The Sleep Stack That Changed Everything

Welcome to The Movement
This week’s read: ~11 minutes

I’m Ryan, founder of Valvo Health. I challenge outdated thinking around pain, performance, and recovery.

Each week, I break down what I’m learning, building, and teaching, so you can train harder, recover smarter, and stay in control of your health for the long haul.

Let’s get into it.

SUPPLEMENTS FOR SUPERHUMAN SLEEP

There are a lot of ways to improve sleep, but this newsletter will focus on the best supplements and stacks that have been shown to work.

Let's be clear: these aren't fixes for a life of stress, poor recovery, or doomscrolling until 2AM. No pill can undo those saboteurs.

But these compounds can tap into deeper levels of sleep that most people only dream of achieving. The kind that rebuilds your brain, resets your hormones, and makes you wake up feeling reborn.

Sleep is everything. Without it, we literally die. Or worse, trudge through life as cognitive zombies operating at 60% capacity. Your sleep quality determines your hormone production, cognitive function, emotional regulation, athletic recovery, and even how quickly you age. It's the foundation that either amplifies or undermines everything else you're doing for your health.

Sleep is an energy-intensive process:

• Glymphatic activation (brain detox)

• Memory consolidation

• Muscle-protein synthesis

• Growth hormone & testosterone production

• Mitochondrial biogenesis

• Tissue repair & detox

• Metabolic regulation

With that, our bodies need the right amount of “fuel” to drive these processes and allow our bodies to heal, clear toxins, recharge, etc.

I'm not here to sell you some magic pill. I'm about to share a sleep stack that's transforming how I function, but let's get one thing straight: supplements are just the cherry on top of a well-built sleep foundation.

I've spent years optimizing my sleep environment, sunlight exposure, and nervous system regulation. Now I'm fine-tuning with compounds that make me wake up feeling like I just got an oil change for my brain. The difference is real, and if you're serious about next-level performance, you'll want to pay attention.

MY SLEEP REALITY

I sleep incredibly well & spend as much time in the sun, water & grounding as possible (god-level recovery).

I wake up right before sunrise. Sleep with windows/doors open to hear other creatures waking. Our rhythms have aligned.

But even with solid sleep habits, I still sometimes wake up puffy & foggy. This screams inhibited nighttime detox. When lights go out, your body's janitors come in. The cellular junk should get pushed out and flushed... but that doesn't always happen.

If you're not getting early AM sunlight, grounding daily, avoiding blue light, and prioritizing your sleep environment, you're not gonna make it. Supplements won't save you. You know this, but still want the easy fix. It's fine, we all do.

Always do the small things → Invest in high quality linens, eliminate nnEMF from your bedroom, avoid a lot of light, etc.

THE MORNING LIGHT CONNECTION

Speaking of light, viewing early AM sunlight is essential for regulating your circadian rhythm.

Low solar angle sun optimally stimulates the photosensitive melanopsin cells in your eyes. Get outside ASAP after waking and look toward (not directly at) the sun for 5-10 minutes.

Remember:

• No sunglasses

• Never stare directly at the sun

• Don't look through a window

This practice improves mood, focus, alertness and sets your nighttime sleep timer. If you wake before sunrise, you'll need to wait. Huberman recommends a SAD lamp for early morning hours.

NAP LIKE A PRO

Everyone should nap if possible. It gives your brain a mental reset, so that you can be a functioning human being in the evening hours, even after a long day.

But what separates a useful nap from one that wrecks your later sleep?

For most people, 20-30 minutes is the sweet spot. Long enough to boost mood, mental clarity, and performance without destroying your nighttime sleep.

Longer naps (30+ minutes) typically backfire unless you're a shift worker or chronically sleep-deprived. In those cases, a full 90-minute cycle can be beneficial.

Bottom line: If your nighttime sleep is solid, keep naps short. If deeply under slept, go long, but with purpose.

WHY SUPPLEMENTS AREN'T THE ANSWER (BUT STILL MATTER)

We're hardwired for the path of least resistance. Primal circuitry to conserve resources & avoid pain.

Cultivating a balanced lifestyle = hard One pill solving all problems = easy

This is the facade sold by decades of pharma & GNC.

Supplements are never THE answer. They move the needle when you're already in the top 1%. This stack is NOT a recommendation or blueprint. It's what I do to chip away at years of toxicity that damaged my biology.

Let me be crystal clear: I don't need supplements to fall asleep. I just shut my eyes and I'm out.

BUT this stack has completely transformed:

• How deeply I sleep

• My circadian rhythm stability

• How sharp I feel in the morning

THE CORE NIGHTTIME STACK

Here’s what I'm currently experimenting with:

• Dandelion Root (overnight detox function)

• Taurine (GABA + Clock gene expression)

• L-Theanine (Alpha brainwaves)

• Glycine (thermoregulation + sleep onset)

• GABA

• Selenium (glutathione peroxidase)

• Magnesium glycinate (relaxation)

• Collagen (I prefer proline)

• Shilajit

• L-carnitine

I will likely take this 3x/week for the next month. Constantly tinkering with dosages. Adding & removing compounds to identify the real needle movers.

The L-theanine + GABA combo is especially mind-blowing. I feel like a 19th century intellectual – unfazed by distractions, which is rare for my hunter-type brain.

I source all these supplements from my online dispensary for guaranteed quality. As a clinician, I can offer my members a special discount through my Fullscript link HERE.

SIMPLE BUT EFFECTIVE BEDTIME SUPPLEMENTS

Before adding complex stacks, master these basics:

• Magnesium glycinate (relaxation)

• Electrolytes (muscle recovery)

• Probiotics (gut health)

• Glycine (deeper sleep)

Fix your internal environment before bed!

Sleep is your most anabolic state. Pre-sleep nutrition should be designed accordingly to maximize repair functions, steroid synthesis & growth hormone production.

TART CHERRY + COLLAGEN COMBO

This has become my nightly ritual:

• Fall asleep faster

• Deeper restorative sleep

• Better tissue repair & recovery

Best served with sparkling water & a sprinkle of glycine.

BERRIES & GLYCINE

Another pre-bed winner. Antioxidants, simple sugars, enhanced blood flow, reduced sleep latency. Plus, delicious.

NIGHTTIME ZEN POTION

While individual supplements are great, I've found that specific combinations create synergistic effects you can't get from taking things separately.

My latest experimental blend combines recovery, relaxation, and growth factors in one delicious nightcap:

• Goat Kefir (gut health + casein protein)

• Honey (liver glycogen replenishment)

• Glycine (sleep quality enhancer)

• Colostrum (growth factors + immune support)

• Magnesium glycinate (nervous system relaxation)

• Zinc picolinate (testosterone support)

This isn't just another supplement stack. It's a whole-food based approach that delivers compounds in their natural ratios. The combined effect feels like I just took a beta blocker, completely down regulating nervous system activity before sleep.

Next time, I'm adding egg yolks for additional choline and cholesterol (steroid hormone precursors). Remember, sleep is your most anabolic window. Fuel it accordingly.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Sleep optimization is a hierarchy:

1. Environment & circadian alignment first

2. Basic nutrition & supplement foundation second

3. Advanced compound stacking last

Get the fundamentals right, then experiment intelligently with supplements that enhance your body's natural overnight regeneration processes.

What works for me might not work for you. Start simple, track results, and gradually build your perfect sleep stack.

I've created a 'Sleep' category in my online dispensary with all products mentioned in this newsletter. As a clinician, I offer a professional pricing on these high-quality supplements. Click the link to access my Fullscript store and start transforming your sleep tonight.

Until next time

That’s all for today. Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help.

• 🤝 Want to work with me 1:1? Book a Discovery Call to see if you’re a good fit.

• 📕 Curious about managing pain? Download my “Pain Guide” here.

Need something else? Just reply to this email - read every response.

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See yah out there,

Ryan

DISCLAIMER: This newsletter is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice.