Is Taking Glutamine Before Bed a Good Idea?

by Evelyn Montgomery Jan 25, 20220 comments

Is Taking Glutamine Before Bed a Good Idea?

Do you have trouble sleeping? With 31% of the UK population suffering from insomnia and as many as 66% suffering from 'disturbed sleep' you are not alone.

The good news is that there are actions you can take today that will make a positive long-term difference to your sleep and mood. And I’m not talking about Sleep Hygiene - we have heard all about that.

I was reading an article on the causes of tiredness the other day and the top reason was “Lack of sleep”. Urrr, well, tell us something we don’t know.

But it got me thinking about the not-so-obvious reasons for exhaustion...

I’m not talking about the illness, pregnancy, new baby, going out-out, exams, too much screen time, sport and exercise kind of tiredness.

I’m talking about that feeling of brain fog, flat, low mood, numbing you to the joys in life, collapsing into afternoon naps, can’t get out of bed, sugar or caffeine fixing, motivation sapping, running out of steam half way through your exercise (… day, life) kind of tiredness.

The sort of tiredness that leaves you feeling like a shadow of your former self for no obvious reason. Sound familiar?

Why Aren’t You Sleeping Well?

Firstly, let's look more closely at exactly what your sleep problem is to try and find the cause - Is it getting to sleep in the first place? (This is a symptom of not enough of the mood-transmitter, GABA)

Or is your problem staying asleep right through the night? Are you waking at 3am and never going back to sleep? (This is a symptom of not enough serotonin).

Sleep nourishes our body and our brain - it's fundamental to our immune systems, our mental health and our mood.

In this article I’m going to talk about the first type of sleep problem.

If you think you are the second type I’ve written about serotonin, tryptophan and melatonin and their pathway on my blog here:

How to Sleep Better: the Role of Melatonin

https://www.montgomeryandevelyn.com/blogs/news/how-to-sleep-better-the-role-of-melatonin

Are you tired but wired?

Do you find it difficult to relax in the evening and get off to sleep?
Do you lie there feeling tired but wired, struggling to calm your thoughts your mind racing?

Then I would like to suggest that you need to boost your GABA neurotransmitter levels.

The good news is that boosting your GABA is easy.

Taking Glutamine for sleep

Glutamine increases the production of GABA, gamma-amino-butyric acid. GABA is the most important inhibitory neurotransmitter of the brain.

It is like a natural sedative in the brain.

If the body has enough glutamine available it can manufacture GABA.

This has a positive impact: peace of mind, balance in stressful situations, improved concentration and restorative sleep.

L-Glutamine has a calming effect and counteracts symptoms of stress and can be the key ingredient missing if you are feeling wired and can’t relax or get off to sleep.

It is the perfect natural supplement to take before bed to help you drift off to sleep.

The amino acid glutamine is involved in many metabolic processes. It stabilises the immune system, strengthens the intestinal cells and helps against stress, depression and anxiety.

What is L-Glutamine?

Glutamine is wonderful for your brain health.

It is one of the most powerful natural nutritional ingredients for helping your brain and body to settle and calm down.

And it's a great sleep hack. Taking glutamine before bed can really help reduce busy, anxious thoughts.

Glutamine had long been promoted in the fitness industry to help build healthy, lean bodies but this powerful amino acid has many other health benefits for your gut, brain and immunity.

It is the most abundant amino acid in our body and it is a significant building block of protein meaning that your body requires a lot of it.

Your body naturally produces it from foods high in protein like beef, chicken, eggs, fish and beans.

However, many people don’t eat enough protein in their meals leaving your body struggling to produce enough glutamine.

And if you are stressed - either physically and psychologically - Glutamine will get used up very quickly.

Supplementing with glutamine is an excellent way to ensure your body gets enough glutamine to reduce the effects of stress and function at an optimal level.

