Supplements to aid Sleep
By James Collier BSc (Hons) Nutrition Consultant & MuscleTalk Co-Owner

One often overlooked factor in bodybuilding is sleep. Lack of sleep can be a real nuisance, because you're not running efficiently the next day and you can't put your all into your training; plus you grow when you're resting. There are many topics on MT where members look for supplements to help them sleep and often before considering supplementation the poster should consider why he/she is not sleeping well. If this is you ask yourself: are you stressed with a lot on your mind? Are you breathing correctly, or have you gained any weight lately? These points are important because not enough oxygen could mean you never really get quality sleep and wake early - make sure you have your pillows positioned well too.

If you're looking for a short term aid to help while you are going through a stressful time, then there are some supplements which can help you get better nights rest. The supplement ZMA is marketed as a testosterone booster for which its use is debatable, but there are many users who swear that taking it pre-bed gives them better quality sleep. However there are also a large number of users who claim it did nothing to help them sleep! Maybe it's worth trying ZMA out to see if it's for you.

Melatonin is another supplement which could help you sleep. Naturally melatonin is a hormone-like substance which is secreted by a small gland in our brain called the pineal gland which is linked to the 'sleep centre' of the brain. At night melatonin is produced to help our bodies regulate our sleep-wake cycles. The amount of melatonin produced by our body seems to lessen as we get older, which may be why young people have less problem sleeping than older people.

There have been a number of studies which suggest that supplementation with melatonin improves sleep, in that it helps the user to drift off more easily, and get a better quality, deeper sleep. Melatonin has also been shown to be an antioxidant, and a dose of 1.5mg to 3mg at bed time should be adequate. Other than drowsiness, there are no other side effects of taking it, but I would still recommend consulting your doctor before using melatonin, especially if you are being prescribed any sleeping medication.
One other supplement which is now controlled so is hard to get hold of is GABA. Taken before bed, GABA gives deeper quality sleep, hence more growth hormone is released and you feel better the next day. The increase in GH release hasn't been verified scientifically, but it certainly does improve sleep quality; it has been said you can get 8 hours worth of sleep in 6 hours - useful for the busy-lifestyle bodybuilder. Note that GABA will not make you sleepy; it merely improves the depth of sleep.

Of course, ensure you have an appropriately structured healthy eating plan and get into a comfortable bed early, but if you're still struggling it may be worth researching the above supplements a little more.

Source: BB - The MuscleTalker - Issue 64 (August 2007)

a great sleep supplement thats new and very reasonably priced is IBE's x-dream. ive been using it for about two weeks... not daily ofcourse but when im wide awake from my supps or cycle. it works great and strangely enough i can never remember my dreams unless im using this stuff

bump the zma, it worked for me for sure...great stuff but watch out for spinny dreams.....