L-theanine
Amino acid from tea used for calm focus, or with caffeine
Green tea's amino acid, commonly 100-400mg, alone before bed or paired with caffeine to take the edge off it. Users describe relaxed alertness rather than sedation. One of the better-tolerated items here, though some people report grogginess or intense dreams at higher doses.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Andrew HubermanDoes it
Neuroscientist · Huberman Lab
Third in the stack, and he leaves it out on nights when it gives him unusually vivid dreams.
Source: Huberman Lab: Master Your Sleep & Be More Alert When Awake“The other thing is theanine, T-H-E-A-N-I-N-E, theanine, 100 to 200 milligrams of theanine for me also helps me turn off my mind and fall asleep.”
Huberman Lab: Master Your Sleep & Be More Alert When Awake (opens in a new tab) · 11 Jan 2021 - Stacy SimsDoes it
Exercise physiologist · Women Are Not Small Men
The other half of the pre-sleep pair she names with magnesium threonate, taken 30 to 60 minutes before bed. Quieting the brain and settling the system down is how she describes what the two are for.
Source: Dr Stacy Sims: Where Do I Start? A Roadmap for Active Women
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under sleep, stress or focus.
- App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Headspace
Guided meditation app built around ten-minute sessions, voiced by Andy Puddicombe
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Non-sleep deep rest (NSDR)
10-20 minute guided body-scan rest, sometimes called yoga nidra
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 has discussed it - Protocol$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
HRV biofeedback training
Paced breathing against a live heart rate variability readout, a few minutes a day
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Reveri
Self-hypnosis sessions for sleep, stress and pain
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Supplement$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Magnesium (threonate or glycinate)
Taken 30-60 minutes before bed to help with sleep onset
On record from 11 of 62 tracked people: 8 do it, 1 recommends it, 2 have discussed it - Supplement$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Ashwagandha
Adaptogen used short-term to lower cortisol during stressful stretches
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 recommends it
Supplement entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.