Do you want to sleep better and deeper? Chances are, if you’re reading this page, that you would love to sleep deeper and feel more refreshed in the mornings! If you want to find out what the connection is between l theanine and sleep and  how l theanine can help you sleep deeper and wake up with more energy… then continue reading!

L theanine and sleep

Most people nowadays don’t sleept enough. For some of you it might be that you have an intensive job and social life that leaves you not enough time to get your 8 hours a night.

And for others it might be that you do have the time… but you lie awake at night in bed, wondering why you can’t sleep.

Whatever the reason why you’re not sleeping enough, l theanine can help you sleep better.

The reason that l theanine and sleep go so well together, is that l theanine increases the neurotransmitter GABA in the brain. This causes the brain to feel more relaxed. And as a result you’ll feel more calm.

Usually I take l theanine for focus and productivity. But once a while, if I’m having trouble sleeping, I’ll take an extra high dose of theanine. I find this always makes me feel really mellow and relaxed. I always quickly doze off after taking a big spoonful of theanine.

Why is L theanine and sleep a good combination?

Like we just discussed, l theanine makes your brain feel more relaxed. And that in turn makes you more likely to fall asleep. But there’s more.

Not only does l theanine make it easy for you to fall asleep. But it also increases the quality of your sleep. Studies have done on people with ADHD, and it was pretty clear that their sleep quality increased.

Now, you might not have ADHD, but with our hyper-connected world it sometimes seems to me that everybody is suffering a little from some attention deficit 😉

And what’s more – I’m not the only one who notices this great effect of l theanine and sleep. There are literally hundreds of people on forums and other websites saying the same thing.

But of course you shouldn’t take my word for it. The best way to find out if l theanine helps you sleep deeper and faster – is to take it a couple of times before you go to bed!

This way you’ll find out for yourself if l theanine is a supplement that works well with your body.

How to use l theanine to sleep better

If you’re curious how you can use l theanine if you want to sleep deeper and better, here’s what I recommend you do:

Take 100-300 mg 1 hour before you go to bed

Pretty self eplanatory. If you usualy go to bed at 11 PM, then you take a teaspoon of l theanine at 10 PM. You might want to get a little scale to exactly measure how much you’re taking.

The first time I recommend you take 200 mg. If it doesn’t work, you can always try  to up the dose to 300 (or maybe 400, for larger persons).

And if 200 mg works, you can either take a little less the next time you need to sleep well – or keep on using 200 mg. After all, you don’t have to be economical with theanine because:

• Theanine is very cheap. You can get a 200 gram bag (that’s over 1000 tablespoons) for around $50.
• If you take theanine in excess to what your body can use, your body will get rid of the excess theanine through your urine.

So, feel free to experiment to find out what your optimal dose is for theanine and sleep!

Can you take l theanine daily?

Another question I often get is whether you can take l theanine daily. It’s a good question, since there are a great dela of supplements that work less effectively if you use it mroe often.

But theanine is not one of them. I’ve found that unless you’re using l theanine for focus & productivity purposes – it doesn’t lose its effect if you use it daily. 

However, with that said. There’s one thing somebody recently pointed out which is very true for l theanine and sleep…

One thing to watch out for when taking l theanine for sleep

If you want to take l theanine to sleep better, then I highly recommend that you have at least 7-8 hours of time in which you can actually sleep.

if you don’t have this time to sleep, chances are that you’ll wake up a little groggy. Why? Because theanine will allow you to sleep very deeply. And if your body’s natural rhythm wants it to sleep for around 7-8 hours, and you sleep only 5 for example… you’ll wake up from a very deep sleep, and it might be tough to wake up at first.

So, if you’re planning on taking l theanine for sleep, it might be wise to arrange your schedule so, that you can get 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Which is not a bad idea in any case!

Other sleep tips besides taking l theanine:

• Make your room as dark as possible – this will help your body to sleep very deeply. Black-out curtains will help you a lot.
• Turn of your phone – one of the worst things you can do for your sleep is to leave your phone turned on. Sounds and vibrations will interrrupt your sleep cycle and you’ll drastically reduce the amount of time you spend in deep sleep.
• Eat lightly before bed –  while it’s alright to eat something before bed, don’t stuff yourself. Your body will spend all its energy on digesting food instead of recovering your body and mind.
• Leave the window open – cooler temperatures are better for sleeping. Plus some fresh air is always a good idea.

