Andrew Huberman's Sleep Stack Is Missing 2 Compounds: A 2026 European Re-Build

The Huberman sleep stack — magnesium L-threonate, apigenin, and L-theanine — is the most repeated supplement protocol on the internet. Hundreds of thousands of people now take this exact combination, often at the exact doses he repeats on the podcast: 145 mg L-threonate, 50 mg apigenin, 100–400 mg L-theanine.

The protocol works. We are not here to argue with that. The compounds have published evidence, the doses are in a reasonable range, and the formulation is sensible. But two compounds with arguably stronger sleep evidence are conspicuously missing from the protocol he repeats on air. We have been asked about this enough times that it deserves a full breakdown.

This guide covers what the original Huberman stack does, what it leaves out, and what a re-built European sleep stack looks like with two additional compounds the literature supports. Every dose, every citation, every product is verifiable. Pan-European focus. Personal experience plus published research, no medical claims.

What the Original Huberman Stack Does Well

Before adding to a protocol, it is worth understanding what is already there.

Magnesium L-Threonate (145 mg)

L-threonate is the only magnesium form with consistent evidence for crossing the blood-brain barrier in measurable quantities. Slutsky et al. (2010) showed elevated brain magnesium concentrations in animal models, with downstream effects on synaptic plasticity. The trade-off: it is the most expensive magnesium form by a wide margin, and 145 mg of elemental magnesium is below the 320–420 mg daily intake most adults need. Threonate is a brain-targeted addition, not a magnesium source.

Apigenin (50 mg)

A flavonoid found in chamomile, parsley, and celery. Apigenin binds GABA-A benzodiazepine receptors in published in-vitro and animal work, and a small clinical trial in older adults found chamomile extract (apigenin-rich) reduced sleep latency. The dose Huberman repeats — 50 mg — is on the low end. The chamomile clinical trial used 270 mg of standardised chamomile extract. We will return to this.

L-Theanine (100–400 mg)

An amino acid analogue from green tea. L-theanine modulates alpha brain wave activity and promotes a calm-but-focused state. Hidese et al. (2019) found 200 mg/day improved sleep quality and reduced sleep latency in adults with stress-related sleep complaints. Solid compound, well-dosed in his protocol.

What the Stack Misses: Glycine

The Compound

Glycine is the simplest amino acid, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, and one of the most underrated sleep compounds in published literature. It is not a sedative. It works through a different mechanism: glycine lowers core body temperature, and a falling body temperature is one of the strongest physiological signals for sleep onset.

The Evidence

The strongest data comes from Japanese clinical trials. Yamadera et al. (2007) gave 3 g of glycine before bed to subjects with subjective sleep complaints. The result: improved subjective sleep quality, reduced fatigue the next day, and improved performance on a cognitive task — all without sedation. Bannai & Kawai (2012) followed up with polysomnography data showing glycine shortened time to slow-wave sleep.

The mechanism is consistent across studies: oral glycine raises peripheral blood flow, dissipates core body temperature heat, and accelerates the natural pre-sleep temperature drop. People wake up reporting they slept more deeply, not because glycine knocked them out, but because their thermoregulation cooperated faster.

Why It's Missing From the Original Stack

Glycine is dirt cheap. It is sold as a bulk amino acid powder for €0.10–0.20 per 3 g serving. It has no premium branding, no biotech narrative, and no celebrity backer. We suspect this is part of why it does not get airtime — not because of any negative evidence, but because the supplement economy rewards expensive niche compounds over cheap effective ones.

How to Use It

3 g (one teaspoon of powder, or six 500 mg capsules) taken 30–60 minutes before bed. Mix powder into a glass of water; it is mildly sweet and dissolves easily. No notable side effects in healthy adults at this dose. Available across the EU as a food supplement.

What the Stack Misses: Higher-Dose Apigenin

The Dose Problem

Huberman frequently mentions 50 mg of apigenin. The chamomile clinical trial that the apigenin-for-sleep narrative ultimately derives from — Adib-Hajbaghery & Mousavi (2017) — used 270 mg of standardised chamomile extract twice daily, with apigenin as one of several active flavonoids. The pharmacokinetic literature on apigenin (Salehi et al. 2019) shows oral bioavailability is poor — estimated single-digit percent — due to rapid first-pass metabolism. At 50 mg orally, the systemic dose reaching GABA receptors is a fraction of the dose that produced effects in the chamomile trials.

The Re-Build Dose

The pragmatic dose range based on the literature is 100–200 mg of pure apigenin extract before bed. Some sources go higher (300–400 mg) but bioavailability becomes the limiting factor more than total dose. Pairing apigenin with a small amount of dietary fat (a teaspoon of olive oil, a few almonds) modestly improves absorption based on its lipophilic nature.

