How to Improve Your Sleep & Boost Your Immunity Naturally
- Keith Rowe
According to the Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Sleep Medicine and Research, as many as 70 million Americans have ongoing sleep problems that interfere with their daily functioning. If you’re one of those who fail to get consistent sleep each night, you might be putting yourself at risk for a host of physical and mental issues.
When you don’t get enough sleep, you can have overall lowered blood flow to your brain, which can disrupt your thinking, memory, and concentration. Also, lack of sleep can weaken your immune system and make you more susceptible to getting a cold, flu, or virus. Getting quality sleep each night can help your brain function at optimal levels, as well as support your overall immunity.
3 Ways to Improve Your Sleep & Boost Your Immunity
1. Immune-boosting Foods
Eating a healthy diet is common sense for overall well-being. While no single food will magically fend off illness, certain nutrients support your immune health and can help protect your body from billions of bacteria, viruses, and other germs. Some nutrients and foods that support healthy immunity include:
Vitamin C-rich foods, like bell peppers, kiwis, strawberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, and citrus fruits
Vitamin E-rich foods, including almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, and sunflower seeds
Zinc-rich foods, like oysters, crab, grass-fed lean meats and poultry, and chickpeas
Selenium-rich foods, such as broccoli, sardines, tuna, brazil nuts, and barley
Garlic, ginger, turmeric, spinach, beans, and other legumes
Active omega-3 fatty acids (EPA + DHA), found in salmon, tuna, and other cold-water fish
2. Energizing Exercise
Physical activity is perhaps the single most important thing you can do to keep your brain healthy. Exercise can boost blood flow and other positive nutrients to the brain, increase your levels of dopamine, and trigger the generation of new nerve cells that can help the brain self-regulate and calm down, which can lead to quality rest.
Getting at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity daily will increase your blood circulation and can help strengthen your immune system. The increase in circulation improves the delivery of nutrients to your bone marrow, spleen, and other organs of immunity. Better circulation also helps clear waste products from the body and transport hormones that keep the immune system alert and active.
3. Restorative Sleep
Quality sleep stimulates the immune system, while sleep deprivation can depress your immunity. Though minimal required levels of sleep vary, studies indicate adults should try to get an average of 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. Those with a compromised immune system should get even more sleep.
Getting high-quality sleep is essential to wellness. If you have healthy habits, such as avoiding caffeine later in the day and getting regular exercise, but still have difficulties turning off your brain before bedtime, a safe and scientifically-formulated dietary supplement may provide the relief you need.
Put Me To Sleep Naturally
Put Me To Sleep Naturally is based on the most recent nutraceutical research on sleep onset, duration, and quality.* The body’s daily sleep phase is now recognized to be just as important for health as the awake phase.* Sleep is vital for mental and physical performance, as well as overall health and well-being.*
Dangers of Sleep Deprivation
Sleep deprivation has reached epidemic proportions.* Sleep insufficiency is linked to weight problems, brain toxin buildup, blood sugar problems, and numerous other health problems.*
This product is for anyone who may have difficulties falling or staying asleep.* Unlike many dietary supplements, its effects should be felt in just minutes – one-hour maximum.*
Properly Balanced Melatonin
Melatonin is our main sleep hormone, made and released from the brain during the night. But it’s also made in other organs and has powerful antioxidant, immune regulating, and inflammation-balancing effects.
However, when used by itself, melatonin isn’t a magic bullet. This formula’s five additional ingredients substantially enhance melatonin’s actions, due to their own well-documented sleep benefits.*
Another advantage of this formula is that it provides less melatonin with more benefits.* Many sleep supplements provide at least 3-5 mg of melatonin per serving, but this is more than twice what the brain produces during the whole night and can have adverse effects.*
BrainMD has developed a lower melatonin dose that supports the brain’s natural 24-hour output of melatonin and doesn’t have the negative aftereffects of high-melatonin supplements.*
Synergistic Ingredients
This highly effective sleep supplement includes 6 potent ingredients that work in concert to help relax the mind and body in preparation for sleep.* These ingredients have a broad range of neurotransmitter actions in the brain.* They are carefully combined in this supplement to promote recovery from daily stress, calm and relaxation, and fully restful sleep.*
Melatonin– the master hormone for regulating the body’s sleep cycle, effective for improving sleep when taken by mouth*
GABA– the brain’s major calming neurotransmitter, GABA balances excitation versus inhibition and helps new nerve cells develop and mature*
Magnesium– a mineral vital for both brain and body, magnesium reinforces GABA’s calming effects to bring on sleep and maintain sleep quality Vitamin B6– a vitamin crucial for immune function and the enzymes that produce melatonin, as well as GABA, serotonin, and other brain neurotransmitters*
5-HTP– an important starting molecule for the brain to produce not just serotonin, a regulatory neurotransmitter that enables quality sleep, but also melatonin*
L-Theanine– a unique green tea amino acid and natural relaxant that can improve time to fall asleep, sleep duration, and sleep quality in children and adults*
This breakthrough supplement helps bring on sleep and provides deep, sustained, and quality sleep.*
Taking Put Me To Sleep provides the right balance of nutrients that support a healthy immune system and can help you get a good night’s sleep.*
At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality supplements to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This content is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for medical or healthcare advice from a physician, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before beginning a new health regimen.
