Peter Attia is a huge name in the medical community because of his brilliant research on longevity and well-being. Dr. Attia attended medical school at Stanford University, where he then went on to train at John Hopkins Hospital. Since then, Dr. Attia founded Attia Medical, PC, a medical practice that focuses on the applied science of longevity, well-being, and optimizing cognitive, physical, and emotional health.

Dr. Attia is always researching and testing different techniques and tactics to optimize everything from athletic performance to sleep. Sleep is actually a huge focus for Dr. Attia, as he spent his early medical days sacrificing sleep and paying the consequences. Today, Dr. Attia describes getting 8 hours of sleep per night as non-negotiable. Attia has interviewed the world’s leading experts on sleep and has developed one of the most legendary sleep protocols that I have ever seen. This includes supplements, sleep hacks such as the OOLER, and simple things like cutting out alcohol. If you are looking to drastically improve your sleep, look no further.

RELATED READING: Dr. Peter Attia’s Supplement List, Biohacking Toolkit, & Diet

Peter Attia Sleep Supplements

The following supplements are Dr. Peter Attia’s supplement cocktail designed to optimize sleep. He has mentioned this stack on multiple podcasts. Peter does not typically take all of these supplements every single night (except for magnesium). He will usually use some sort of combination of them depending on what his needs are for that night of sleep. So, let’s dive in to Dr. Attia’s sleep supplements.

RELATED READING: 8 Tools to Biohack Your Way to Better Sleep

Magnesium

Dr. Attia is a huge proponent of supplementing with magnesium. According to Tools of Titans, Attia takes 600 to 800 mg per day of magnesium, alternating between mag sulfate and mag oxide. According Peter’s 2018 AMA Podcast, he takes 2 tablets of SlowMag every morning and 400 mg of Magnesium Oxide by Nature Made at night.

Research has shown that even a small lack of magnesium can prevent the brain from settling down at night, and every cell and organ needs it to function properly. Magnesium helps you fall asleep faster by activating neurotransmitters that calm your mind and body. Not only can magnesium help you fall asleep faster, it actually acts on the central nervous system to promote a deep and restful sleep.

RELATED READING: Tim Ferriss Supplements: The Complete Guide

Kirk Parsley’s Sleep Remedy

Dr. Attia has mentioned he will typically combine some variation his other supplements with Doc Parsley’s Sleep Remedy. When he flies, he will take a double dose of this stuff in order to sleep through the flight. This sleep cocktail is jam-packed with loads of sleep promoting supplements such as:

• Melatonin
• L-Tryptophan
• 5HTP
• phGABA (phenibut)
• Vitamin D
• Magnesium

Attia is an investor in this company, so you know it is going to be one of the best all-in-one sleep supplements on the market. Since Doc Parsley’s Sleep Remedy isn’t available on Amazon, you will have to order it directly from their website.

RELATED READING: Dr. Rhonda Patrick’s Supplement List

L-Threonate

During a live Q & A on Instagram, Dr. Attia mentions supplementing with L-Threonate to help him sleep. L-Threonate is a magnesium transporter, helping it cross the blood-brain-barrier for better absorbtion. Peter uses Jarrow MagMind L-Threonate.

RELATED READING: Dr. Andrew Huberman’s Supplement Stack

Phosphatidylserine

Before bed, Peter will take a supplement called phosphatidylserine in order to lower adrenal output and reduce stress levels. Supplementing with phosphatidylserine has even been scientifically proven to lower cortisol levels. So if you have trouble reducing stress before bed, you should implement a phosphatidylserine supplement. Dr. Attia uses the Jarrow brand, more specifically he takes Jarrow PS100, which you can pick up on Amazon.

RELATED READING: David Sinclair’s Supplement List for Longevity

Peter Attia Sleep Tools

OOLER Cooling Sleep System

One sleep tool that all bio-hackers seem to universally love is the OOLER Sleep System (Use code OOLER15 to get 15% off!). If you’re like me, you have likely had a bad night of sleep because you continuously wake up due to being too hot or cold. The OOLER Sleep System is the answer to that problem. This is a tool that allows you to control the temperature of your mattress down to your exact specifications through an app in your phone. The OOLER is made by the same team behind the Chilipad, with the OOLER being their latest product release. On The Tim Ferriss Show, Dr. Attia mentions how he recently upgraded from the Chilipad to the OOLER and was loving it.

