GABA vs Glycine for sleep
Short answer: For sleep, more users report improvement with Glycine — 87% of 255 reports, versus 80% of 104 for GABA.
GABA has 8 meta-analyses and 26 randomized trials on PubMed; Glycine has 392 and 620.
Based on 470 reports about GABA and 695 about Glycine. Not medical advice.
| GABA Supplement | Glycine Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 40%helped226 reports · high confidence | 70%helped299 reports · high confidence |
| Verdict | Mixed | Mostly positive |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 8 / 26 | 392 / 620 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Sleep % reporting improvement | 80% (104) | 87% (255) |
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | 80% (122) | 78% (60) |
| Mood % reporting improvement | 67% (21) | 87% (39) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 33% (6) | 94% (17) |
| Focus % reporting improvement | 100% (4) | 62% (13) |
| Common side effects | drowsiness, vivid dreams, fatigue, shortness of | vivid dreams, drowsiness, fatigue, brain fog |
| Typical dose reported | 1500 mg / nightly | 2 g / daily |
GABAFull GABA profile →
Latest review conclusion
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 ↗What a user said
“I take 1.5mgs with 1500mg GABA-A Acid I have insane dreams every night and sleep like a baby.”
GlycineFull Glycine profile →
Latest review conclusion
In studies using high-throughput metabolomics, several blood amino acids appear to be consistently associated with the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes Care, 2016 ↗What a user said
“2 grams with 200mg magnesium before bed gives me crazy good sleep. Crazy vivid dreams.”
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