Meet Our Expert
Dr. Parris Kidd
Dr. Parris Kidd, Ph.D., is a pioneering authority in nutritional medicine with a background in zoology and cellular biology from UC Berkeley. His work includes influential research on brain nutrients like PS and GPC, award-winning supplement formulations, and extensive publications. Formerly Chief Science Officer at leading supplement companies, Dr. Kidd is widely respected for his contributions to nutritional science and his commitment to integrity.
Meet the Author
Keith Rowe
Keith has been a member of the BrainMD team for the past 7 years. Serving as copywriter and editor, he has written 400 blogs and has been involved with the launch of 32 new supplements. He takes many BrainMD supplements daily and his favorite is Neuro-C Vitamin C due to its efficacy and energizing citrus flavor.
You’re exhausted.
You’ve tried melatonin. You’ve tried magnesium. You’ve even tried cutting off caffeine at 2 PM.
And still, you find yourself staring at the ceiling at 3 AM, wondering what it’s going to take to finally get a good night’s sleep.
You’re not alone.
Roughly one in three American adults reports not getting enough sleep on a regular basis.(1) And here’s the real kicker: most of those people aren’t dealing with the same problem. One person is stressed out and can’t wind down. Another is dealing with physical discomfort. Another is overwhelmed by racing thoughts.
And yet most sleep supplements treat all of them exactly the same.
That’s where BrainMD’s new line of sleep supplements comes in.
Designed by sleep medicine doctor and psychiatrist, Dr. Shane Creado, these three new melatonin-free formulas are built for real people with real sleep issues. They’re science-backed, targeted, and designed to meet your body where it is.*
In this blog, we’ll walk through each one, show you how they fit into the bigger BrainMD sleep ecosystem, and explain why personalized sleep support is the future of sleep upgrades.
And if you’re not sure which one to start with, that’s okay too. We’ll talk about how to find your best match—and why sometimes, it takes a little trial and error to get there.
Why One-Size-Fits-All Sleep Supplements Fall Short
Not all sleep problems are created equal.
Stress-related sleep issues don’t work the same way as physical discomfort-related sleep disruptions. Restlessness from mental hyperactivity is different from jet lag or night-shift circadian chaos.
And yet, most over-the-counter supplements treat all sleep problems with one blanket approach: melatonin.
Melatonin can be helpful for some people, but it isn’t a cure-all. And in certain populations—especially children, teens, and those taking certain medications—melatonin can be problematic. A 2023 review of melatonin safety raised concerns about its widespread use in young people, noting insufficient long-term data and potential hormonal impacts.(2)
That’s one reason BrainMD chose to go melatonin-free with its new line of sleep supplements.
But the real breakthrough isn’t just what they left out. It’s what they put in.
Each of the three new formulas is designed to address a specific type of sleep disturbance:
Deep Comfort Sleep targets extreme discomfort, gut-related issues, and promotes a healthy inflammatory response.*
Stress Relief Sleep helps lower cortisol and soothe the wired-tired brain.*
Quiet My Mind Sleep calms mental overactivity and supports focus-driven brains (think shift workers and frequent flyers).*
These formulas don’t try to knock you out. They try to help you restore balance—physiologically, neurologically, and emotionally.*
That’s what real sleep science is all about.
Three Sleep Formulas. One Groundbreaking Shift in How We Think About Rest.
Instead of offering one all-purpose pill to “knock you out,” BrainMD created three highly targeted, melatonin-free formulas—each one addressing a specific reason people can’t sleep.*
This isn’t marketing fluff. It’s real sleep science in action.
