Transform Your Sleep with a Powerful Four-Supplement Stack

Unlock the secrets to transforming restless nights into rejuvenating slumber with a powerful, four-supplement stack in our latest episode of the Winning Edge Coach Podcast. Ever wondered if a simple tweak in your nightly routine could elevate your sleep quality? Join me, Kevin Oakley, as I explore how inulin and apigenin, among other supplements, can make a significant difference in your rest. With a promise of better sleep, this episode is packed with insights into how these supplements work from nurturing your gut health to promoting relaxation through natural pathways.

Whether you're on a quest for deeper REM sleep or seeking ways to optimize your nightly rest, this episode offers practical, research-backed advice. Discover the ideal dosages and timing for incorporating inulin and apigenin into your routine, and learn from personal experiments and renowned studies like those of the late Dr. Michael Mosley. Remember, though these suggestions are educational, consulting with a medical professional before beginning any new supplement regime is crucial. Tune in to gain valuable tools and techniques to help you unlock your true potential through the power of quality sleep.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome back everybody to one of our shorter Wednesday episodes of the Winning Edge Coach Podcast. I'm your host, kevin Oakley, and as always, I'm here to provide you with the tools, tactics and techniques to help you unlock your true potential. Today's Wednesday episode is the second part of our three-part series on sleep. In this episode, we're exploring four supplements that show promising benefits for improving sleep quality. Or if you're just struggling with restless nights and want to optimize your sleep, stay tuned as we discuss a simple supplement stack to help you sleep better. Welcome to the Winning Edge Coach Podcast. I am Kevin Oakley. As well as being your host, I'm also a peak performance mindset and life coach. In each episode, I want to share with you the tools, tactics and techniques to create a winning edge mindset to help you to live the life you were meant to live. So in this episode, I want to introduce you to a four supplement stack that can improve your sleep quality. But before we do, just got to remind you that the podcast is here to educate. It's not here to give medical advice or anything like that. If you're considering using any of these supplements or you're having trouble sleeping and you want to look at ways of improving it. I'd always advise you first to consult your GP, your medical professional, before you embark on any new kind of supplement regime, etc. So on to today's episode. I've come across a four supplement stack that you can use to radically improve your sleep. Supplement stack that you can use to radically improve your sleep. I'm also going to talk you through each element of that stack. I'm going to tell you the dosage and I'm also going to tell you the time, before you go to sleep, to take this particular supplement, because some of them have to be taken at a different time than others. So let's move on.

Speaker 1: 2:04

First up is inulin. Inulin is a prebiotic fibre that supports gut health and may indirectly improve sleep quality. Here's how it works Inulin promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria in your gut microbiome. These bacteria play a role in reducing stress and enhancing resilience, which can lead to better sleep. We've discussed the gut microbiome in past episodes, particularly the impact of certain additives and also ultra processed foods. Now, in terms of dosage, we're looking at five to 10 grams per day is generally recommended of inulin. However, word of caution here start with two to three grams and then slowly build up as your digestive system gets used to it. Basically from personal experience. Jumping in straight at five or 10 grams of inulin straight away can cause some digestive for want of a better word discomfort. So start off at a lower dose, build gradually the timing in terms of sleep.

Speaker 1: 3:18

Take inulin before bedtime is probably the most effective. Around 90 minutes before you're thinking of going to sleep seems to be the optimal time. What does the research say? In a BBC documentary, the late Dr Michael Mosley experimented with inulin supplements for five days and he reported significant improvements in both sleep duration and sleep quality. Studies have also shown that inulin can increase time spent in deep REM sleep or in the deep stages of REM sleep. So if you're looking for a natural way to support your sleep, inulin might be worth considering. It's something I'm experimenting with at the moment early days but REM sleep is one of the areas I found from monitoring my sleep and using the sleep tracker that I'm deficient on or not optimizing. So it's something I'm experimenting with.

Speaker 1: 4:16

Got to remember the experiment by Dr Michael Mosley was an experiment of one. My own personal experimentation is an experiment of one. Everybody's going experimentation is an experiment of one. Everybody is going to have a different experience with these supplements. Give it a go, but remember, consult your medical professional before you try them. So first one up was inulin 90 minutes before bed, two to three grams dissolved in water and drunk Simple as that.

