Glycine and Sleep: How This Amino Acid May Support Better Rest

About 30% of adults experience insomnia symptoms at some point. Many turn to melatonin or prescription sleep aids for help. But there may be a simpler option: glycine

What Is Glycine?

Glycine is a non-essential amino acid, meaning your body can produce it on its own. So why supplement it? While your body makes glycine for various functions, research suggests that additional glycine taken before bed may offer specific sleep benefits that your natural production doesn't provide.

Unlike melatonin, which regulates your sleep-wake cycle, glycine appears to work differently. Research suggests it helps prepare your body for sleep by lowering your core body temperature and increasing blood flow to your extremities, mimicking what happens naturally when you're ready to rest.

How Does This Work?

Your core body temperature naturally drops as you prepare for sleep. Glycine appears to enhance this by acting on brain receptors that regulate circadian rhythms and body temperature. By activating these pathways, glycine may increase blood flow to your skin's surface, particularly in your hands and feet. This allows heat to dissipate from your core, creating the temperature drop that signals your body it's time to sleep.

What Does the Research Show?

In studies involving healthy volunteers with restricted sleep, participants who took glycine before bed reported reduced fatigue and sleepiness the following day compared to a placebo group. The research also found improvements in cognitive performance measures.

Other studies found glycine may help people fall asleep faster and experience better sleep quality, with participants feeling more refreshed upon waking.

Potential Benefits

• Research suggests glycine before bed may help support:
• Faster sleep onset
• Improved sleep quality
• Reduced next-day fatigue
• Better cognitive performance after poor sleep
• More refreshed feeling upon waking
  

How to Use It

• Most supplements suggest 3 grams as one serving, but check your specific product's serving size
• Take approximately 30-60 minutes before bed
• Can be mixed with water or taken in capsule form
• Give it a few nights to assess effects
  

Glycine is considered safe for most people with minimal side effects. Some report mild digestive discomfort at higher doses, but 3 grams is generally well-tolerated.

Glycine may be particularly useful for people who find melatonin ineffective or experience grogginess from other sleep aids. It's a simple, accessible option worth exploring if you're looking to support better sleep quality!

Note: Glycine is not a cure for chronic insomnia or sleep disorders.

Want to Learn More? 

• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22529837/

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