Andrew Huberman’s Sleep Cocktail
The Supplement Mix He Uses to Fall Asleep Fast
Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist known for his interest in sleep and brain health, has shared a simple supplement mix that helps him wind down at night. Often referred to as the Andrew Huberman sleep cocktail, this combination is designed to support better rest and recovery. In this article, we’ll take a look at what he uses and how it fits into his nighttime routine.
- Last Updated: August 11, 2025
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What is The Andrew Huberman Sleep Cocktail
A good night’s rest for Andrew Huberman often starts with preparing the body and mind for sleep. His sleep cocktail is a simple combination of supplements taken before bedtime to help promote calmness, ease mental activity, and make it easier to fall asleep. While it’s not an actual drink, this supplement stack is designed to support relaxation and readiness for rest.
- Magnesium: Plays a role in regulating neurotransmitters that influence sleep and helps muscles release built-up tension from the day. It can also support steady melatonin production, which signals the body that it’s time to rest.
- L-theanine: This naturally occurring amino acid can help slow down racing thoughts and reduce physical signs of stress, making it easier to transition into a restful state without feeling groggy.
- Apigenin: A plant-derived compound that interacts with calming receptors in the brain, encouraging drowsiness and helping signal that it’s time for sleep. It may also help extend deep sleep phases for better overnight recovery.
- Inositol: Sometimes included as an additional supplement, it can help regulate mood and promote a more consistent sleep cycle, especially for those who tend to wake up during the night.
This approach to a sleep supplements cocktail focuses on creating the right conditions for the mind and body to naturally settle into sleep.
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Magnesium (L-Threonate or Bisglycinate)
Among the supplements in the Andrew Huberman sleep cocktail, magnesium is often highlighted for its ability to support relaxation and prepare the body for rest. This mineral plays a role in calming the nervous system, making it easier to drift into a deeper, more restorative sleep.
- Supports the nervous system: Plays a role in balancing neurotransmitters that influence sleep and mood, helping the body shift from a state of alertness to one of calm. By lowering neural excitability, it can make it easier to settle down before bed.
- Crosses into the brain effectively: Magnesium L-threonate has the ability to pass through the blood-brain barrier, meaning it can directly affect brain cells involved in sleep regulation rather than staying primarily in the digestive system.
- Linked to better sleep quality: Low magnesium levels are tied to restless nights and difficulty staying asleep. Supplementation has been linked to improvements in insomnia, especially in older adults, by supporting more consistent sleep cycles.
- Best timing for use: It’s most effective when taken 2–3 hours before bed, allowing enough time for it to absorb and work within the body’s systems before sleep.
- Alternative form for comfort: For those who experience stomach discomfort with magnesium L-threonate, magnesium bisglycinate can be a gentler option. It still supports sleep while often being easier on digestion, though a slightly higher amount may be needed.
Including magnesium in the sleep cocktail Andrew Huberman recommends is a way to prepare both the mind and body for rest. Its calming effects, combined with its ability to improve sleep depth and duration, make it a valuable addition for anyone looking to improve nightly recovery.
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L-Theanine
L-theanine is a naturally occurring amino acid often included in the Andrew Huberman’s sleep cocktail for its calming yet non-sedating qualities. It helps create a mental environment where relaxation feels natural, which can make the transition from wakefulness to sleep smoother and less disruptive.
- Encourages mental relaxation: Works to lower feelings of stress and tension, allowing the body to shift into a more restful state. It can be helpful for slowing down an overactive mind after a busy or stressful day.
- Supports healthy brain rhythm: Increases alpha-wave activity in the brain, which is linked to a calm but alert state. This helps prepare the mind for sleep without causing a heavy or groggy feeling.
- Improves sleep continuity: May shorten the time it takes to fall asleep while also supporting deeper, more consistent rest throughout the night. Regular use can help establish a more predictable sleep pattern.
- Helpful after caffeine intake: Can reduce the stimulating effects of caffeine consumed earlier in the day, making it easier to relax and unwind when bedtime approaches.