If you want to sleep better, than theanine is a great option for you to sleep deeper and better. It will help you wake up feeling more refreshed and you’ll be better able to handle the day. You’ll also have more energy because you’re sleeping better.

 

 

P.S. Want to find out what other amazing benefits theanine has to offer? Read my complete l theanine here to find out!

Have you heard about l theanine before? Some people on the internet worship as a ‘wonder supplement’ for all its benefits. You can use l theanine to become more focused, or to become less stressed. But what is l theanine? And what can you expect if you start taking it.

If you want to find out the answers to these questions, then please continue reading!

What is l theanine?

L theanine is a molecule that’s found in green tea. It explains the calming vs upbeat effects of green tea compared to other beverages that also contain caffeine. It consists of 2 amino acids (l glutamate and glutamine). L glutamate has the most beneficial effects in the body.

For example, it is used in the body to produce GABA. This is one of the neurotransmitters that increases relaxation and decreases stress. Alcohol, for instance also works through this neurotransmitter. But luckily l theanine comes without all the negative effects of alcohol!

What is l theanine, straight from Wikipedia:

• Formula: C₇H₁₄N₂O₃
• Molar mass: 174.2 g/mol
• Onset of action: about 1 hour
• Biological half-life: 3 hours
• Boiling point: 215 °C (419 °F)
• Synonyms: γ-L-glutamylethylamide

The most important piece of information here is that its onset of action is about 1 hour and the biological half-life around 3 hours. Now, of course it all depends on how well your body reacts to l theanine.

I’ve found that, if you take l theanine on an empty stomach, it can work faster than 1 hour. Taken on an empty stomach, you will start to feel the relaxing and focusing effects of l theanine already with 20-30 minutes.

Many people in the world take theanine for its anxiolytic benefits. But even if you don’t suffer from anxiety, there are still a slew of benefits that you can take advantage of.

What are the effects of l theanine?

Theanine has many effects, but here is the top 5 list of benefits of l theanine:

• 1 Theanine increases brain function
• 2 Theanine reduces anxiety and stress
• 3 Theanine is an antioxidant
• 4 You can take theanine to combat negative effects of coffee and increase its cognitive-enhancing effects
• 5 Theanine can help you sleep better

In our society, there are many people who feel stressed and anxious. unfortunately many people take the wrong approach against these feelings. instead of finding out why they’re feeling stressed and using natural treatments, they often resort to pills that make their anxiety worse in the long-term.

L theanine works against anxious feelings and can help reduce stress in your life. But, there are more benefits to taking l theanine. Here are the top reasons why I like to take l theanine.

3 benefits of taking l theanine:

The first time I found out about theanine, was when I was experiencing the occasional OCD attack. I would be unable to get my thoughts out of a loop and I would feel really anxious.

Sometimes, this even bordered onto a real panic attacks. Now, I knew this couldn’t go on for a lot longer, so I went to look for the solution. I wanted a natural solution, since I didn’t want to mess up with my brain chemistry any more.

After long searching on the internet, I came across theanine. And just like you, I asked myself “what is l theanine?” . I checked many resources on the internet and since it was pretty cheap (you can get around 200 gram – 1000 dosages – for only $50), I decided that I had nothing to lose by trying it.

I bought myself a bag of theanine and started taking it in the morning (when I was most prone to negative circling thoughts). Here’s what I noticed:

Works against anxiety

L theanine is a great supplement against anxiety. When you take l theanine, you will find that it is easier for you to control your thoughts. Instead of your thoughts controlling you, you can simply turn them on or off at your own will.

Not only is this great if you suffer from intrusive thoughts, but it can also feel like meditation. Some people even half-jokingly refer to l theanine as ‘meditation in a bottle’.

If you suffer from anxiety, then you have nothing to lose by trying out l theanine as a natural remedy for your anxiety!

You become laser-focused

Another great benefit of less thoughts in your head, is that it’s easier to focus. If you’re a student or a working professional, you probably notice that you’re often distracted or trying to resist distraction while you’re working.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could just focus for a long period of time without being distracted or actively fighting the urge to look at your phone or email?

