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Sleep. It’s the fountain of youth, one of the pillars of health, and the difference between being fully functional at work or a zombie version of yourself. Unfortunately, many of us are chronically underslept. So many people are stressing about it that a new word’s been coined for sleep obsession: orthosomnia.

Sleep experts tout CBT as the gold standard to fix sleep, but it means adhering to a pretty strict routine. Like any good-for-you lifestyle overhaul, it’s sensible but hard to stick with (no snoozing that alarm or sleeping in on the weekend).

So then: A supplement it is. There are many, more than ever before, and in all sorts of combinations and delivery systems (dissolvable strips, gummies, drinkable powders, pills). Here, a guide to this rapidly expanding landscape — complete with expert advice.

Bye,
Your friends at Gloria

Is anyone sleeping well right now? Based upon the amount of sleep supplements that have entered the market recently, the answer is no. The demand is understandable: Sleep heals us, restores us, and when it’s not happening, we’ll reach for just about anything that could help. Identifying the cause of your sleeplessness can feel like worry whack-a-mole. The problem is, supplements can be more of a Band-aid than a cure.

“A lot of people may drink, eat, or have caffeine late, then take melatonin to sleep, but that is not solving a root cause,” says Jordan Glenn, PhD, Head of Science at SuppCo, which compares supplements on an objective scale to snake-oil proof the shopping process. “But first,” he says, “we should be asking ‘what should we fix?’”

Sleep disturbances aren’t one-size-fits-all. You may have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep — not always helped by the same ingredients — or wake up exhausted due to an underlying medical issue. Did you know that in the U.S., 25% of women are at high risk for sleep apnea, regardless of weight, and that number increases to 32% at age 50? Lindsay Scola, a speaker and advocate for sleep-disorder education, explains that sleep apnea becomes more prevalent in perimenopause when estrogen and progesterone stop supporting our airways as well as they once did. (What the hell?) 

“Sleep supplements can help somebody’s sleep improve, help it be a little bit better, but it’s not going to fix your sleep,” she says. Okay, well: If you’re here to sleep a bit better, here’s what to know. 

Melatonin is the cheeseburger of sleep support, a blunt instrument that’ll get the job done but should not be a daily habit. The substance is a hormone that signals it’s time to sleep, but in supplement form it’s best used on occasion, not nightly. 

Not only that, but, “Melatonin's reputation as a harmless, natural sleep aid doesn't hold up well under scrutiny,” says Jamie Schwartz RD, LDN, a nutritionist at Health Loft. Two separate analyses found a majority of melatonin products don’t match their labeling, containing anywhere from 0% to nearly seven times the stated dose. This poses a risk for people taking SSRIs, for whom melatonin is not recommended; neither is tryptophan (aka 5-HTP), which the body converts into melatonin for sleep. Blood thinners, oral birth control, and anything that causes drowsiness can also cause melatonin overload, so proceed with care. 

The current It-Girl sleep supplement is magnesium, a mineral that helps the nervous system relax, supporting an overall calmness that allows for deeper sleep. Glenn says it’s “incredibly popular” because “most people are insufficient” (not deficient, which signals a health issue). It’s involved in too many physiological processes to get into, including supporting your cortisol cycle and lowering stress in general. As magnesium-glycinate, it can ease muscle tension (helpful for restless leg and other nighttime discomforts) to sustain sleep. You might see GABA on these labels, too; that’s a calming chemical messenger that increases with magnesium. Manage your expectations: Schwartz says the oft-cited research on magnesium’s benefits might be oversold to women in midlife. “It's a real, peer-reviewed, placebo-controlled trial, but applying it to perimenopausal sleep is an extrapolation, not a direct finding.” She calls magnesium “a reasonable, low-risk option to try,” saying the biological mechanism behind it (GABA activity and body-temperature regulation) is “plausible.” As for which one, she likes glycinate for minimal risk and L-theanine for racing thoughts. 

It’s ashwagandha that has the most direct research behind it for perimenopausal women, she notes, with the caveat that it’s not safe for everyone. A dose of 300mg of ashwagandha root extract twice daily was linked to improved sleep and energy, specifically reducing the psychological and urogenital symptoms that can impact sleep. It’s not recommended for anyone with thyroid or autoimmune disorders, is unsafe while pregnant or breastfeeding, and can interact with many types of medications.   

When picking a sleep supplement, you may think you need to parse your melatonin from your magnesium; GABA from reishi; and so forth. The truth is, as the $209 billion supplement industry grows, more blended products emerge. And that’s fine! None of these ingredients work against each other, Glenn says. “The one thing that triggers my Spidey sense immediately is if I see a ‘proprietary blend’ that doesn't tell me exactly the dosing involved.” That’s because each ingredient has a dosing threshold where research has proven its efficacy, beyond which it may be unsafe and beneath which it could be pointless. “We use the term ‘fairy dusting’ for that,” he says. “The ingredient may be usable but not [present] in a usable amount.”

So, read those labels. L-Theanine, an amino acid found in green tea that can quiet a racing mind and support relaxation without sedative qualities, will give you the desired effect in 200-250 mg, Glenn says, but some supplements dump in 400. Chamomile comes up a lot in sleep blends, and a useful extract should be in the range of 400 to 1,200 mg/day, but he thinks it’s more effective as a tea. Drinking a cup before bed is a helpful habit. 

Scola says a lot of people take melatonin right before bed and in way too high a dose, which can cause vivid dreams and groggy mornings. The clinical recommendation here is 0.5 to 5 mg, taken 30 minutes to two hours before bed, with many sources putting 1-3 mg as the sweet spot for insomnia or jet lag. Beyond that, Glenn notes, benefits plateau. He adds that none of these recommendations are specific to women in midlife, primarily due to a lack of research. That’s unfortunate, as estrogen, which depletes in perimenopause, is directly linked to successful sleep.

Fall is a good excuse to freshen up your work look, and new glasses can do a surprising amount of the work. Warby Parker has lots of great frames in good colors right now, including the Zoya, Brimmer, and Chamberlain. They’re all available with prescription lenses or as readers, so you can actually see the spreadsheet while looking a little more pulled together. Shop them here. #partner

TO WATCH The hottest thing in Hollywood right now is a remake of an old book. Up this week, a new version of the 1901 novel My Brilliant Career on Netflix. It’s about young woman creating her own path while being pressured to conform, and features multiple heartthrobs. Sure to be a hit! Out in theaters, there’s the Anne Hathaway dino feature The End of Oak Street, where a family’s 1982 suburban idyll turns to a nightmare when their entire street gets transported to some other dimension of time and place. But what we really want to see is the female version of Pineapple Express.

TO SHOP If you’ve been eyeing anything from Left On Friday, its swimsuit sale means now is the time to hit buy. Starting today through 8/17, all swimwear is 30% off! We love this tankini, these bottoms, and this one-piece. Summer is definitely not over yet. Shop it all here. #partner

TO LISTEN The next few days will bring Phoebe Bridgers’ new album Lost Weekend on repeat. There’s something about “Lost Boys” that reminds us of Sufjan Stevens’ “Chicago” — do you hear it? Also today: yasiin bey, the artist formerly known as Mos Def, is reissuing his 2009 album The Ecstatic. You can purchase it here.

“One woman’s message from the hell of ICE detention.” • My my, this is a very descriptive story about hemorrhoid removal . • Ranking the interior design of classic Arnold Schwarzenegger movies (please do Three Men and a Baby next). • Long sigh.

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