Not OP but I seem to get a benefit from GABA. Valerian root is effective at inducing sleep but leaves me groggy and I've had paradoxical anxiety reactions to it and there's some question around its longer term use. L-theanine is often mentioned but I'm not sure I benefit. Magnesium glycinate is another that comes up often.
I take Phenibut and Tizanidine together, 2x week max. Phenibut increases my REM sleep. Tizanidine helps me fall asleep but then wakes me up after 5hrs - and Phenibut counters that (keeps me asleep).
I rotate those two with Hydroxyzine. Staggering meds helps me keep my doses low. I generally take about half the prescribed dose.
Mirtazapine causes weight gain. I only take it when the insomnia is so bad it feels like sleep is broken.
Indica makes me miserable thru disassociation. That kills my tendency to chatter to myself. It also makes me sleepy.
Kava is hit or miss. But I'm trailing a new Kava extract that seems to work better.
Insomniac for 20 years. What was a complete solution for me was: magnesium, b6 p5p (p5p form very important) and the ultimate punch glycine.
Glycine takes some getting used to, as you will have crazy intense dreams at first. But it is a very safe supplement to take even in large doses.
I always had huge insomnia issues after a physically intensive days after workouts. The stack I settled on solved it. A heavy day just needs a bit more magnesium and quite a bit more glycine.
Probably worth getting blood B6 levels checked every now and then, taking reasonably big does like that can cause it to build up and eventually give you nerve damage leading to peripheral neuropathy.
Doxylamine for OTC, but if you take too much it will really make you groggy the next day (other people in the thread have shared the same experience.) Zolpidem/Ambien works really really well, but it's prescription only and also addictive so doctors advise to not take it more than a few days in a row at max.
Be careful with long-term or frequent doxylamine use, especially if you’re older. It’s an anticholinergic drug, and studies have linked sustained anticholinergic use to increased dementia risk, though it’s not proven the drugs cause it.
