Do Nootropics Affect Sleep?

Written on March 19, 2023 by | Reviewed by William Gallagher, MNeuroSci

The answer is yes - nootropics can definitely affect sleep. In fact, some nootropics can make it harder to fall asleep and can lead to disrupted sleep. This is something to be aware of if you're taking nootropics and are struggling with sleep problems.

In this article, I'll take a closer look at why nootropics can affect sleep, how they do this, and what to do if you're experiencing sleep problems while taking nootropics.

So without further ado, let's just get straight into it, shall we?

Disrupted Sleep Caused by Nootropics

nootropics

If you're finding that taking nootropics is disrupting your sleep, there are a few things you can do to try and remedy the situation.

One is to simply reduce the dosage of the nootropic you're taking. Another is to switch to a different nootropic that doesn't have such a strong effect on sleep such as Caffeine, Modafinil, and Piracetam.

Nootropics like Modafinil are known as wakefulness-promoting agents and some people find that it makes them too alert to fall asleep at night, so if this sounds like you then switching from Modafinil to another nootropic such as Aniracetam or Noopept may be just what you need.

This way, you'll still get great benefits from your nootropics without the added stress of disrupted sleep caused by a "wakefulness-promoting" agent.

When taking any kind of supplement or drug, It's often a good idea to combine it with other supplements/drugs/herbs which do something completely different - like L-theanine.

This helps to cancel out any side effects and has a synergistic effect which makes the supplement more effective.

L-theanine is great because it induces alpha brainwaves, which are associated with calmness and relaxation, making it perfect for countering stimulants.

Nootropics That Will Positively Affect Your Sleep

If you're looking to improve your sleep, one supplement that I always recommend is L-theanine.

L-theanine is commonly found in green tea and creates an amazing synergistic effect that provides you with numerous cognitive benefits such as improved cognition, memory consolidation, increased attention span, focus, and concentration.

Nootropics that contain L-theanine are great because they will give you all of these benefits while simultaneously improving your sleep quality.

Another supplement that I recommend for good reason is Melatonin which is essential if you want to improve the quality of your sleep efficiently.

Melatonin is a hormone produced by your body naturally but the problem with this is that our modern lives are so busy nowadays that it's hard for us to get enough restorative REM sleep.

What's great about Melatonin is that it can help to increase the duration of REM sleep, so you'll be able to spend more time in deep, restorative sleep.

In addition to this, Melatonin has been shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects which are beneficial for overall health and well-being.

If you're looking for a supplement that can help you improve your sleep quality while also providing some added health benefits, then Melatonin is a great choice!