- Personalized dosing: Often taken in amounts ranging from 100 to 400 mg about 30–60 minutes before bed. Starting with a smaller dose and adjusting as needed helps reduce the risk of unwanted side effects.
- Notes on sensitivity: While many tolerate it well, some individuals may experience vivid dreams or nighttime restlessness. In these cases, reducing the dose or omitting it entirely may be a better choice.
Including L-theanine in a sleep cocktail can support a calmer, more focused state before bedtime, which in turn may help make sleep more restorative and less fragmented.
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Apigenin
In the sleep cocktail, apigenin is valued for its calming nature and its connection to chamomile, a herb long associated with restfulness. It’s often included to help the body ease into a more relaxed state before bedtime, making it easier for your body to sleep.
- Promotes relaxation: Works by interacting with certain receptors in the brain that help reduce stress signals, creating a calmer mental state. This makes it easier to let go of tension from the day and drift into sleep without feeling overly sedated.
- Enhances mental clarity after rest: By reducing disturbances during the night, it can lead to a more refreshing wake-up and improved focus in the morning. Consistent, uninterrupted sleep supports better daytime productivity and mood stability.
- Acts as an aromatase inhibitor: Can reduce estrogen production, making it unsuitable for some women and something men should use with awareness. Hormonal balance plays a role in overall well-being, so understanding this effect is important before making it a nightly habit.
- Improves overall sleep quality: Its mild sedative effect helps shorten the time it takes to fall asleep while encouraging longer stretches of deep sleep. This deeper rest can benefit recovery, immune function, and energy levels.
- Use with flexibility: It’s not necessary to take apigenin every night, and alternating nights can help maintain its benefits while minimizing potential hormonal side effects. This approach allows for targeted use on nights when extra relaxation is needed.
Within this sleep cocktail, apigenin contributes a gentle, calming effect that supports both immediate rest and how refreshed a person feels the next day, though using it selectively can help balance its benefits with personal health needs.
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Myo-Inositol
Myo-inositol is sometimes added to the sleep cocktail as an optional boost for nights when deeper, uninterrupted rest is the goal. It’s not part of the core combination but can be used selectively to address specific sleep challenges, especially waking in the middle of the night.
- Supports sleep continuity: Helps reduce middle-of-the-night awakenings, making it easier to stay asleep for longer stretches. This can be particularly useful for people who fall asleep easily but struggle to remain asleep until morning.
- Promotes a calmer brain state: Has been linked to anti-anxiety and serotonin-modulating effects, which may help quiet a racing mind during the night. This calmer state can make it easier to drift back to sleep if you do wake up.
- Flexible in use: Often taken every few nights rather than nightly, allowing it to be a targeted tool for when extra rest is needed. This flexible approach helps maintain its benefits without overreliance.
- Potential cognitive benefits: It may support mental clarity by improving sleep depth and reducing rest disruptions. Better rest can lead to sharper focus and improved mood the following day.
- Adjunct to the main stack: Considered an add-on rather than a necessity, making it an option for personalizing the sleep routine to fit individual needs and responses.
When used thoughtfully, myo-inositol can be a useful aid for improving sleep stability and helping nights feel more restorative, especially for those who experience restlessness in the early hours.
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Glycine
Glycine is sometimes added to the sleep cocktail on nights when deeper, more restorative rest is the goal. It’s not a nightly supplement but is used intentionally to help improve sleep depth and overall recovery without causing next-day grogginess.
- Acts as a neurotransmitter: Plays a signaling role in the brain, helping shift the body toward a sleep-ready state. This calming effect supports the natural transition from wakefulness to rest, making it easier to settle down at night.
- Helps lower body temperature: Encourages the widening of blood vessels, allowing heat to leave the body. A slight drop in body temperature is one of the cues that helps trigger deep, restorative stages of sleep.
- Improves sleep onset and quality: Can shorten the time it takes to fall asleep while also extending periods of slow-wave sleep, which is the most restorative phase. Many who use it occasionally notice feeling more alert and refreshed in the morning.
