A: First of all, before you start taking something to induce sleep, you should evaluate what you are already taking and see if that could be what the problem is.  Often times people are reactive and try to fix a problem by taking a supplement when they should adjust certain parts of their training routine or cut back on some of the stuff they are already taking.  I was talking to a friend on the phone about this same issue just the other day.  When I asked him what supplements he was taking right now and what his diet was like, he rattled off about 8 different supplements.  Among the mentioned was ephedrine, yohimbe, and he was drinking about 6 cups of coffee a day!  Then he went on to tell me that he would sometimes take NyQuil to help him fall asleep at night! 

Unfortunately this reactive mentality is how most supplement-using bodybuilders try to fix their problems.  Not that taking another supplement isn’t sometimes the answer, just that it shouldn’t be the first thing you do.

Some Tips:

1)   Cut back on the stimulants:  Caffeine, Nicotine, Yohimbe and some amino acids.  Especially cut back on ephedrine based fat burners.  Don’t take any more than 50mg of ephedrine a day.  And never take it after 3pm if you want to be asleep before midnight!  Truth is, if you need more than 50mg of ephedrine you’ve been taking it too long and your body has adjusted to it too much.  If you take some time off (3-4 weeks) to give yourself a break, your tolerance level will drop down. 

2)   Cardio:  Are you doing enough cardio?  A good 30-45 minutes a day will help put you to sleep at night.  The one thing with Cardio though, you should do it in the morning if you can.  If you’re doing it late in the evening that could be your problem. 

3)         Last resort - Supplements:  If neither one of the first two are working for you, your lack of sleepability could be high anxiety or stress levels.  To start off you might try taking some ZMA about 30 minutes before bedtime.  Although it isn’t a sleep inducer, most people find it helps them sleep at night.  Growth Hormone products that contain Velvet Bean promote sleep as well.  Other good natural anti-anxiety and sleep inducing products include Valerian Root, Kava Kava, and Melatonin.  And finally, Valium, Unisom, Xanax, and Ambien are among the more potent – prescription only – variety anti-anxiety sleep aids.