EU Sources

Pure apigenin powder is available from European suppliers including PowderCity equivalents and EU-shipping nutraceutical retailers. Standardised celery seed extract (which is apigenin-rich) is available across European pharmacies. We use 150–200 mg pure apigenin nightly when running this stack.

The Re-Built European Sleep Stack

Here is the full protocol with all five compounds and exact doses:

The Compounds We Considered and Rejected

Melatonin

The legality picture is fragmented across Europe. Prescription-only in the UK, Germany, France above 1 mg, and several other markets. Available OTC in Italy, Spain, and Poland at lower doses. Beyond legality, the dose problem is severe: typical OTC melatonin in the US is 3–10 mg, while the physiologically relevant dose is 0.3–1 mg. Zhdanova et al. (2001) found 0.3 mg matched 3 mg for sleep onset effects, with the higher dose causing residual next-day sedation. We do not include it in the standard re-build because of legal complexity and the high-dose-trap most users fall into.

Lithium Orotate

Low-dose lithium (5 mg of elemental lithium) has interesting evidence in mood and neuroprotection (Schrauzer 2002) but the sleep evidence is indirect. We cover this in the Huberman supplement stack rebuild for daytime cognition, not in the sleep protocol.

GABA Itself

Oral GABA does not cross the blood-brain barrier in meaningful quantities. The supplement industry sells it for sleep but the mechanism does not survive the digestive tract. Skip it.

Where to Buy the Re-Built Stack in Europe

• Magnesium L-threonate: Magtein-branded products (Solgar, Doctor's Best, Now Foods) on iHerb with EU shipping or Amazon DE/FR/IT. Expect €25–40 per month.
• Apigenin: NutriCost and Double Wood (US brands shipping to EU) or European nutraceutical retailers. Pure 50 mg capsules taken 3-4x or 100 mg taken 2x. Expect €15–25 per month.
• L-theanine: Suntheanine-branded products (Now Foods, Jarrow, Solgar) widely available across EU pharmacies and online. Expect €10–15 per month.
• Glycine powder: Bulk Powders, MyProtein, and Bulk EU offer 500 g+ glycine for €15–25, lasting 5–6 months at 3 g/day.
• Magnesium glycinate: Solgar, Now Foods, KAL widely available. Expect €15–20 per month.

Total monthly cost for the full re-built stack: approximately €70–110/month, depending on brand selection. Glycine is the cheapest addition and arguably the highest-evidence improvement.

Side Effects, Interactions, Cautions

Glycine

Generally well tolerated. Mild GI discomfort possible at 5+ g/day. Avoid combining with clozapine (a specific antipsychotic) where it has been shown to reduce drug efficacy. Not a concern at recreational supplement doses for healthy adults.

Apigenin at Higher Doses

Apigenin is a CYP450 enzyme modulator at higher doses, which means it can theoretically interact with prescription drugs metabolised by these enzymes (some statins, certain blood pressure medications, some psychiatric drugs). The effect at 150–200 mg is likely minimal in healthy adults but anyone on prescription medication should review with a physician.

Magnesium L-Threonate

Doses above the labeled amount can cause loose stools (the laxative effect characteristic of all magnesium forms). Stay at 145 mg for the threonate component.

What We Use Personally

For 90 days we ran the original Huberman stack. Then for the next 90 days we ran the re-built version with glycine and 200 mg apigenin. Subjective sleep quality (tracked with Oura) showed measurably more time in deep sleep on the re-built version, with the same total sleep time. Sleep latency was unchanged. Next-day cognitive readiness scores improved meaningfully on the re-build.

This is personal experience — n=1, not a clinical trial — reported here for transparency. The published literature on glycine is more compelling than our anecdote, and the apigenin dose argument stands on pharmacokinetic data, not on our experience.

Key Takeaways

• The Huberman sleep stack — magnesium L-threonate, apigenin, L-theanine — is a reasonable foundation with published support for each compound.
• Glycine at 3 g pre-bed has clinical trial evidence for improved subjective sleep quality and slow-wave sleep, working via core body temperature drop. It is not in the original stack.
• The 50 mg apigenin dose Huberman repeats is below the dose range studied in chamomile sleep trials. 150–200 mg is more aligned with the pharmacokinetic literature.
• Total re-built stack: L-threonate 145 mg, apigenin 150–200 mg, L-theanine 200 mg, glycine 3 g, plus magnesium glycinate 200 mg at dinner for daily baseline.
• Total monthly cost across European retailers: approximately €70–110.
• Skip melatonin (legal complexity + dose-trap), skip oral GABA (does not cross BBB), skip generic "sleep formulas" with proprietary blends.