If you’re looking to sleep better, ease anxiety, decrease muscle tension, or boost your mood, you may want to try increasing your GABA levels.

GABA is your brain’s main inhibitory neurotransmitter — it calms your neurons (brain cells) and keeps your brain from getting overexcited.

You make GABA naturally and use it across almost all of your brain. You have GABA receptors in your gut, too: your gut bacteria use GABA to talk to your brain and influence your emotions.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5127831/”] GABA is a powerful tool if you’re looking to gain control over your sleep, stress, or mood. You can boost it with lifestyle hacks, or you can take supplements that increase GABA.

Here’s a complete guide to GABA’s benefits, how it works in your brain, and the best supplements and habits to balance your GABA levels for a happier, calmer life.

What are GABA receptors and what are GABA’s benefits?

Your brain runs on neurotransmitters, chemicals that let your neurons (brain cells) communicate with one another. Neurotransmitters bind to receptors on your neurons, much like a key fits into a lock. This key-in-the-lock process runs pretty much everything you do. Movement, thoughts, emotions, senses, breathing, heartbeat — they all rely on neurotransmitters binding to receptors.

There are two major types of GABA receptors: GABA_A and GABA_B

GABA_A receptors generally promote relaxation, sedation/sleep, and anti-anxiety effects when something activates them.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5127831/”] The relaxed, buzzy, social feeling you get when you drink? That happens because alcohol binds very strongly to GABA_A receptors.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2043151/”] Anti-anxiety drugs like Xanax and Valium are also strong GABA_A activators.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4020178/”] In fact, the reason it’s so dangerous to drink and take anti-anxiety pills together is because they activate GABA_A in slightly different ways, so instead of competing with each other (like two keys trying to fit into the same lock), their effects stack, which can be fatal.

Alcohol and Xanax are both strong enough to be addictive, and neither one is Bulletproof-approved. But gentler GABA_A activation can help you relax and give you a wonderful sense of calm, without the side effects of more intense activation.

GABA_B receptors are the other major GABA receptor type. Activating GABA_B promotes mental relaxation and feelings of happiness.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15629203″][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23872369″] GABA_B activation also eases muscle tension.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23872369″] In general, GABA_B receptors have a more subtle effect on your brain than GABA_A receptors do.[ref url=”https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0074774208603049″] Activating both can be useful for improving your performance.

GABA for anxiety and muscle tension

Study after study has found that both GABA_A and GABA_B activation rapidly and reliably decrease anxiety.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15629203″][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16971751″][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12662130″][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17117412″][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4303399/”]  — so much so that benzodiazepines, strong GABA activators, have become the most common drug for treating anxiety.[ref url=”https://books.google.com/books?id=EZlsCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA195″]

But if you’re feeling anxious or tense, you don’t want to rely on a benzodiazepine like Xanax or Valium to relax. Because they’re so strong, benzodiazepines are very addictive, and you build tolerance to them quickly.[ref url=”https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165%2F0023210-200923010-00002″] There are a lot of sustainable options that have similar relaxing effects without the risk of abuse,[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29168225″] including lifestyle changes that don’t require you to take anything. Keep reading for a full list

Self-care tools, like the Baloo Living Weighted Blankets, are a great combination with GABA to ease your anxiety and sleep better altogether.

Note: this article should not replace medical advice. If you’re currently on benzodiazepines or any other anti-anxiety medication, absolutely talk to your doctor before making any changes.

GABA for sleep

GABA_A activation can help you fall asleep and stay asleep. But, as with anxiety, there’s a sweet spot with GABA and sleep. Too little GABA and you won’t fall asleep at all;[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3353037/”] too much GABA and you’ll go out like a light, but you won’t reach the deeper stages of sleep that are essential for rest and recovery. Benzodiazepines, for example, cause people to fall asleep faster and wake up less, but keep them from reaching deep sleep.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11983310″]

Again, the key here is gentle GABA activation. Finding a balance will help you get a good night’s rest.

GABA for depression and mood

GABA activation also improves mood, although it seems to be indirect and likely comes from easing anxiety and stress.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17117412GABA”]  doesn’t seem to affect pure depression.[ref url=”https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0165032790900438″] In other words, if you’re feeling down but you aren’t anxious or stressed, GABA may not help you.