Our body temperatures actually lower when we sleep, with the suggested room temperature for optimal sleep ranging between 60 to 67 degrees. Dr. Attia mentions in a tweet below that he has 3 of these things, and uses them while living in large cities with typically older buildings where it’s hard to control temperatures, especially during the summer.

The OOLER will maintain the temperature of your mattress with precision all night, even if the temperature in your room may be fluctuating. You can pick up an OOLER on their website, or go for the Chilipad if you want a slightly less expensive version.

RELATED: Joe Rogan’s Legendary Supplement Stack: What He Takes and Why

Blue-Light Blocking Glasses

Another thing that seems to be all the rage in the bio-hacking space these days is blue-light blocking glasses. You see Dave Asprey wearing these things all the time, and Peter is also a fan of them. He has mentioned across many mediums how he wears Gunnar Blue-Light Blocking Glasses before bed in an effort to reduce his exposure to blue-light, thus improving sleep.

In fact, there are many benefits to wearing blue-light blocking glasses:

• Ease digital eye strain
• Improve sleep quality by blocking harmful blue light before bed
• Increase/regulate melatonin production
• Decrease your risk Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
• Alleviate eye discomfort

According to The Vision Council, 59% of adults experience eye strain after just two hours a day of using digital devices. If you are like me, you are probably thinking how you wish you could only stare at a digital device for two hours a day. Also, 80 percent of adults report using digital devices in the hour before going to bed! Simply put, you are likely sacrificing the quality of your sleep if you are not using blue-light blocking glasses before bed.

Research by Harvard University has shown that by exposing our system to artificial blue-light from electronic devices after the sun goes down, we actually disrupt our circadian rhythm and experience decreased levels of melatonin. On his blog, Dr. Attia mentions he uses the popular Gunnar brand of blue light blocking glasses. You can also get Gunnar glasses on Amazon.

Alaska Bear Eye Mask

One of the cheapest and easiest ways to immediately improve your sleep is by investing in a sleep mask. This is why Dr. Attia uses the Alaska Bear Sleep Mask. A sleep mask allows you to sleep in complete darkness, so there is no reason to invest in expensive blackout curtains to try and achieve a darker room. I personally noticed that I wake up in the middle of the night less when using a sleep mask.

Here’s what Dr. Attia had to say about the Alaska Bear Sleep Mask on The Tim Ferriss Show:

“Incredible darkness in the actual room at night or using, I use this thing called the Alaska Bear Eye Shade. It’s like you can buy it on Amazon. It’s eight bucks. It’s like this little silky Alaska Bear. It’s the stupidest name ever. I don’t know why. I love it though. I have 20 Alaska Bears because I have them everywhere, so I’m never without one..”

You may not need 20 pairs like Peter, but I highly recommend giving the Alaska Bear Sleep Mask a try.

Hydro Flask

Now the Hydro Flask may seem like an odd sleep tool – but when asked what he keeps on his bedside table, Peter said the following: “I like to keep water by my side, in a Hydro Flask bottle, for replenishment and to wash down the occasional supplements before bed.”

You should always have water on your bedside table so you don’t have to get up in the middle of the night when you are thirsty. A Hydro Flask will help keep the water cool all night long.

Peter Attia Sleep Tips

Change Your Behavior

In order to improve your sleep, your going to have to completely change your relationship with sleep, including the behaviors that have an effect on it. If you are not exercising and are drinking everyday, it is almost impossible to even get a decent night of sleep consistently.

Here is what Peter had to say about this on Tim Ferriss’ podcast:

“I mean this sleep is a hard thing because it’s sort of like exercise in the sense that you can’t just give somebody a pill that makes sleep better. It really comes down to changing. You have to sort of accept you’re going to make behavior change. You have to prioritize this thing and it’s not just the eight hours you want to spend in bed. It’s the buildup to it.”