Theanine can help you achieve that. When you take l theanine, you’ll notice that time seems to fly and it’s easy for you to focus on the task at hand – and only the task at hand. You’ll get a lot of work done!

Have you ever experience a state of flow? A time when everything seemed to go great, you were a 100% focused on one thing (working, socializing, surfing or even watching a movie). If you have, then you probably know how great it feels to be in that state. 

You’re really living in the now, time seems to fly and you feel great.

That is exactly how you can feel when you take l theanine!

Great for socializing

Since theanine allows you to become calm and in a state of flow, it’s a great supplement if you have a party coming up. if you’re usually a bit shy, then you might dread the socializing and you feel slightly awkward for some period of time at the party.

What I’ve found is that l theanine takes a way the self-conscious feelings that you might have when socializing. It will be easier for you to say what you want to say, to be yourself and fully engaged in a conversation.

 

 

P.S. If you’ve read this what is l theanine page, then you probably also want to read a complete guide to l theanine. Read my comprehensive l theanine review here!

Are you using l theanine? Or are you thinking of buying it as a supplement against anxiety, to increase your focus or just for the general ‘calmness’ effect? Whatever your reason for taking l theanine, you’re probably curious about the l theanine side effects…

• “Does l theanine have any side effects?”
• “Can I safely take l theanine every day?”
• “What is the maximum theanine dosage?”

If you’re curious about the answers to these questions – continue reading…

NOTE: these l theanine side effects are what I personally experienced during my 3+ years of using l theanine. In the literal sense of the word ‘side effects’ – L theanine has none. However, there can be some adverse effects. None of these effects are bad for your health, but they can be problematic in certain situations.

2 types of L theanine side effects

Before we discuss the l theanine side effects, I want to be make a general disticntion in side effects. This is a ditinction that goes for literally any supplement.

Here are the two categories of supplement side effects:

• Side effects that are bad for your health – things like increased blood pressure, harm to cells and everything that damages something in your body.
• Side effects that can be  problematic in certain situations –  by this I mean for example sleepiness. being sleepy is not a bad thing, but it can be a problem if you have to drive somewhere.

Now that get the point, let’s dive into the l theanine side effects!

There are no serious side effects

Research is very clear on this. L theanine has no side effects thata re dangerous to your health.

Heck, Japan even has a law which states that every company can put as much theanine as they want in the drinks they produce.

Even green tea contains theanine (hence its name). And green tea is one of the most healthy beverages you can drink.

Theanine has been around for hundrds of years – and there are no bad side effects.

Even theanine in powder form  people have been using it for years. Many governments in the world consider theanine to be safe.

So in short: theanine has no side effects that can be abd for your health. On the contrary, many governments find theanine very safe and it can be beneficial to your health.

However – there can be ‘bad’ effects

Having said all these amazing positives word about the non-existent l theanine side effects, I do want to talk briefly about the effects that can be bad in certain sitations:

Loss of effectiveness

One thing that I (and many other users) have found about l theanine, is that if you use it for many days in a row, it tends to be less effective.

Now, there are hundreds of people who use theanine every day (mainly those who use it to combat anxiety), so there remains an effect.

But, when taking it for general focus and productivity, theanine tends to work less effective when you’ve taken it for 4-5 days.

If you just take it once a while, the effect stays ‘new’, and you will really feel a difference.

but when you take it every day, theanine effect starts to become the normal.

Later on I’ll explain to you what the optimal usage is of l theanine!

Too calm

The focus and productivity gains tend to become smaller if you use theanine every day. However, the benefits for calmness remain.

And for some people (like me), it actually becomes too much of a good thing.

Here’s why: you see, I don’t have any anxiety issues. I don’t need anything to live a happy calm life. I’m pretty calm and secure in general.

But when I take theanine for 4+ days in a row… I tend to become really calm. Almost a little bit apathetic to life.

So, if you’re anything like me in this regard (don’t need anything to be calm), then theanine can be too much of a good thing.

If you suffer from anything anxiety related, please disregard everything I just said in this paragraph. Then you can take l theanine without any problems whatsoever (there are actually thoudsands of people worldwide using theanine to combat their anxiety problems)

You can read my article about l theanine and anxiety here.

But if you’re taking l theanine for a focus and productivity reason – use it a couple times a week max (preferrably on non consective days!)

Sleepiness

The next thing that can happen is when you take a large dose of theanine. Now, nothing bad will happen – but you might feel sleepy.

Obviously, a supplement that makes you feel sleepy is great in many cases!

However, if you’re planning on having a productive day by taking l theanine in the morning, then being sleepy is the last thing you want.

Or when you still have to drive, taking large doses of theanine is a bad idea.

If you start to fee sleepy after taking taking theanine, try the following two solutions:

• Next time, take less theanine. Try reducing your dose in half and see what happens.
• Drink a cup of coffee. Caffeine has many benefits that enhance the effect of theanine. And it’s a great tool to combat any tiredness you might feel from l theanine.

My L theanine recommendations:

Preserve its effect: take it 1-3 times per week MAX

Like I said before, if you don’t want to feel too calm. Then take theanine maximum 3 times per week and  on non consecutive days.

This will keep the effect of theanine fresh and you will get all the benefits of theanine without any negative effects whatsoever.

BUT, if you suffer from anxiety related problems – feel free to take it daily if it helps!

Take 200-400 mg per day (and 200 mg max per serving)

If you don’t want to feel sleepy with theanine, then I recommend you take 200-400 mg theanine maximum per day. I do not recommend taking more than 200 mg in one serving, since it doesn’t add any extra benefits.

Taking 100-200 mg is enough to reap all the positives (more doesn’t add anything – just makes you more sleepy).

You can take it twice per day for focus enhancing effects.

However, if you want a dose that will put you to sleep, than you can take anything between 200-500 mg, depending on how well your body reacts to theanine!

L theanine side effects – Final words

L theanine has no side effects that are bad for you health. It is actually a good thing for your body since it makes you less stressed.

But, in certain situations, being too calm can be a bad thing. If you’re not suffering from anxiety, then regulating your theanine usage will be a good thing to keep its effect fresh!

 

P.S. Want to read a detailed review about theanine and all the benefits that it has to offer? Click here to read my theanine review!

“What is theanine?” If you’ve been around for some time on the supplements scene, then chances are high you’ve heard about this supplement.

Theanine is a white powder with a slightly sweet taste (umami), that works great for:

• Calming your brain
• Focusing your thoughts
• Anti-stress
• Helping you manage a big workload
• And a lot more

So if you want to know what is theanine & what are the amazing benefits you can get by taking it? Then I highly recommend you read this ENTIRE post to get a good idea in your mind what theanine can do for you!

What is theanine?

Theanine is usually a white powder. It’s a legal supplement (hence why it’s on this site), that many people use to be more prodctive, feel calm and do better in social situations.

Some people even use it against anxiety disorders. There are countless of forums on the internet where people discuss theanine and how it helped them overcome their anxiety problems.

So, one thing is sure – this stuff works.

If you’re curious aboutt he scientific side of the story, I’ll quickly cover that here:

• Formula: C₇H₁₄N₂O₃ 
• Molar mass: 174.2 g/mol
• Onset of action: about 1 hour
• Biological half-life: 3 hours
• Boiling point: 215 °C (419 °F)
•  Synonyms: γ-L-glutamylethylamide

The main thing that concern you (as a consumer) here, is the onset of action. Wikipedia says it’s around 1 hour.

However, I have noticed that if you take theanine on an empty stomach, it start to work faster. On an empty stomach it can start working after 20-30 minutes!

What are the effects of theanine?

Since you’re here to get to know the answers to “what is theanine?” & “what are the beneftis of taking theanine?”, we might as well dive straight into the benefits that you’ll experience when taking it!

1. You’ll feel calm

The first sensationt hat you’ll feel when theanine isn’t so much as an upper or a downer. It’s more of a calmness deep inside you.

For a beginner, it might be a bit tricky to spot when it starts working. However, if you look back after it stopped working, you’ll deifintely see that you were acting in a much more calm and relaxed way then before.

But many people can easily tell that it calms them. It is one of the main benefits of theanine. One on which all the others work through.