Sleep disruption isn’t just a matter of “I’m not tired.” It can be driven by physical discomfort, high levels of cortisol, or mental hyperactivity—and each of those issues has different root causes, biological pathways, and clinical support options.*
Here’s how the new sleep supplement line breaks down:
Deep Comfort Sleep
For sleep that’s sabotaged by physical discomfort or gut-related issues
What it targets:
Minor aches or body tension*
Occasional joint or body discomfort*
Gut-brain axis disruption(8)*
Fatigue that isn’t resolved with rest*
What it’s made for:
This formula is built for people who wake up tired, feel stiff or achy at night, or have gut imbalance.* It’s especially relevant for adults over 40 or anyone with autoimmune tendencies, joint stiffness, or digestive struggles.*
Why it works:
Boswellia(7), and other specific agents that help support a healthy inflammatory response(6) help attain and balanced, whole-body calm so your system can finally enter a true rest-and-repair state.*
Stress Relief Sleep
For wired brains, tight chests, and cortisol that won’t quit.*
What it targets:
High cortisol levels*
Sleep-onset anxiousness*
Mid-night wakeups tied to stress*
Emotional exhaustion*
What it’s made for:
This is the formula for people who can’t shut off their brain—or who wake up at 2 AM feeling like their fight-or-flight system is still in overdrive.* Think: grief, burnout, job loss, divorce, or just life.*
Why it works:
It supports your adrenal rhythm and helps reduce stress hormone output with ingredients like ashwagandha(9), phosphatidylserine(10), and calming adaptogens that have been shown to reduce nighttime cortisol and improve sleep onset latency.*
Quiet My Mind Sleep
For the racing-thought crowd—think overthinkers and night owls.*
What it targets:
Overactive thoughts*
Mental restlessness*
Shift work, frequent travel, or inconsistent sleep-wake cycles*
Seasonal sleep disruption*
What it’s made for:
If your brain doesn’t know how to “power down,” this is your formula.* It’s safe for adults and teens 14+, and it’s especially useful for people with hyperactive tendencies, neurodivergent patterns, or chaotic sleep schedules.*
Why it works:
This blend focuses on calming the nervous system with nutrients that promote GABA signaling(11) and serotonin balance—like magnesium, saffron(13), L-theanine(12), and lion’s mane.(14)* These help the brain slow down, reduce mental noise, and support deeper REM cycles.*
Each formula is clean, melatonin-free, and built to be part of a system, not a Band-Aid.* You won’t find mystery blends or pixie-dusted herbs here—just targeted, evidence-based ingredients with a clear purpose.*
Coming up next: how these products fit into the BrainMD sleep ecosystem, and why Dr. Shane Creado might just be your new favorite sleep whisperer.
Designed by a Doctor. Built for Real Life.
What sets these new sleep formulas apart isn’t just what’s in them—or what’s left out.
It’s who created them—and the clinical reality they were designed to serve.
Dr. Shane Creado isn’t your average supplement formulator. He’s a double board-certified sleep medicine doctor and psychiatrist who works with Olympic athletes, professional sports teams, and high-performing professionals who can’t afford to be groggy, foggy, or chemically sedated.
His book Peak Sleep Performance for Athletes has become a modern manual for optimizing rest as a tool for mental sharpness, emotional resilience, and physical regeneration.(15) And now, that same expertise is built into every capsule of this new line of high-quality sleep supplements.
"Sleep optimization is the last frontier in peak performance.” - Shane Creado, MD
But Dr. Creado’s approach isn’t just for athletes. It’s for anyone who’s sick of “sleep hygiene” tips that don’t work, tired of melatonin dependence, or stuck cycling through supplements that don’t address why they’re not sleeping in the first place.
These formulas were built to fill the gaps Dr. Creado saw time and again in his clinical practice:
People with physical discomfort, whose sleep never really restores them.*
People with feelings of anxiousness or trauma, who dread the moment their head hits the pillow.*
People with attention issues or stress-fueled busy brains that just…won’t…turn…off.*
And because these formulas are melatonin-free and NSF-certified, they’re appropriate for teens, athletes, and professionals with sensitive systems or drug testing requirements.*
They’re not meant to be addictive. They’re not meant to zonk you out.
They’re meant to reset your system, naturally.*
So… Which One Should I Try First? (And What If I Don’t Know?)
This is the question everyone asks. And the honest answer?
It depends.
Some people know exactly what’s keeping them up at night: a sore shoulder, a racing mind, a life falling apart. Others just know they’re tired of being tired. Either way, choosing the right sleep formula shouldn’t feel like guesswork—but it also doesn’t require perfection.
Here’s the reframe: Not having a single, perfect answer doesn’t mean this approach is vague or unscientific. It means it’s personalized.
In medicine, this is called biochemical individuality—and it’s why even MDs regularly adjust treatments based on how a person responds. It’s not trial-and-error. It’s trial and insight.
We see this all the time:
Some people respond better to ashwagandha than L-theanine*
Some sleep deeper on saffron than magnesium*
Some need nervous system support, while others need their physical discomfort dialed down first*
That’s not a flaw. That’s your body’s way of telling you what works.
Our Advice?