- Non-sedating yet effective: Unlike traditional sleep aids, it doesn’t force the body into sleep but instead works with natural cycles to improve rest. This makes it suitable for enhancing sleep quality without creating dependency.
- Used sparingly for best results: Often taken only a few nights a week, such as every third night, to maintain its benefits over time. This approach also ensures it remains effective when it’s most needed.
As part of Andrew Huberman’s sleep cocktail, glycine serves as an occasional boost for nights when improving deep sleep is a priority, helping both the body and mind recover more fully by morning.
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GABA
GABA is sometimes added to the sleep cocktail as an extra layer of support on nights when achieving deep rest is a challenge. It’s used occasionally rather than daily, making it a targeted option for times when stress, travel, or unusual schedules could interfere with sleep.
- Acts as the brain’s calming signal: GABA is a neurotransmitter that naturally reduces brain activity, helping shift the body into a state ready for rest. Supplementing with it can bring on a sense of relaxation more quickly.
- Encourages faster sleep onset: By promoting calmness in the nervous system, it can shorten the time it takes to fall asleep, especially when combined with other relaxation-focused supplements.
- May deepen sleep quality: People experience heavier, more restorative sleep when using GABA, which can help them feel more refreshed upon waking.
- Best used sparingly: Because GABA is so similar to the body’s own neurotransmitter, frequent use could reduce natural production over time. This is why it’s recommended only for occasional use rather than nightly intake.
- Low-dose approach: Using a small amount helps avoid excessive sedation or next-day grogginess while still providing noticeable calming effects when they’re most needed.
When part of this sleep cocktail, GABA works as a situational tool to help settle the mind and encourage restorative rest during periods of higher stress or disrupted sleep patterns.
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Huberman’s Science-Backed Sleep Routine
Huberman’s nighttime approach is built around habits that prepare his body and mind for quality rest. He focuses on keeping his sleep-wake cycle consistent, managing light and temperature, and using specific relaxation methods to make falling asleep and staying asleep easier.
- Consistent bedtime and wake-up: He goes to bed and wakes up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This regularity trains his internal clock, making it easier for him to fall asleep quickly and wake up feeling rested without needing an alarm.
- Dim lighting in the evening: In the hour before bed, he lowers the lights in his home and avoids bright screens. This helps his brain increase melatonin production naturally, signaling that the active part of his day is ending.
- Morning sunlight exposure: Shortly after waking, he gets outside to take in natural sunlight. This helps set his circadian rhythm, keeping his energy levels steady during the day and supporting better sleep at night.
- Cool and comfortable sleep environment: He keeps his bedroom cool and uses breathable bedding to help his body lower its core temperature before sleep. This drop in temperature is one of the cues that tells his body it’s time to rest.
- Avoiding melatonin supplements: Huberman chooses not to take melatonin, as he prefers to rely on natural light exposure and behavior-based strategies that help maintain his body’s own hormone production.
- Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) protocols: During the day, he sometimes practices NSDR or similar relaxation methods. These short sessions help lower stress levels and prepare his body for deeper, more restorative sleep at night.
- No caffeine late in the day: He avoids coffee, tea, and other caffeinated drinks for at least 8–10 hours before bed to make sure they don’t interfere with falling asleep or the depth of his sleep.
- Minimizing alcohol in the evening: Huberman keeps alcohol intake low at night, knowing it can disrupt deep sleep and cause him to wake more often during the night.
- Mind-body wind-down: In the last hour before bed, he spends time on calming activities like stretching, breathing exercises, or reading. These help him slow his heart rate and clear his mind before sleep.
- Balanced evening meals: He avoids heavy or high-sugar meals close to bedtime to reduce the chance of indigestion or nighttime blood sugar spikes, which can disturb sleep.
By sticking to these habits, Huberman creates the ideal conditions for high-quality, consistent rest. His approach shows how small, intentional changes can make a noticeable difference in sleep quality over time. For readers who want to go deeper into the strategies, supplements, and habits that make up his nightly routine, we recommend checking out our detailed Andrew Huberman Sleep Routine article.
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