The Ultimate Guide to Sleep Supplements and Practices for Quality Rest

A healthy diet and wellness routine can’t make up for a lack of sleep. If you’re constantly stressed or deficient in certain nutrients, you might be missing out on quality rest. The best sleep supplements aren’t just pills—they include behaviors, foods, and natural supplements that support relaxation and reduce stress. Discover how to sleep better with these natural sleep supplements and stress management tips.

The Importance of Quality Sleep

If you want more energy, better focus, and a foundation to feel your best all day long, prioritize sleep! Quality shut-eye affects everything from your mood to your energy levels. Many factors can impact your sleep quality, including diet and stress. The best sleep supplements help you get the rest your body needs without feeling groggy the next day. Here’s what you should know about natural sleep supplements and behaviors to help you relax and drift off to dreamland.

Can Melatonin Support Sound Sleep?

We know: When you’re lying in bed, staring at the ceiling and counting sheep, it might be hard to believe that your body actually wants you to sleep. When it gets dark, your body naturally increases levels of a hormone called melatonin. This all-important sleep hormone interacts with your body’s circadian rhythm—an internal clock that signals when it’s time to sleep, wake up, and eat.

But falling asleep isn’t always that easy (which is how you end up scrolling your phone in bed). Here are a few factors that explain why your body might not produce enough melatonin:

Stress: When you wake up, your body produces a stress hormone called cortisol to signal that it’s time to get moving. But if you’re chronically stressed, cortisol takes center stage, making it difficult for melatonin to help you unwind.
Unnatural Light: Watching TV before bed can interfere with your sleep. Blue light from screens can keep you awake by disrupting your circadian rhythm and preventing melatonin from doing its job.
Time Changes: Jet lag, Daylight Savings Time, and schedule changes can all interfere with your body’s melatonin levels, leading to sleep issues.

Here’s the good news: When your body isn’t taking the hint that it’s time to rest, a melatonin supplement can help you finally hit the hay.

How a Melatonin Supplement Can Help You Sleep

Bulletproof Sleep Mode is a non-habit-forming, natural supplement for sleep made with ingredients to support better rest and less stress—namely, plant-based melatonin and L-ornithine.

Sleep Mode’s active ingredient is a physiological amount of plant-based, bioidentical melatonin—the amount your body normally makes. Over-the-counter sleeping pills often contain higher levels of melatonin, but Sleep Mode contains just a minimal amount to help you relax into a deep sleep and feel recharged the next morning.

L-ornithine is an amino acid that helps people relax and feel less stressed by reducing cortisol, a stress hormone that can disturb melatonin’s effect on the circadian rhythm. Whether you’re feeling restless, wide awake before bedtime, stressed, or all of the above, take two capsules of Sleep Mode about 30 minutes before bed. This allows enough time for the relaxing effects of melatonin to kick in. Like all Bulletproof dietary supplements, Sleep Mode is soy-free, gluten-free, and made without artificial fillers.

How to Reset Your Sleep Schedule

Your circadian rhythm interacts with melatonin, but it’s also pretty finicky. Staying up late, eating a big meal too close to bedtime, and feeling stressed can all interfere with your sleep-wake cycle and lead to poor sleep. This is especially true if you’re working against your natural sleep chronotype—forcing yourself to be a morning person when you’re really a night owl can disrupt your circadian rhythm.

Supporting your circadian rhythm translates to more restful sleep. If your nighttime schedule is less ‘routine’ and more ‘watch TV until I drift off on the couch after midnight,’ try these tips to reset your sleep schedule and get a good night’s sleep:

Start Slow: Want to go to sleep earlier? Start by getting in bed a few minutes earlier each day so your body can adjust.
Craft a Bedtime Routine: Follow a set pattern of behaviors to signal to your body that it’s time for bed. Shut off your screens, drink chamomile or passionflower tea, read a book—find a pre-sleep pattern that works for you and stick to it.
No Screens in the Bedroom: Keep your TV, phone, and computer out of the bedroom to avoid blue light exposure while trying to wind down.
Set Cut-off Times for Eating and Exercising: A healthy diet and regular exercise support healthy sleep, but working out and eating a big meal too close to bedtime can keep you awake. Set a deadline for workouts and meals about two hours before you want to sleep.
Take Your Supplements: Managing stress throughout the day can help you wind down at night. Some of the best supplements for sleep also help with stress management. Bulletproof Zen Mode, for example, reduces stress with a blend of adaptogenic herbs and nutrients like ashwagandha, magnesium, GABA, and L-theanine.

How Stress and Exercise Affect Your Sleep Quality

Stress becomes a problem when it’s chronic and unending, keeping you in fight-or-flight mode. This constant stress affects your entire body: muscles stay tense, heart rate remains elevated, inflammation increases, and even your immune system is impacted. Stress can prevent your body from fully winding down, affecting your sleep quality.

Managing stress is a key part of your overall wellness toolkit. In addition to helping you feel more centered and focused, managing stress levels can help you sleep better, positively impacting everything else in your day.

Exercise is one of the best sleep supplements around. It decreases cortisol levels, reduces muscle tension, provides breath support, and supports brain health. Regular aerobic exercise (the kind that increases your breathing and heart rate) supports overall health and can help you sleep better.

There isn’t one “right” way to exercise. Find what works for your body and schedule. Whether you lift weights, run, cycle, or take walks, regular movement helps your body feel more balanced and less stressed over time.

How Foods Can Improve Sleep

Certain foods can help you sleep better and wake up feeling more energized. Here are some key nutrients to include in your diet:

Quality Fats for Sustained Energy: If you wake up in the middle of the night, your body might need more energy before bed. Quality fats like grass-fed ghee, butter, coconut oil, and MCT oil provide fuel throughout the night.
Protein for Muscle Repair: While you sleep, your body repairs muscle tissue. Ensure you’re getting enough protein throughout the day. Protein supplements can help fill in the gaps if needed. Bulletproof Collagen Peptides are an easy way to boost your protein intake before bed.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Overall Wellness: Fatty fish like salmon and mackerel are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which support brain, heart, and joint health. Bulletproof Omega Krill Complex provides a blend of omega-3s and antioxidants.

If you’re having trouble sleeping, work with your healthcare provider. These tips aren’t a replacement for medical advice but can supplement your sleep routine and support overall wellness. When you sleep better, you feel better.