Dosage · Supplement
L-Tryptophan / 5-HTP: dosage and how to take it
Tryptophan 1–3 g or 5-HTP 100–300 mg pre-bed.
- Overall grade
- Grade C
- Last revised
- 0
- graded outcomes
- 0
- references listed
Assembled by the app from other entries in this library. It adds no evidence of its own — follow the links to the entries it draws on.
The evidence in words
How much to take
Tryptophan 1–3 g or 5-HTP 100–300 mg before bed — only after confirming you take no serotonergic medication.
Timing & separation
There are no strict timing conflicts on record for L-Tryptophan / 5-HTP; consistency matters more than the exact hour for most goals.
Why the dose is what it is
Supplying precursor can raise serotonin and downstream melatonin, plausibly aiding sleep onset and mood.
Bottom line
Modest for sleep and mood, and the single riskiest common supplement to combine with antidepressants. Never stack with serotonergic drugs.
How it is used
As the entry records it, from the studies it summarises. Not a recommendation for you — doses that suit a trial population may not suit you.
- Standard
- Tryptophan 1–3 g or 5-HTP 100–300 mg pre-bed.
Goes with
- L-Tryptophan / 5-HTPFull L-Tryptophan / 5-HTP monographEvidence grade C
Related reading
Entries that share this one's tags or conditions.
- Apigenin: dosage and how to take it50 mg near bedtime, or chamomile tea.Evidence grade C
- Glycine: dosage and how to take it3 g in water, 30–60 min pre-bed.Evidence grade B
- L-Tryptophan / 5-HTP for Mood / anxiety (5-HTP)Evidence grade C — Limited qualityEvidence grade C
- L-Tryptophan / 5-HTP for Sleep latencyEvidence grade C — ModestEvidence grade C
Sources
This entry lists no references of its own — it is assembled from the entries it links to, whose sources are on their pages.
Last revised . A grade is this entry's reading of the evidence, not medical advice.