Dr. Attia advises completely changing your behavior if you want to improve your sleep, and that there is no magic pill. You should make sure you are covering your bases by exercising and eating healthy, then you can master your own sleep protocol. See what works for you.

Elimination of Alcohol

Eliminating alcohol can lead to do a drastic improvement in sleep. More specifically, an increase in REM sleep, or deep sleep, where all the magic happens. When asked about tips to improve sleep, Dr. Attia will almost always bring up eliminating alcohol. Attia says he is down to three or four drinks a month, and will only drink when he wants it to count (think going out with good friends).

Here is an excerpt of Dr. Attia describing what happens to his body during sleep if he has had 3 or 4 drinks via The Tim Ferriss Show:

“Well, I see a higher resting heart rate period and a lower heart rate variability for sure, and a higher body temperature. I don’t know the last time I had two drinks in a night, but definitely it’s one to two is also a really big step up. Look, it’s everyone’s got to decide what they’re going to do and what their priorities are and I’m not here to say don’t drink at all, but I just have to say don’t be mindless in your drinking is sort of my point. Like if you’re going to drink, like make it really fricking worthwhile. Like do it for a reason. Don’t just do it because the alcohol is there.”

Peter also did an interesting podcast with Dr. Matthew Walker, who is one of the world’s leading sleep experts. Dr. Walker described alcohol as wreaking havoc on your sleep, saying it inhibits deep, restorative sleep and inhibits vasopressin (the anti-diuretic hormone ADH), causing you to wake up and pee in the middle of the night after drinking.

Peter Attia’s Jet-Lag Protocol

In Dr. Attia’s AMA #4, he reveals his jet-lag protocol which allows him to acclimate quickly to wherever he flies to in the world. The goal of this protocol is to put yourself into the timezone you are heading to as soon as you get on the plane. This means timing your sleep patterns on the plane as if you were already at your destination. So if you plan to be landing somewhere in the morning, your goal is to sleep on the plan, even if you are leaving your destination at say, 1 p.m.

This is actually pretty hard to do, as it disrupts your natural circadian rhythm. To combat this, Dr. Attia uses his jet-lag protocol which consists of the following products:

1. Phosphatidylserine (Jarrow PS100) – This will lower your cortisol levels, which can be hard to achieve during the day. Take approximately 600mg of Jarrow PS100 30 minutes before boarding.
2. Kirk Parsley’s Sleep Remedy – Peter will take a single dose in capsule form due to convenience. As mentioned above, this all-in-one sleep supplement contains numerous compounds to help you sleep.

After consuming the above cocktail, Peter then notifies the stewardess to not disturb him during the flight, and will set an alarm to wake him up when it is morning at his destination. Peter would sleep on the plane using his Alaska Bear Sleep Mask.

Next, once he wakes up at his destination, Peter then aims to stay awake until it is time to go to sleep in the city he arrived in. To aid in staying awake, Dr. Attia will take 200 mg of Modafinil. Now, Modafinil is a powerful nootropic that is only available by prescription, so consult your doctor. But, a strong shot or four of espresso should help you get through the day and achieve the purpose of the Modafinil.

Peter Attia Sleep Resources

We hope you enjoyed this summary of Peter Attia’s Sleep Protocol. Below you will find links to some of Dr. Attia’s best work when it comes to sleep, along with links to products mentioned in the article

• Peter Attia 3-Part Podcast with Dr. Matthew Walker – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
• The Tim Ferriss Show with Peter Attia, M.D. — Fasting, Metformin, Athletic Performance, and More (#398)
• OOLER Sleep System (Use code ooler15 for 15% off)
• Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Dr. Matthew Walker
• Peter Attia Podcast #58 – AMA with sleep expert, Matthew Walker, Ph.D.: Strategies for sleeping more, sleeping better, and avoiding things that are disrupting sleep

Sources:

1. Associations between Sleep, Cortisol Regulation, and Diet: Possible Implications for the Risk of Alzheimer Disease
2. Blue light has a dark side- Harvard University Medical School