5-HTP vs L-Tryptophan for sleep
Short answer: For sleep, users rate them about the same: 85% report improvement with 5-HTP (102 reports) and 89% with L-Tryptophan (54 reports).
5-HTP has 15 meta-analyses and 73 randomized trials on PubMed; L-Tryptophan has 18 and 117.
Based on 767 reports about 5-HTP and 238 about L-Tryptophan. Not medical advice.
| 5-HTP Supplement | L-Tryptophan Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 40%helped345 reports · high confidence | 61%helped67 reports · medium confidence |
| Verdict | Mixed | Mostly positive |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 15 / 73 | 18 / 117 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Mood % reporting improvement | 84% (214) | 95% (37) |
| Sleep % reporting improvement | 85% (102) | 89% (54) |
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | 72% (71) | 77% (13) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 76% (17) | — |
| Libido % reporting improvement | 33% (12) | — |
| Common side effects | vivid dreams, heart valve, serotonin syndrome, drowsiness | drowsiness, vivid dreams, death, anxiety |
| Typical dose reported | 100 mg / with coffee | 1000 mg / before sleep |
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.”
Trp supplementation, especially at ≥1 g can help improve sleep quality.
Nutr Rev, 2022 ↗“L-Tryptophan has given me the most relaxation / anti-anxiety out of the aminos I've tried.”
Related comparisons
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