Restful, restorative slumber is absolutely essential for peak brain health and optimal cognitive function, but getting a good night’s sleep isn’t something that can be taken for granted. Whether you occasionally have trouble drifting off or live in a constant battle with insomnia, nootropics for sleep may help you get the rest your brain and body need.

Various nootropics work in many ways to address sleep problems. Some make falling asleep easier by promoting the production and release of GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter known to calm brain activity, reduce stress, and relieve feelings of anxiety. Other nootropics help you stay asleep by enhancing the production and utilization of dopamine and serotonin, both neurotransmitters that regulate mood, sleep, and relaxation. Some nootropics promote deeper sleep by actually smoothing out alpha brain waves and increasing the amount of time the brain stays in REM or deep-sleep state.

If you’re not getting the amount of quality of sleep that your brain and body require, you’re not going to feel or perform your best mentally or physically. Check out the following list of nootropics for sleep and start getting the rest you really need.