When life gets busy and our minds are occupied 24/7, falling asleep and getting good night sleep can be a real challenge! We all know that we need those 7h of restful sleep for optimal energy and to get things done with full focus. GABA is a trending supplement now to improve sleep so the question is ‘should I take GABA supplement to for my sleep’. In this post I will explain pros and cons so before you decide on GABA supplement or maybe other natural ways to unwind and support your good night sleep, you will know the key most important things:)
What is GABA?
Let’s start with what is actually GABA? GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid) is a neurotransmitter that not only helps you to feel calm, fall asleep easily but it also enhances your ability to focus, prioritise, plan and get more things done during the day with more ease and peace! Yes, optimal levels of GABA can help you stay calm in stressful situations, analyse things better and make better decisions too!
Signs of low GABA
Typical signs of low GABA are:
- Difficult to switch off and relax
- Feeling anxious without obvosu reason.
- Insomnia and difficult to fall asleep
- Mood disorders and depression
Low GABA can cause difficulty concentrating, memory problems and even ADHD and depression over time! With low GABA levels, you can get overwhelmed easily by small tasks and feel that it’s impossible to relax.
What Depletes GABA in your life?
Modern life is like a GABA-guzzling monster.
Let’s start with the very interesting one.
- Mindlessly scrolling on social media. I know you will ask what does it have to do with GABA? It has to do with dopamine release. Constant dopamine release (which happens when you scroll on instagram or other social media) inhibits GABA activity.
- Then, prolonged stress and poor diet lacking enough of nutrients, especially B vitamins. Interestingly, prolonged emotional stress depletes a lot of valuable vitamins and minerals. What causes emotional stress? Worrying, overthinking, dissatisfying job, toxic behaviours, feeling never enough or lack of boundaries for example – those are very common emotional stressors.
- Poor digestion and malabsorption which in huge degree is linked with stress as well. You may eat healthy diet but if your digestion is poor then you will not absorb the nutrients needed to make GABA and that will result in low GABA as well.
- Alcohol consumption. Over time alcohol intake can cause down-regulation of GABA receptors, resulting in low GABA levels
- Too much caffeine can also deplete our GABA levels, leaving us feeling anxious, scattered, and constantly wired.
GABA supplement for sleep in UK
GABA has been banned in UK but you can still get it from other countries like US or Europe. The main concern was safety and efficacy however the side effects of GABA can mostly appear when you take it in excess or when you take it when you are not actually deficient in GABA. Excess GABA levels can cause more anxiety and insomnia and even cardiovascular events like cardiac arrest. So…
Should you take GABA supplement for sleep?
GABA supplement certainly can help you with sleep if you are deficient in GABA however it will work only as long as you take it. I personally, would only use it as last resort if you know that you are lacking GABA and you need that instant relief. Why? Because long term, it’s not going to fix the sleep problems if you don’t address the underlying cause of your troubles with falling asleep or sleep quality overall. GABA can bring the relief and help you to cover up what’s going on but it won’ solve the underlying problem in a long term.
If you decide to give a go and try GABA, the liposomal form is usually better absorbed and works much more quickly than capsules!
and what are the other solutions?
Your body can make its own GABA.
The good thins is that, your body can make your own GABA, so what I prefer is to focus on what is depleting my GABA levels in the first place and what nutrients my body is lacking to make enough of GABA. MetabolomiX or NutraEval are great tests to check your vitamins, minerals, amino acids and also neurotransmiter levels! That way you don’t waste money on suppplements you dont need:)
Our body is self-regulating mechanism so if it has all the building blocks (vitamins, minerals, amino acids etc) and the right environment (alkaline and free of chronic stress) we wont need sleep supplements or medications.
What are other causes of sleep problems?
So many! but to fix your sleep problems addressing the key contributing factors is the key! The common causes of sleep problems are high cortisol and dysregulated nervous system, poor gut microbiome, oestrogen dominance, low melatonin or sometimes even simply excess sugar consumption! So again GABA can be good to relief symptoms but it’s not really a long term solution.
How you can increase GABA levels naturally?
First as mentioned focus on limiting what is depleting GABA in your body (stress, sugar, alcohol, excess coffee etc)
Second, focus on nutrients you may be lacking like magnesium or B6 vitamin for example – both super important to make GABA. The best way to find missing nutrients is simply to do the test.
Third include more GABA producing foods:
- Walnuts & almonds, sunflower seeds
- Sweet potatoes, mushrooms, Tomatoes
- Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts). If you have thyroid problems – be mindful about the amount as they can make hypothyroidism worse!
- Buckwheat & sprouted grains
- White tea
- Raw cacao
Hope that was helpful!
If you are interested in what else you can do to improve yous sleep check out my other post “How to Unwind In The Evening and Stop Feeling Tired and Wired”
Sandra