5-HTP vs GABA for sleep
Short answer: For sleep, more users report improvement with 5-HTP — 85% of 102 reports, versus 80% of 104 for GABA.
5-HTP has 15 meta-analyses and 73 randomized trials on PubMed; GABA has 8 and 26.
Based on 767 reports about 5-HTP and 470 about GABA. Not medical advice.
| 5-HTP Supplement | GABA Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 40%helped345 reports · high confidence | 40%helped226 reports · high confidence |
| Verdict | Mixed | Mixed |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 15 / 73 | 8 / 26 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Mood % reporting improvement | 84% (214) | 67% (21) |
| Sleep % reporting improvement | 85% (102) | 80% (104) |
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | 72% (71) | 80% (122) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 76% (17) | 33% (6) |
| Focus % reporting improvement | 73% (11) | 100% (4) |
| Common side effects | vivid dreams, heart valve, serotonin syndrome, drowsiness | drowsiness, vivid dreams, fatigue, shortness of |
| Typical dose reported | 100 mg / with coffee | 1500 mg / nightly |
There are few, large, high-quality trials comparing combination pharmacotherapy with monotherapy for fibromyalgia, consequently limiting evidence to support or refute the use of combination pharmacotherapy for fibromyalgia.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2018 ↗“I just one day randomly decided to take 5-HTP an hour after finishing my workout, and I felt WIRED 15 minutes after taking it, and that lasted for 5–6 hours.”
The results provide plausible evidence for the positive role of zinc in the treatment of patients afflicted with anxiety, albeit with some limitations.
Nutr Rev, 2024 ↗“I take 1.5mgs with 1500mg GABA-A Acid I have insane dreams every night and sleep like a baby.”
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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate