sleep · Outcome
Time from lights-out to falling asleep. Shorter is better; 10-20 minutes is healthy.
How to measure: Oura, Withings, or Whoop sleep latency. Actigraphy if measured clinically; self-report works in a pinch.
Three levers, one stack. Each works through a different mechanism. They compound.
Improves sleep
200-400 mg elemental Mg · 30-60 min before bed
Evidence
Effect size
Research
12 papers
directional · 12 studies · no reliable magnitude
Why: Best balance of evidence, tolerability, and multi-outcome value (cramps, BP, anxiety). Glycinate form avoids the laxative effect of oxide.
See the Magnesium Glycinate pageImproves sleep
10-15 minutes · Within 60 min of waking
Evidence
Effect size
Research
9 papers
directional · 9 studies · no reliable magnitude
Evidence pending
240-480 ml · 60-90 min before bed
Evidence
Effect size
Research
None
Everything we found, ranked by how strongly we recommend it. Tap any to see the studies.
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The one we recommend first
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Every pick has two signals. They answer different questions and we never bundle them into one number.
Effect size
How big is the change on falling asleep, in the units that matter for this outcome.
Confidence
How sure are we the effect is real for falling asleep, given the studies we have.
For every pick, the “papers” number is how many studies we've cataloged that test this entity for falling asleep. “Favorable” means the study reported the direction you want.
The tier badge (S, A, B…) on the entity itself is its overall research confidence across all outcomes. It's the same letter wherever you see this entity on the site, not specific to falling asleep.
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Why: Treats the upstream cause. Bright light early sets cortisol-melatonin curve so melatonin rises on time at night. Free, no side effects.
Why: The only food with direct sleep-latency evidence in the research we track today. Effect is small and limited to older adults in the published trials.