You go to bed, fall asleep for a few hours, and then—bam!—you’re wide awake in the middle of the night. Maybe you had to pee, maybe a random noise woke you, or maybe you just jolted awake for no obvious reason. Sound familiar? If you’re frustrated by restless nights or waking up feeling like your brain is on overdrive at 2 a.m., you are definitely not alone. The good news: there’s emerging science on a simple amino acid called glycine that could make a big difference in your sleep quality and help you stop those annoying nighttime wakeups.
Let’s dive into what’s actually waking you up, how glycine plays a role, and the practical steps to harness its benefits. (Based on the insights of Thomas Delauer.)
Key Takeaways
- Glycine, a natural amino acid, can dramatically improve sleep quality and help you stay asleep.
- Chronic nighttime wake-ups may be linked to subtle neurological triggers—glycine addresses these at the root.
- Taking 3 grams of glycine about an hour before bed seems to be the magic number scientifically validated.
- Glycine can also help with waking up to pee and emotional events that mess with your sleep.
- It works by cooling your body, calming brain activity, and supporting your natural sleep cycles.
1. Middle-of-the-Night Wakeups Are More Common Than You Think
You’re not just imagining it. Many people fall asleep easily but keep waking up in the middle of the night. Sometimes, it’s a full bladder, a random noise, or just a surge of anxiety that feels out of nowhere. Scientists call these “microarousals”—moments when your brain gets just alert enough to switch on your metabolism and snap you awake.
Why? At night, the brain and body are supposed to cycle through deep, restorative stages. But if something triggers alertness, even briefly, you can pop out of sleep and struggle to return to slumber.
2. Glycine: A Science-Backed Sleep Aid
Glycine is an amino acid your body uses for lots of things, including making proteins and neurotransmitters. What’s exciting is its profound impact on sleep, shown in multiple studies. People who supplement with glycine (about 3 grams before bed) fall asleep faster, reach REM (the deep, restorative stage of sleep) more quickly, and report feeling better rested the next day.
A study published in the journal Sleep and Biological Rhythms demonstrated that people with poor sleep who took 3 grams of glycine had huge improvements in subjective sleep quality. That means they felt they slept better—and that feeling mattered as much as any objective measure. The boost to REM sleep means you’re getting better memory consolidation and deep restoration for both mind and body.
3. How Glycine Works Its Sleep Magic
Why is glycine so effective? The main reason is its effect on your core body temperature. As weird as it sounds, lowering body temperature (especially at bedtime) is key to falling and staying asleep. Glycine helps redirect blood flow to your extremities (hands and feet), allowing your core to cool down—this cooling signals your body that it’s time for deep sleep.
Animal studies even used glycine to increase blood flow to rodents’ paws. More blood flow to the extremities led to better REM sleep, improved memory, and less overall sleep needed for the same level of restfulness! Blocking certain brain receptors (like the NMDA receptor in the hypothalamus) erased these effects—showing that glycine’s benefits are not just about circulation, but also about calming specific brain regions that handle anxiety and arousal.
4. Glycine Helps You Go Longer Before Having to Pee at Night
Nocturnal trips to the bathroom are one of the most common reasons people wake up at night (and struggle to drift off again). Fascinatingly, glycine doesn’t just help you sleep—it actually reduces the urgency and frequency of nighttime urination.
A study in the Journal of Complementary and Alternative Therapy found that people who took 3 grams of glycine for four weeks experienced fewer night-time trips to the bathroom, and if they did wake to pee, it happened later in the sleep cycle. Even those who still needed to get up found they could sleep for longer stretches before waking. Glycine appears to calm neurological signals in the spinal cord related to bladder function, so you don’t get that sudden, urgent sensation that rips you from sleep.
5. So What’s the Right Glycine Dose and Timing?
The sweet spot, according to the research, is 3 grams about an hour before bed. Lower doses just aren’t as effective, and it’s important to give it some time to absorb and start working before you hit the pillow. Mix it with water or a non-caffeinated beverage and let it do its thing.
Some high-quality sleep supplements combine glycine with other calming ingredients like saffron (for reduced anxiety), magnesium (for brain relaxation), and theanine (for extra body cooling).
6. Glycine, Creatine, and Your Brain’s Energy
Here’s where it gets nerdy but super relevant: Some of those nighttime wakeups are linked to dips in your brain’s energy currency—something called ATP. When your body senses low brain ATP, it wakes you up so you start making more. Glycine supports creatine production, which helps stabilize your brain’s ATP levels at night. That means fewer microarousals and more consistent, uninterrupted sleep.
If you’re already taking creatine for workouts or brain health, adding glycine actually helps you synthesize and keep more of it—so there’s a real synergy here for both athletes and anyone wanting better sleep.
7. Emotional Events Keeping You Awake? Glycine Blunts the Stress
Ever had a tough conversation, stressful email, or family argument right before bed? Negative emotions and adrenaline have been clinically proven to disrupt your sleep quality and make it harder to fall back asleep if you wake up. The secret weapon? Glycine.
Research (even in animals like fish) shows that glycine can lower stress hormones like cortisol and blunt your fight-or-flight response. That means if you wake at night due to worry or anxiety, glycine helps you step back from the emotional edge so those feelings aren’t as overwhelming or physically activating.
This emotional buffering makes it easier to return to sleep—even if your mind is swirling with stressful thoughts.
8. Glycine Is Safe, Simple, and Effective—But Don’t Take Right at Bedtime
Stick to the science-proven dose: about 3 grams, an hour before bed. Taking it too close to lights out may not give your body enough time for glycine’s cooling, calming effects to peak. Use it consistently for several weeks to see the full benefit.
9. Added Benefits: Pain and Bladder Health
Beyond sleep itself, glycine is being studied for its effects on bladder pain and function. Some people report less discomfort and fewer nighttime trips to the bathroom—making it a two-for-one boost to your nightly routine.
Conclusion: Try Glycine for Better, Deeper Sleep (and Fewer Bathroom Wakeups!)
Waking up in the middle of the night is often a frustrating mystery—but for many people, it’s a solvable problem. The research on glycine is exciting, showing improvements not just in sleep quality, but also in reducing stress, emotional over-arousal, and nighttime bathroom trips.
If you’re ready to try a safe, simple way to stay asleep, start with 3 grams of glycine about an hour before bed. Give it a few weeks to work its magic, and you might be surprised at how much better you sleep, how much more rested you feel, and how much longer you can go without needing to wake up in the night.
Sleep well, and remember: sometimes, the simple solutions are the best!
Source: Thomas Delauer