Of course, depression, stress, and anxiety often go hand-in-hand, so GABA indirectly improves mood for a lot of people, and doctors often prescribe GABA-enhancing drugs alongside antidepressants.

If you’re feeling blue and stress or anxiety is a part of it, boosting GABA may help lift your mood and bring a little more relaxed happiness to your life.

The best GABA supplements, dosages, and side effects

Here are a few good ways to increase your GABA with natural remedies and supplements:

Kava

Kava is a root native to the Pacific Islands that contains GABA-activating compounds called kavalactones.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4917254/”] A Cochrane Review (the gold standard for research reviews) found that kava significantly decreases anxiety with mild-to-no side effects.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12535473 Two other studies found that kava is comparable to benzodiazepines at relieving anxiety, without the side effects or risk of addiction.[ref url=”https://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.1055/s-2007-979474″][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23635869″]  Kava activates GABA_A receptors, which makes it great for sleep,[ref url=”https://www.thieme-connect.com/DOI/DOI?10.1055/s-2001-14334″] and kava tea is a good alternative to alcohol if you want to loosen up without the hangover and damage that drinking incurs.

Kava dose and source: Here’s a guide to kava dosage and the best kava sources.

Magnesium

Magnesium is an amazing supplement for stress and sleep. It’s an essential mineral that regulates GABA activation across most of your brain.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5452159/”] It’s also involved in hundreds of other biological processes, and more than half of Americans are deficient in it. Magnesium is a good supplement to take every night.[ref url=”https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/80400530/pdf/0506/usual_nutrient_intake_vitD_ca_phos_mg_2005-06.pdf”]

Magnesium dose: 400 mg, an hour before bed

Magnesium source: Magnesium citrate or magnesium glycinate. Citrate is more bioavailable, but it may upset your stomach; glycinate is slightly less bioavailable and won’t upset your stomach.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha’s name is Sanskrit for “smell of horse,” and if you’ve ever tried this Indian herb, you can likely attest that the name is accurate. You’ll want to get ashwagandha in capsule form to avoid the smell and taste. As long as you do that, ashwagandha is a great way to relieve stress and promote sleep. It’s a gentle GABA_A receptor activator.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26068424″]

Ashwagandha dose: 500-1000 mg, taken anytime

Ashwagandha source: Zen Mode or pure ashwagandha root

L-theanine

This amino acid is a natural component of green tea and is also available in supplement form. L-theanine increases your brain’s natural GABA production.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17182482″] It’s great for easing stress and boosting mood, and it also becomes a nootropic (aka cognitive enhancer) when you pair it with caffeine.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18006208″]

L-theanine dose: 200-400 mg

L-theanine source: Zen Mode, green tea, or L-theanine capsules

Phenibut

Phenibut is a strong GABA_B activator that Soviet Union scientists developed for their space program, to ease astronauts’ anxiety. Phenibut is a more bioavailable form of pure GABA, which makes it especially powerful. It also improves focus and memory,[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11830761″] and is a prescription drug in Russia for tension and anxiety. Phenibut is technically legal in the U.S. (it’s in a bit of a gray area), but it has a high risk of dependency and withdrawal if you don’t take it carefully.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5952553/”][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3604470/”] Phenibut stays in your system for about 48 hours, and people who assume they can take it daily often experience tolerance and withdrawal within a week or two. If you’re going to try phenibut, take it at most twice a week, with at least 3 days between each dose.

Phenibut dose: 600 mg, at most twice a week

How to raise your GABA naturally

You can also raise GABA without supplements or drugs. Stress-relieving lifestyle habits increase GABA as well. A few good options to boost your GABA:

• Meditation: Sitting in silent reflection increases brain GABA levels,[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4769029/”] as well as sensitivity to GABA signaling.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10859661″] Don’t know where to start? Check out this beginner’s guide to meditation.
• Yoga: The world’s favorite stretching and mindfulness exercise also increases GABA signaling.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10859661″]
• Exercise: In fact, exercise in general increases GABA signaling and relieves anxiety, stress, and depression.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5554572/”] Try one of these great workouts to include in your daily life.

Whether you take a supplement or start meditating (or both), your brain will thank you for bringing your GABA levels into balance.