Supplements for sleep

17 compounds relevant to sleep, ranked by overall evidence grade.

Overall grade: Grade B
Last revised: Jul 10, 2026; 17
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.

6 at grade B · 10 at grade C · 1 at grade D — 17 graded rows

What is known

Each outcome with its grade (how strong the evidence is, A to D), the size of the effect where the entry records one, and how often studies agree.

Outcome	Grade	Effect size	Agreement
MagnesiumA cofactor in 300+ reactions that a large fraction of adults under-consume — real, modest benefits for sleep, blood pressure, and migraine.	Evidence grade B	Unclear	mixed
L-TheanineThe calm in green tea — pairs with caffeine to keep the focus and drop the jitter.	Evidence grade B	Unclear	mixed
GlycineA cheap amino acid that lowers core temperature for easier sleep onset and supports collagen and glutathione.	Evidence grade B	Unclear	mixed
MelatoninA circadian signal, not a sedative — brilliant for jet lag and shift work at low doses, mediocre as a nightly sleeping pill.	Evidence grade B	Unclear	mixed
KavaOne of the few genuinely effective anxiety botanicals — shadowed by a real (if debated) liver-safety history.	Evidence grade B	Unclear	mixed
CBD (Cannabidiol)A non-intoxicating cannabinoid with rock-solid epilepsy evidence and promising-but-unsettled anxiety and sleep data.	Evidence grade B	Unclear	mixed
ValerianA traditional sedative herb with inconsistent trials and a common morning-grogginess complaint.	Evidence grade C	Unclear	mixed
ApigeninThe chamomile flavone behind the bedtime-tea calm — mild, benign, thinly studied as an isolated supplement.	Evidence grade C	Unclear	mixed
Tart CherryA natural melatonin-and-anthocyanin source with small sleep and exercise-recovery signals.	Evidence grade C	Unclear	mixed
L-Tryptophan / 5-HTPSerotonin/melatonin precursors with modest sleep-and-mood signals — and the sharpest serotonergic-drug caution on the shelf.	Evidence grade C	Unclear	mixed
ReishiA calming medicinal mushroom with immune and sleep signals — better data as a cancer-care adjunct than as a daily tonic.	Evidence grade C	Unclear	mixed
PassionflowerA gentle GABAergic herb with modest anxiety and sleep signals — a mild, benign calmer.	Evidence grade C	Unclear	mixed
Lemon BalmA pleasant mint-family herb with small acute anxiety, mood, and sleep signals.	Evidence grade C	Unclear	mixed
Magnolia BarkA traditional anti-stress bark (honokiol/magnolol) with early cortisol and sleep signals.	Evidence grade C	Unclear	mixed
HopsThe beer bittering flower doubles as a mild sleep herb — usually paired with valerian.	Evidence grade C	Unclear	mixed
Ziziphus (Jujube / Suanzaoren)A traditional jujube-seed sedative used across Asia for insomnia and anxiety — plausible and gentle, lightly studied.	Evidence grade C	Unclear	mixed
GABA (Supplement)The brain's calming neurotransmitter in a pill — which mostly can't cross into the brain.	Evidence grade D	Unclear	mixed

MagnesiumEvidence grade B
A cofactor in 300+ reactions that a large fraction of adults under-consume — real, modest benefits for sleep, blood pressure, and migraine.
Unclearmixed
L-TheanineEvidence grade B
The calm in green tea — pairs with caffeine to keep the focus and drop the jitter.
Unclearmixed
GlycineEvidence grade B
A cheap amino acid that lowers core temperature for easier sleep onset and supports collagen and glutathione.
Unclearmixed
MelatoninEvidence grade B
A circadian signal, not a sedative — brilliant for jet lag and shift work at low doses, mediocre as a nightly sleeping pill.
Unclearmixed
KavaEvidence grade B
One of the few genuinely effective anxiety botanicals — shadowed by a real (if debated) liver-safety history.
Unclearmixed
CBD (Cannabidiol)Evidence grade B
A non-intoxicating cannabinoid with rock-solid epilepsy evidence and promising-but-unsettled anxiety and sleep data.
Unclearmixed
ValerianEvidence grade C
A traditional sedative herb with inconsistent trials and a common morning-grogginess complaint.
Unclearmixed
ApigeninEvidence grade C
The chamomile flavone behind the bedtime-tea calm — mild, benign, thinly studied as an isolated supplement.
Unclearmixed
Tart CherryEvidence grade C
A natural melatonin-and-anthocyanin source with small sleep and exercise-recovery signals.
Unclearmixed
L-Tryptophan / 5-HTPEvidence grade C
Serotonin/melatonin precursors with modest sleep-and-mood signals — and the sharpest serotonergic-drug caution on the shelf.
Unclearmixed
ReishiEvidence grade C
A calming medicinal mushroom with immune and sleep signals — better data as a cancer-care adjunct than as a daily tonic.
Unclearmixed
PassionflowerEvidence grade C
A gentle GABAergic herb with modest anxiety and sleep signals — a mild, benign calmer.
Unclearmixed
Lemon BalmEvidence grade C
A pleasant mint-family herb with small acute anxiety, mood, and sleep signals.
Unclearmixed
Magnolia BarkEvidence grade C
A traditional anti-stress bark (honokiol/magnolol) with early cortisol and sleep signals.
Unclearmixed
HopsEvidence grade C
The beer bittering flower doubles as a mild sleep herb — usually paired with valerian.
Unclearmixed
Ziziphus (Jujube / Suanzaoren)Evidence grade C
A traditional jujube-seed sedative used across Asia for insomnia and anxiety — plausible and gentle, lightly studied.
Unclearmixed
GABA (Supplement)Evidence grade D
The brain's calming neurotransmitter in a pill — which mostly can't cross into the brain.
Unclearmixed

