My Sleep Experiments and Favorite Sleep Hacks

Chamomile Tea - This works well (from the apigenin) to relieve anxiety. I'll take 2 or 3 bags at once.

Cold Room / Good Air Conditioning - I like to keep warm during the day and cold at night (see my post on Wilson's Temperature Syndrome)

Cool Gel Pillow - This helps my head and ears if they get too hot while sleeping instead of pillow flipping.

Crying - This seems to work really well after being in a lot of stress. When my friend died recently, crying really helped myself from feeling overloaded.

Cuddling - If I had a GF right now this would help, but sometimes makes me too hot. I'm not sure how some people handle it.

Curcumin (Turmeric) - This seems to have a better effect when I mess up with my diet.

Dream Catcher - I know this is weird but I've had a dreamcatcher hanging out in my living room. I moved it one time and had horrible nightmares until I moved it back. I haven't touched it since.

Ear Plugs - Really good for traveling.

EarthPulse - Helped me with deep sleep while I was traveling, but at the time I didn't have enough money so I returned it since the benefits weren't that great for its price point.

EMF Protection - I've turned off my WIFI and phone and it really helps. The only problem is I live in an apartment right now and cannot turn off other people's EMF equipment, so that will be a thing to look into in the future when I have my own place.

Epson Salt Bath - Works very well, similarly to a heavy dose of magnesium.

Essential Oils - I find lavender helpful to calm me down, probably due to its estrogenic effect.

Exercise - The idea that you need to be exhausted by exercise or activity to sleep is an absurd dogma. I've never had exercise work effectively to make me sleepy. It only makes me tired right after.

Fan - Works okay if I'm somewhere where there is no AC, but I don't get as much deep sleep as I want.

Fish Oil - This works really well an hour before bed. I get an even greater effect having salmon for dinner.

Flux / Iris - This is mandatory if I'm working on my computer after sunset.

GABA - This works really well if used intermittently, as I can build up a tolerance so I'll use Gaba Soothe.

Gabapentin - Works well but destructive to nerve cells.

Glutamine - Very calming and relaxing for my gut.

Glycine - Amazing for deep sleep and helps with growth hormone release.

Green Tea Extract (and EGCG) - It's calming, similar to theanine but feels more stimulating.

Grounding Mat - I've had trouble getting this to work well since I move during my sleep.

Heavy Blanket / Comforter - I've noticed with more weight on my body I sleep better and deeper.

Holy Basil / Tulsi - This seems to have estrogenic effects on me and calms me down.

Honey - This helps me have more energy when waking, since it helps restore glycogen in the liver.

Hot Shower - Doing this before bed works pretty well to get me into deep sleep faster.

Inositol - Helps and pairs well with magnesium and zinc .

Intranasal Insulin - This decreases the time I need for sleep, but I'm not sure if it enhances my sleep.

Intranasal Laser - I notice LLLT can make me tired after so sometimes will work well before bed.

Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) - puts me in a slightly euphoric lull to sleep, but wake up with reduced immune function and heightened anxiety

LightCure Light Force Pro - Depending on the time of the day this will either remove brain fog for make me super tired.

Lion's Mane - Had pretty vivid dreams from taking this and seemed to enhance my sleep, although theoretically it increases NGF and histamine, so may make you more hot if you have histamine intolerance.

Magnesium - The glycinate, malate, or threonate versions work way better, as the other ones will give you massive bowel movements... I mean, unless diarrhea is what you're looking to achieve.

Marijuana (THC) - Gives me really weird dreams and I have trouble falling asleep, until the comedown.

Masturbation - Similar to sex (see below), but less oxytocin.

MCT Oil and Caprylic Acid - Works well to give me great energy in the morning, but can make me hot.

Meditation - This abolishes any anxieties I have and works as a great HDAC inhibitor.

Melatonin - I originally used this after my concussion and it made me sleep 12+hrs per night, which was nice. After I recovered a bit, it had less of an effect. I stopped taking it regularly and only use it to reset my circadian rhythm when traveling to other time zones. I don't like supplementing hormones unless it's completely necessary.

Mk-677 / Ibutamoren - When I first tried this, I tried it right before bed. I got horrible heart burn (thinking I was having a problem with my heart) and night sweats. I started taking it during the day while doing IF and it really helped my sleep.

Muscle Relaxer - I've used cyclobenzaprine after being in a car accident and it did help my sleep.

NSI-189 - This didn't really help me sleep better but give me more energy during the day.

Passion Flower - Great as a calming herb or tea to relieve anxiety.

Phosphotyldylserine - This lowers my cortisol and helps me with insomnia.

Phosphotydelcholine - This seems to increase acetylcholine, make me more sleepy. CDP-choline seems to work similarly for me.

Reading - This works and makes me sleepy, but I need to read something very boring or rewarding.

Reishi - Gives me very vivid dreams.

Rolfing - This works really well as long as I stay hydrated.

Sauna - This helps as a an addition to a hot shower before bed.

Selank - Really helps with anxiety, especially if I eat the wrong foods.

Sex - This works really well if I go only to sleep right after.

Sleep Mask - Works great as a portable replacement to having a pitch black room.

SR1 Delta Sleep Device - So I thought this thing was a scam, but it seems to work ONLY for me if I get the placement right.

Taurine - This helps me sleep, but needs to be cycled due to GABA tolerance.

Theanine - When I was dealing with histamine intolerance, theanine was amazing to take before dinner.

Tryptophan - I've also tried eating bananas which work well to put me to sleep.

Uridine - It seems to make me feel pleasurable after a few days, with lower doses giving euphoria and higher doses with sedation.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation - The Nervana really helps me get calm before bed.

Valerian - Works well, but leaves me kind of hungover.

Vitamin B1 - Thiamin seems to calm down some anxiety.

Vitamin B3 - Niacin increases GABA, but can make me hot.

Vitamin B6 - As P5P it seems to enhance my sleep by relaxing me.

Vitamin B9 - Folate is effective for enhancing energy and lowering anxiety.

Vitamin B12 - Similar to P5P. It may be since I get a higher production of neurotransmitters.

Vitamin D - This worked well as a supplement, but now I use Dminder to track my natural production.

Water Pump Mattress Topper - This got me through college when I couldn't control the AC.

White Noise Machine - Using a fan instead really helps (explained below).

Xanax - Probably the best sleep I've ever had was after taking a few bars of xanax and smoking some pot. I remember waking up so refreshed and "chill". My girlfriend during the night even tried to wake up and I was out. It's very addictive and bad for GABA receptor dysregulation.

Yoga - This really helps with blood flow and calming down my body via vagus nerve stimulation.

Zinc - Amazing for sleep, especially after a day I've done heavy lifting. It blocks cortisol for a few hours and stimulates growth hormone.