How L-Glutamine helps reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety

L-Glutamine is the primary fuel used by the brain to build and balance the neurotransmitter GABA which plays a significant role in mood and anxiety.

It is known as the ‘calming amino acid’ for its effectiveness in reducing stress-related anxiety symptoms.

It’s Yoga for the brain.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger, in the brain. It blocks specific signals in the central nervous system, slowing down your thoughts. This provides a protective and calming effect on the brain and body.

GABA is a neurotransmitter that inhibits or slows the brain’s functions. This activity produces effects such as:

relieving anxiety
reducing stress
improving sleep

The brain naturally releases GABA at the end of a day to promote sleepiness and allow a person to rest. So taking a Glutamine supplement in the evening can support your brain’s natural function.

Chronic stress uses up glutamine leading to problems with sleep, exhaustion and leaves our immune system and gut vulnerable.

Several studies show that concentrations of glutamine in the body are reduced during times of physical or psychological stress.

Glutamine increases the production of GABA, gamma-amino-butyric acid. GABA is the most important inhibitory neurotransmitter of the brain.

It is like a natural sedative in the brain.

If the body has enough glutamine available it can manufacture GABA. This has a positive impact:

peace of mind,

balance in stressful situations,

improved concentration

and restorative sleep.

GABA through its calming effects on your brain it:

Reduces mental and physical stress
Eases feelings of anxiousness
Decreases muscle tension
Creates a calmness of mood
Supports balanced blood pressure
Helps to induce sleep

Have you been told to reduce your stress?

It’s easier said than done.

But if you boost your GABA levels you find that you are more resilient to stress. You will feel more balanced. You will bounce back from the stresses in your life more easily.

How to boost your GABA

YOUR GABA TOOLKIT

Add these into your day and your sleep quality will dramatically improve.

Can you add just one of these to your daily routine?

Stimulate your vagus nerve:

Cold water showers
Singing
Gargling
Ear massage
Tongue exercises
Self-Havening Techniques
Yoga
Peripheral Vision Exercises
Shinrin Yoku (or Forest Bathing)
Meditation
Walking
Square Breathing

And add lots of these nutrients:

Glutamine
Theanine
Magnesium
Vitamin B6
Probiotics

So if you often feel worried, tense, overwhelmed or have trouble falling asleep due to racing thoughts, GABA could be the key to calming your mind, soothing your nervous system and helping you power down at night to get a good nights sleep.

And if you add lots of nutrients like probiotics, magnesium, theanine and glutamine to your diet can you will feel calmer and it can be the key to getting off to sleep easily.

Here is a review of Calm Me which has a powerful dose of Glutamine together with tryptophan, magnesium, theanine and the probiotics:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Thank You!

I have spent many years struggling with insomnia but this has improved my sleep completely. It has taken me a little while to find the best time and dosage to get the best results. I have finally found balance by taking one of these a few hours before bed and I am able to drift off easily. I am no longer tossing and turning until the early hours trying to fall asleep. I found if I took two tablets I am tired all the time, not good when I have a very active job and home life. Since taking these I have also found that I am a lot calmer during my everyday activities. Things that would normally stress me out I am able to deal with in a calm way without becoming overwhelmed. These are fantastic and I would recommend for people to try. I will buy more and I am intrigued by mood me to see if this would help other areas of my life too. Very happy, thank you!”

Harriet H.

Yopto verified review

It’s pretty amazing how nutrients can help isn’t it?

We all tend to eat the same sorts of foods each week which means that over time we start to miss some crucial nutrients.

It means that we end up with deficiencies and gaps without even realising it.

This has a huge impact on how our bodies and brains work.

We adjust and just think that it is our normal. That it’s just what we have to put up with.

But this isn’t the case. You can make a change.

One small change can have a huge impact.

That’s where a high quality supplement can help fix the deficiencies and fill the gaps.

Your health and your life feels transformed.

When you reduce your stress, sleep well, and have abundant energy then the joy comes back into your life.