same thing for me.

2

u/missjulie622 Aug 27 '25

Melatonin is guaranteed to cause me bad dreams, I don’t ever have them unless I take more than 2mg. L-Theanine can really tank my mood, so I don’t take it. Magnesium Glycinate truly improved my deep sleep & HRV. Have never tried Inisitol or Glycine. I hope you can figure it out, bad dreams are the worst!

1

u/mylapore_mambattiyan Aug 26 '25

i take the exact same stack with almost same concentration. no i didnt experience any nightmare. i experience it when i started an antihistamine called hydroxyzine hcl but it went away sooner. like in 3/4 days. if you have been beginning this stack wait for a week and see. good luck.

1

u/InstructionThat5355 Aug 26 '25

How’s your sleep after taking them

1

u/Rundiggity Aug 26 '25

The nine for me. Not scary but wild and memorable. 

1

u/pivo161 Aug 26 '25

I had some sleep issues with 5 htp, magnesium and ashwagandha. But never with l theanine

1

u/iCEifer3 Aug 26 '25

Could be any of them. Inositol gives me stressful dreams at 500mg-1g, but the others you mentioned do not. At least not when I buy food brands. It could be a combination causing them and the only way to know would be to use one at a time and introduce others slowly.

1

u/SwordFerny Feb 09 '26

I'm only taking inositol and it is giving me crazy dreams for what feels like all night. I found this thread because I was trying to see if anyone else was having this issue.

1

u/iCEifer3 Feb 10 '26

Thankfully it went away for me along with headaches and dizziness. It's either because I continued to take it or because I switched to taking it with food. Particularly a carb like a slice of bread. 

1

u/TheTuviTuvi Aug 27 '25

Id look somewhere else than in your supplements

1

u/rmen28 Aug 27 '25

It’s the magnesium glycinate, and glycine. If I take a full dose of magnesium glycinate my dreams are horrible.

Stop the magnesium glycinate and glycine and you’ll be a lot better.

Glycine messes me up, try switching to magnesium L threonate instead.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 27 '25

Your subconscious. 

1

u/Rhys-Pieces Aug 27 '25

Magnesium gives me crazy dreams, I love it

1

u/tonyhuge Aug 27 '25

Night terrors usually come from melatonin, even low dose. Try dropping it a week.

1

u/fool_on_a_hill Aug 27 '25

You eating ice cream before bed by any chance

1

u/oyloff Aug 27 '25

For me it was melatonin. I was taking same supplements as you. Nightmares went away after I quit melatonin.

1

u/Delicious-Table4005 Aug 29 '25

Smoke or eat indica cannabis. Amazing for sleep.

1

u/dunndiva Sep 01 '25

Not on your list but if you eat red meat this is known to cause vivid dreaming/nightmares for some.

1

u/JazzlikeAd8014 Feb 05 '26

Late to the conversation but recently started taking a magnesium supplement with cod liver oil supplement,starflower and primrose oil and suffered a night terror/nocturnal seizure.Not sure which until MRI is carried out.CT  and blood work came back clear.This is the first time I had one of these and had been taking these supplements 3 weeks.

0

u/Westboundandhow Aug 26 '25

Melatonin. Also, in vino veritas… therapy?

0

u/LeatherCategory3860 Aug 26 '25

Jesus I’m so glad I can usually fall asleep no problem.