What is uncertain

Read off the same rows as above. Nothing here is added that the entry does not itself record.

Thin evidence: Valerian (grade C); Apigenin (grade C); Tart Cherry (grade C); L-Tryptophan / 5-HTP (grade C); Reishi (grade C); Passionflower (grade C); Lemon Balm (grade C); Magnolia Bark (grade C); Hops (grade C); Ziziphus (Jujube / Suanzaoren) (grade C); GABA (Supplement) (grade D).
Studies disagree: Magnesium (mixed agreement); L-Theanine (mixed agreement); Glycine (mixed agreement); Melatonin (mixed agreement); Kava (mixed agreement); CBD (Cannabidiol) (mixed agreement).

The evidence in words

The shortlist

Every compound in the knowledge base tagged to sleep, ordered by how strong its overall evidence is. Start at the top; the grade is the honest filter.

Worth considering first

Magnesium (B) — A cofactor in 300+ reactions that a large fraction of adults under-consume — real, modest benefits for sleep, blood pressure, and migraine. · L-Theanine (B) — The calm in green tea — pairs with caffeine to keep the focus and drop the jitter. · Glycine (B) — A cheap amino acid that lowers core temperature for easier sleep onset and supports collagen and glutathione. · Melatonin (B) — A circadian signal, not a sedative — brilliant for jet lag and shift work at low doses, mediocre as a nightly sleeping pill. · Kava (B) — One of the few genuinely effective anxiety botanicals — shadowed by a real (if debated) liver-safety history. · CBD (Cannabidiol) (B) — A non-intoxicating cannabinoid with rock-solid epilepsy evidence and promising-but-unsettled anxiety and sleep data.

Lower-evidence options

Valerian (C) — A traditional sedative herb with inconsistent trials and a common morning-grogginess complaint. · Apigenin (C) — The chamomile flavone behind the bedtime-tea calm — mild, benign, thinly studied as an isolated supplement. · Tart Cherry (C) — A natural melatonin-and-anthocyanin source with small sleep and exercise-recovery signals. · L-Tryptophan / 5-HTP (C) — Serotonin/melatonin precursors with modest sleep-and-mood signals — and the sharpest serotonergic-drug caution on the shelf. · Reishi (C) — A calming medicinal mushroom with immune and sleep signals — better data as a cancer-care adjunct than as a daily tonic. · Passionflower (C) — A gentle GABAergic herb with modest anxiety and sleep signals — a mild, benign calmer. · Lemon Balm (C) — A pleasant mint-family herb with small acute anxiety, mood, and sleep signals. · Magnolia Bark (C) — A traditional anti-stress bark (honokiol/magnolol) with early cortisol and sleep signals. · Hops (C) — The beer bittering flower doubles as a mild sleep herb — usually paired with valerian. · Ziziphus (Jujube / Suanzaoren) (C) — A traditional jujube-seed sedative used across Asia for insomnia and anxiety — plausible and gentle, lightly studied. · GABA (Supplement) (D) — The brain's calming neurotransmitter in a pill — which mostly can't cross into the brain.

Goes with

MagnesiumGrade BEvidence grade B
L-TheanineGrade BEvidence grade B
GlycineGrade BEvidence grade B
MelatoninGrade BEvidence grade B
KavaGrade BEvidence grade B
CBD (Cannabidiol)Grade BEvidence grade B
ValerianGrade CEvidence grade C
ApigeninGrade CEvidence grade C

Entries that share this one's tags or conditions.

L-Tryptophan / 5-HTPSerotonin/melatonin precursors with modest sleep-and-mood signals — and the sharpest serotonergic-drug caution on the shelf.Evidence grade C
Tart CherryA natural melatonin-and-anthocyanin source with small sleep and exercise-recovery signals.Evidence grade C
Apigenin for Sleep / calmEvidence grade C — Chamomile-level evidenceEvidence grade C
Apigenin: dosage and how to take it50 mg near bedtime, or chamomile tea.Evidence 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 Jul 10, 2026. A grade is this entry's reading of the evidence, not medical advice.