If you’re more calm then everything else will be easier, right?

So, here comes the second benefit of theanine:

2. You’ll have focused thoughts (be more social!)

When taking theanine you’ll find you have more control over your thoughts. If you’ve ever experience a state of ”flow’ (when being really intensely absorped in anything e.g. work, surfing, partying, watching a good movie etc.), then you’ll recognize the state theanine gives you.

You forget about the time.

You’re not paying attention to your thoughts.

You are just doing what you’re doing and being in the moment!

This is why I love taking theanine for:

• Work
• Partying
• Whenever I just want to relax (or forget about the problems in my life – how some people might use weed)

And as far being social goes – you’ll find that taking theanine  makes you less shy. 

you’ll say what you think.

You act without overanalyzing your actions.

It will be easier for you to talk to a girl you like.

Especially if you combine 150 grams of theanine with a cup of coffee, you’ll find that you’ll have a lot of laser-focused energy. This works like magic for work & going out!

3. Anti-hangover

Theanine is made from two different substances: L-glutamate and L-glutamine.

These two substances work together to increase antioxidants int he body. Especially the antioxidant glutathione in the liver.

This means that taking theanine will boost your liver power.

And as you know, when drinking alcohol, your liver gets depleted badly. So before you go drinking (or when you come home, or when you wake up), take theanine to help your liver digest all the alcohol you gave it.

I recommend you take it before drinking. Bonus benefits of this strategy: you’ll drink less, cause the theanine already helps you to ‘get in the zone’ and you’ll find you have less need for alcohol, cigarettes etc!

4. Productivity enhancer

Since theanine helps you to focus on something, I found that it really helps me to get work done. And many others feel the same. Whenever I take 100-200 mg of theanine with a good strong cup of coffee  i feel my productivity sky-rocket!

I usually get a lot of work done, and the time flies by. At the end of the day I’m always wondering where the time went… and I’m also pleasantly surprised by the amount of work that ahs been completed!

If you experience high workloads, and you need to be able to ‘summon’ productivity at a given moment’s notice – then having sme theanine nearby will give you exactly that productivity-whenever-you-need-it!

5. Anti-stress benefits

Theanine works by increasing GABA in the brain (L-glutamate is one of the building blocks for GABA). This is a neurotransmitter that is responsible for turning down acitivty in a neuron.

So, whenever you feel stressed, your neurons are over-firing. they are too excited. Taking taking will help you increase the amount of GABA in your brain.

And this in turn will calm down your over-excited neuron. Theanine works lige magic against stress. Don’t expect a tranquilizer like benzodiapene, but you’ll just feel calmer without any of the sleepy or negative effects.

Does theanine have any side effects?

Since we offered all the benefits of theanine, I feel we have to talk about the theanine side effects as well.

So far, studies have shown that there are no side-effects to theanine!

But, as an experienced user, I have to say that there is one minor thing that nobody else talks about.

Taking theanine daily can lessen its effects. In addition, if I take it more than 4-5 days in a row, I start feeling a bit too calm. 

This probably has to do with the increase in GABA. However,  it’s nothing bad. After you stop taking theanine this ‘negative efect’ will go away really fast.

When you’re using theanine, just try and take it somewhere between 1 and 3 days. Save it for when you need it the most! If you do that, you will reap all the positive benefits and NONE of the side effects!

How much theanine should I take?

Most resources on the internet recommend you take around 100-200 mg of theanine. And in my experience, this is exactly the right spot.

If you’re a heavy-hitting MMA fighter of 210 pounds, go for 200. If you’re a small girl weighing 125 pounds, it’s betetr to take a 100 mg. There’s no need to overcomplicate things!

If I just want to chill out, I take around 150 mg and that is enough to feel great the entire day/evening.

However, if I’m working and want to get as much work done as possible – I usually do the following:

• 9 AM: cup of coffee + 100 mg theanine
• 12 AM: cup of coffee + 100 mg theanine

This is enough to give you a full day of focused energy!

 

 

P.S. Want to read my full theanine review guide in which I explain exactly how theanine works, what you can expect in detail & how to look for quality theanine supplements? Read my complete theanine review here!