Start with the formula that matches your dominant sleep struggle—aches, stress, or mental overactivity.* Give it a solid two weeks.* If it doesn’t get you where you want to go, try layering in another or switching to a different one.*
Sleep is a system, not a switch that you can turn off and on like a light. And BrainMD’s sleep ecosystem is designed to support that system holistically.*
Also worth noting: some of these products pair beautifully with existing BrainMD formulas like Calm My Brain, NAC, Everyday Stress Relief, or Brain Curcumins. This isn’t a one-and-done approach. It’s a toolkit.
The BrainMD Sleep Lineup at a Glance
Still not sure which sleep formula is right for you?
This quick-reference chart breaks down all five of BrainMD’s core sleep and relaxation products—including the three new melatonin-free formulas, plus the two foundational classics Put Me To Sleep Naturally and Restful Sleep.
Whether your challenge is falling asleep, staying asleep, or shutting down a racing brain, this guide will help point you in the right direction.*
Each of these formulas stands on its own. But taken together, they form the foundation of BrainMD’s comprehensive, personalized sleep ecosystem—one that honors the fact that no two brains (or sleep problems) are alike.*
Pro Tip: If you’ve had mixed results with melatonin, focus on the melatonin-free options first.* They offer a completely different approach to sleep support—one that’s often more sustainable for long-term use.*
Final Thoughts: Sleep That Meets You Where You Are
Here’s the truth no one tells you: You’re not broken. You’re just mismatched.
Most people struggling with sleep don’t need another generic sleep aid. They need a protocol that actually understands what they’re going through—and meets them there.
That’s what BrainMD’s new sleep supplement line is about.
It’s not about knocking you out.
It’s about helping your body do what it already wants to do: rest and repair.*
Whether your challenge is stress, physical discomfort, or a mind that just won’t stop running, there’s now a formula built for that exact issue.* One that doesn’t rely on melatonin. One that’s backed by a doctor who’s seen it all.*
And one that plays well with your body—not against it.*
So, if you’ve been burned by sleep supplements in the past—or if you’ve never really found the right fit—this is your invitation to try again.
You deserve sleep that works for you.*
Let BrainMD help you find it.*
At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality supplements to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This content is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for medical or healthcare advice from a physician, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before beginning a new health regimen.
Meet Dr. Shane Creado
Shane Creado, MD is a double board-certified sleep medicine doctor and psychiatrist who specializes in optimizing brain performance through better sleep. He’s worked with Olympic athletes, professional sports teams, and elite performers across the world—from the NBA to the PGA to the U.S. Olympic Committee.
Dr. Creado is the author of Peak Sleep Performance for Athletes and serves as the VP for the Americas for the International Society for Sports Psychiatry. He is also the creator of the Overcoming Insomnia course for Amen University and consults with Amen Clinics on clinical strategy and supplement formulation.
His mission: to deliver personalized, non-pharmacological sleep supplements that help real people feel and function better—without dependency, grogginess, or guesswork.
Learn more at shanecreado.com or follow @peaksleepperformance on Instagram.
References:
CDC. 1 in 3 adults don’t get enough sleep. https://sleepeducation.org/cdc-americans-sleep-deprived/
Videnovic A, Zee PC. Melatonin use in children: Safety concerns. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37451058/
Xie L, et al. Sleep drives metabolite clearance from the adult brain. Science. 2013. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24136970/
Hogenkamp, et al. Acute sleep deprivation increases portion size and affects food choice in young men, Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2013 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23428257/
Abbasi B, et al. Magnesium supplementation in insomnia. J Res Med Sci. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23853635/
Daily JW, et al. Efficacy of turmeric extracts and curcumin. J Med Food. 2016. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27533649/
Ganpeng, et al. Effectiveness of Boswellia and Boswellia extract for osteoarthritis patients: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 2020 https://bmccomplementmedtherapies.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12906-020-02985-6
Mayer, et al. The gut-brain axis, Annual Review of Medicine, Vol 73, 2022. https://tinyurl.com/2b5n2wdy
Chandrasekhar K, et al. A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety in adults Indian J Psychol Med. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23439798/
Starks, et al. The effects of phosphatidylserine on endocrine response…J Int Soc Sports Nutr July, 2008 https://tinyurl.com/hc8he4du
Arora, et al. GABAergic implications in anxiety and related disorders, Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Sept 2024. https://tinyurl.com/5rk46hbt
Hidese, et al. Effects of L-theanine on Stress-Related Symptoms and Cognitive Functions in Healthy Adults Oct, 2019 https://tinyurl.com/2dnhcj3a
Lopresti AL, et al. Effects of saffron on sleep quality in healthy adults with self-reported poor sleep. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32056539/
Lee KE, et al. Hericium erinaceus (Lions Mane) improves mood and sleep disorders…. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, April 2019 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31118969/
Creado SA. Peak Sleep Performance for Athletes. 2020. https://tinyurl.com/58prxh3k
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