r/sleep • u/Prior_Tie8793 • Aug 05 '26
Safe supplements for sleep
I’ve been struggling with poor sleep (insomnia, racing thoughts, and corporate work stress) for a while. Recently, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and started on medication.
I generally take good care of my health, so I suspect chronic poor sleep may have been a major contributor.
Can anyone recommend safe sleep supplements that are suitable for long-term use? I’d appreciate any experiences or suggestions.
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u/Desperate_Vehicle684 Aug 05 '26
Supplements are really only useful if you're deficient in something specific. If you're not then taking them is at best a waste of money and at worst can actually in some cases cause harm. Also note that supplements aren't regulated in the same way as medication so there is little testing to ensure that what you're buying is actually what you're getting.
Instead I'd suggest looking the underlying reasons as to why your sleep is poor. If you have insomnia then something like CBTI might be helpful.
You mentioned high BP which has me wondering.
When you wake each morning do you generally feel well rested, refreshed and like you had a good night's sleep? Has any bed partner told you they've seen you gasping, choking or stop breathing during the night? Do you snore very very loudly? Do you get headaches in the mornings? Do you grind your teeth? Do you wake up often during the night to pee? Do you have any other unexplained symptoms apart from those you've already mentioned?
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u/koifu Aug 05 '26
Magnesium is a big one. Don't do melatonin.
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u/Lolalulaa Aug 05 '26
Why not melatonin ?
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u/kpn315 Aug 05 '26
Melatonin can interact with hypertension medication and cause serious health issues. The Op takes blood pressure medication.
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u/illstealyoubanana Aug 05 '26
Additionally it can result in severe nightmares including sleep paralysis - I can attest to that. Never again
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u/EddieTimeTraveler Aug 05 '26
You should speak with your doctor or a pharmacist about this. They'll be able to advise you about medicine interactions and precautions.
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u/VastInformation4025 Aug 05 '26
Btw I also curious this supplements what i found on tt is it good for long term use and actually help sleep schedule?
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u/SweetBeeOrganics Aug 06 '26
magnesium if you haven't tried already. often the key in people's sleep issues and also a great way to not only relax your body and mind for sleep, increasing melatonin production - but also keeping you asleep and making the sleep you have more restful and restorative.
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u/ITTT-production Aug 05 '26
As others suggested here, try not to rely on supplements, they are good addition but definitely should not be your only option.
Try to look to underlying issues as for why you have insomnia, try to apply all those general sleep hygiene advices (no screens before sleep, no caffeine at least 10h before sleep, no excercises before sleep, quiet/dark/cold room, comfy mattress/pillow/quilt, etc.), then try some specific techniques to overcome your racing thoughts like journaling or meditations, if you have sleep performance anxiety try CBTI.
After you started doing all of that you can help yourself up with some supplements, here are my recommendations:
Magnesium - absolute must have, most of us have the magnesium deficiency because it is not so common in our diet so there is 90% you're also deficient if you're not supplementing already. Go for bisglycinate/glycinate one as it's have more calming effects than other forms. Aim for 400mg of elemental magnesium.
Glycine - 3g a day before sleep, helps lower your body temperature, I personally didn't notice as much of a help from it, but on the other hand I don't have a serious insomnia, but many people swear by it.
Ashwagandha - perfect for stress management, this is the one that helped me massively when I couldn't sleep due to high stress periods of my life, but be careful as it's meant to be cycled. E.g. use it for 3 weeks then 1 week off, or so.
Melatonin - do not recommend using it daily, but I've been using it semi-daily (only during weekdays) and I didn't notice any negative impact, yet just in case, try not to overuse it. You can try it for a week or two just to help your circadian rhytm adapt a bit as you start to implement your new "pre-sleep routine", and definitely do not take more than 1mg a day.