I cannot fall asleep at night. What supplements actually help?

If you want the best-supported supplement for falling asleep, melatonin is the one with the strongest evidence, especially for sleep-onset insomnia, jet lag, and circadian rhythm problems.[1][4][8] If your problem is more staying asleep or waking up a lot, L-theanine and glycine have some evidence for improving sleep quality, while valerian may help some people but the evidence is mixed.[4][3][7]

What appears to actually help most often:

• Melatonin: best evidence overall; may help you fall asleep faster and can also help with jet lag or delayed sleep timing.[1][4][8]
• Glycine: some studies suggest it improves sleep quality and daytime sleepiness, usually taken before bed.[4][7]
• L-theanine: may reduce stress and nighttime awakenings, especially if anxiety is part of the problem.[1][4]
• Valerian: may reduce sleep latency and improve sleep quality, but results are inconsistent across studies.[3][7]
• Magnesium: evidence for insomnia is limited; it seems more useful if you have leg cramps or a magnesium deficiency.[1][4]
• GABA / 5-HTP / tryptophan: some limited or small-study evidence, but less consistent than melatonin.[1][7]
• CBD: may help some people, especially when anxiety is a major driver, but evidence is still limited.[1][4][7]

A practical approach is:

1. Try melatonin first if the main issue is falling asleep.[1][4][8]
2. Try glycine or L-theanine if stress, rumination, or frequent waking is the problem.[4][7]
3. Consider magnesium only if you have leg cramps, low intake, or a suspected deficiency.[1][4]
4. Be cautious with valerian, CBD, 5-HTP, and GABA, because the evidence is weaker or mixed.[1][3][7]

A few important cautions:

• Supplements can interact with medications, especially CBD, 5-HTP, tryptophan, and valerian.[1][7]
• If insomnia has lasted more than a few weeks, or you snore, gasp, have restless legs, depression, or anxiety, it’s worth getting evaluated because supplements may not address the underlying cause.[1][4]

If you want, I can give you a short ranked list of the best supplements for sleep-onset insomnia vs sleep-maintenance insomnia, or help you choose one based on your age, meds, and whether you have anxiety or jet lag.