Speaker 1: 4:42

Next up is a supplement called apigenin. It's a flavonoid found in chamomile tea We've all heard about the relaxing benefits of chamomile tea and it's found in other plants as well. Apigenin this is where we get into the weeds a little bit interacts with the GABA receptors in the brain, promoting relaxation and better sleep. In terms of apigenin, the dosage is about 550 to 400 milligrams per dose. And again, timing. So if you were looking at from the previous Wednesday episode of the timing in terms of that, 12, 10, 3, 2, 1 before bed, you're taking these now the next three supplements you're going to take in the 60 to 30 minute range as part of your sleep regime. So we're looking at 30 to 60 minutes for apigenin for the optimal results. Again, maybe worth a bit of personal experimentation to see what works for you.

Speaker 1: 5:44

The research on apigenin studies published, and a particular study published in the frontiers of behavioral neuroscience, found that dietary apigenin intake was positively associated with improved sleep quality. It has also been shown to increase both REM and non-REM sleep stages while reducing cortisol levels, which can interfere with restful sleep. Cortisol is a stress hormone, so if you're stressed, your body's in that flight-fight syndrome. It will impact your sleep quality. So apigenin could be beneficial. You can always go for the natural approach, which is a cup of chamomile before bed, but to be more scientific and more precise, supplementation is probably the route. So that was the second of our supplement stack apigenin, 30 to 60 minutes before and a dosage of about 50 to 400 milligrams.

Speaker 1: 6:41

Now let's move on to our next supplement in our sleep supplement stack. That is, magnesium L-308, which is a specialist form of magnesium that can actually cross the blood-brain barrier, making it more effective than other types of magnesium supplementation. This makes it particularly powerful in terms of improving cognitive ability and sleep quality. The dosage on this one I've taken this from the Andrew Uberman podcast. He recommends about 140 milligrams of magnesium threonate. Which timing? Again, we're in that one hour window now before you go to sleep.

Speaker 1: 7:24

There's a lot of research on the magnesium 3 and 8, and randomized control studies have shown significant improvements in both objective and subjective sleep metrics after 21 days of supplementation. Participants in these studies experienced deeper sleep, longer REM cycles and even improved readiness during the day. Compared to other magnesium sub-malates like glycinate or citrate, magnesium l3 and 8 stands out because of its unique ability to be able to cross that blood-brain barrier and it's my go-to sleep supplement, or my go-to version of magnesium supplementation. And if there was just one supplement you were going to try on its own to improve sleep, magnesium L3 and 8 would be the one for me. If you were going to do nothing else out of this stack, the magnesium L-threonate would be the one for me. So that's our next one, again an hour before bed, and that was magnesium L-threonate. And on to our last supplement in our sleep supplement stack.

Speaker 1: 8:39

Finally, we have L-theanine. L-theanine is an amino acid found naturally in tea leaves. It's known for its calming effect without causing drowsiness, making it an excellent option for winding down at the end of the day. Dosage is about between 100 and 400 milligrams Timing again, we're in that 30 to 60 minute window before you're planning to go to sleep. What the research says? Well, l-theanine works by increasing alpha brain waves associated with relaxation. A study published in the Pharmacology of Biochemistry and Behavior found that 200 milligrams of L-theanine before bed significantly improves sleep quality in both animals and humans, and when combined with another supplement, which I've not tried myself, but when combined with GABA, another natural compound, l-theanine, reduced the time it took to fall asleep by about 20% and increased total sleep duration by nearly 90%, which makes it quite a powerful combination. So that was our sleep stack for a good night's sleep.

Speaker 1: 9:50

Just a reminder that before you try any of this, always consult your medical practitioner. Effects are going to vary from individual to individual. The dosage ranges I've just gone through are a recommendation. It's worth experimenting with your own levels, but, of course, observe whatever the recommended dosage is. So why not give the sleep supplement stack a go and see if it improves your sleep? Thanks for listening. Catch you next time. That was the Winning Edge Coach podcast. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode of the Winning Edge Coach podcast and you'd like to help support the podcast, please hit the subscribe button and, if possible, leave a rating or a review. Also, please feel free to share the podcast with others and post about it on your favourite social media platform. To catch all the latest from me, you can follow me on Twitter at winningedgepod. Thanks again. I'll see you next time.