Stack · 5 supplements

Sleep & Calm

An evening stack built around relaxation. Start one ingredient at a time — the calming effects can add up.

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Timing

Daily schedule

  1. 19:00

    Dinner

    with meal
  2. 22:30

    Bedtime

    no food

2 rules

Interactions

NoteMagnesium + Zinc

Very high zinc can reduce magnesium absorption

What to do

Keep zinc within the 40 mg/day upper limit.

Why

A trial using 142 mg/day of zinc (far above the UL) reduced magnesium absorption and balance. At normal doses (≤40 mg) no meaningful effect is expected — which is why ZMA-type products combine them.

Strong evidenceFull details
  1. 01NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Magnesium Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
  2. 02NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Zinc Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
NoteAshwagandha + L-Theanine

Additive calming effects

What to do

Start one at a time. Avoid combining with alcohol or sleep medications without advice.

Why

Both are used for stress and sleep through different pathways. They have not been studied together; combined sedation is theoretically possible.

Mechanism-basedFull details
  1. 01NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Ashwagandha Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
  2. 02Examining the effect of L-theanine on sleep: a systematic review of dietary supplementation trials. Nutr Neurosci 2026.

Buying guide

What to look for on the label

  • Magnesium

    • Magnesium glycinate (well tolerated, popular for sleep)
    • Magnesium citrate (also a mild laxative)
    • Avoid magnesium oxide if absorption matters

  • Glycine

    • Glycine powder (slightly sweet, dissolves in water)

  • L-Theanine

    • Suntheanine® (pure L-isomer)

  • Ashwagandha

    • Standardized root extract (KSM-66 or Sensoril)

  • Zinc

    • Zinc picolinate, bisglycinate or citrate
    • If you take ≥25 mg daily long-term, choose a formula that includes 1–2 mg copper