To boost mental focus or energy, try taking L-theanine first thing in the morning, ideally about 30 minutes before breakfast. Conversely, to help support better sleep, a 50-200mg dose of L-theanine 30-60 minutes before bed would be best.
So, should you take L-theanine in the morning or at night? If you're looking to get a good night's sleep, take L-theanine at night. For example, if you need help getting to sleep, you won't want to drink caffeinated tea at night, so you should opt for caffeine-free or herbal tea before bed.
L-theanine is one of my most common treatments for anxiousness and may help any of the three sub-types. It's usually taken in doses from 50-100 mg once or twice daily. In more severe cases, it may be taken 3 or 4 times per day. It is not habit forming like many anti-anxiety medications.
When taken by mouth: L-theanine is possibly safe when used short-term. Doses of up to 900 mg daily have been safely used for 8 weeks. It isn't clear if L-theanine is safe to use for longer periods of time. It might cause mild side effects, such as headache or sleepiness.
There are no confirmed or direct side effects of consuming L-theanine. Generally speaking, it's safe to drink teas and take supplements that contain L-theanine. But it's important to note that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn't regulate supplement.
“A combination of magnesium with L-Theanine (an amino acid) will ease the tension in the physical body and settle anxiety as L-Theanine supports the production of calming neurotransmitters. Take this combination now twice daily rather than waiting until you feel tense or anxious.”
L-theanine, on the other hand, promotes relaxation and stress reduction without sedating. L-theanine can help foster a state of calm, attentive wakefulness. L-theanine has positive effects on both the mental and physical symptoms of stress, including lowering heart rate and blood pressure.
L-theanine, caffeine and their combination seem to improve sustained attention and overall cognitive performance in children with ADHD, possibly via decreasing mind wandering during exertion of attention.
L-theanine promotes relaxation and facilitates sleep by contributing to a number of changes in the brain: Boosts levels of GABA and other calming brain chemicals. L-theanine elevates levels of GABA, as well as serotonin and dopamine.
A calming effect is usually noted within 30 to 40 minutes after L-theanine is taken at a dose of 50 to 200mg, and typically lasts 8 to 10 hours. Moderate anxiety symptoms often improve with a regimen of 200mg once or twice daily.
If you're someone who wants a natural remedy to help cope with everyday stress, L-theanine might be a good place to start. Similarly, if you want to increase your concentration, or ability to think, or you want to increase your energy while also increasing relaxation, give it a shot.
Possible Drawbacks of L-Theanine for Anxiety
A decrease of serotonin in the brain may result in an increase in stress and tension, which is the opposite of the desired effect for anxiety sufferers.
L-theanine is a fast-acting amino acid. You should feel the effects within 30 minutes to 1 hour after taking it. The effects of L-theanine can last up to 8 hours.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding:There is not enough reliable information about the safety of using theanine if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use. Children: Theanine is POSSIBLY SAFE for children. Doses of 200 mg of theanine have been safely used twice daily for up to 6 weeks.
The present results suggest that 97 mg of L-theanine in combination with 40 mg of caffeine helps to focus attention during a demanding cognitive task.
L-theanine may reduce brain fog symptoms such as memory problems and delayed reaction time when taken as a supplement. It may also help reduce stress and improve sleep, which may relieve brain fog symptoms.
If you're taking L-theanine to help with anxiety, it's recommended to take two split-up doses in the morning and night—for example, 100mg at breakfast and 100mg at dinner. To boost mental focus or energy, try taking L-theanine first thing in the morning, ideally about 30 minutes before breakfast.
Magnesium can decrease the absorption and effectiveness of numerous medications, including some common antibiotics such as tetracycline (Achromycin, Sumycin), demeclocycline (Declomycin), doxycycline (Vibramycin), minocycline (Minocin), ciprofloxacin (Cipro), levofloxacin (Levaquin), moxifloxacin (Avelox) and ofloxacin ...
Magnesium and calcium/multivitamin
But if you do take magnesium, Erin Stokes, ND, recommends not taking it at the same time as your multivitamin, as it may interfere with the absorption of smaller minerals found in the multivitamin, like iron and zinc.
The Best Time of Day to Take L-Theanine
If you're using l-theanine to boost cognitive function during the day, it's best to take l-theanine about 30 minutes (in capsule or pill form) before your morning coffee. You can also add it as a powder to your cup of coffee.
L-theanine acts within 30-60 minutes, while Ashwagandha takes time (up to a week) to feel the benefits. This creates a bridge effect where daily doses of L-theanine bridge the longer-term benefits of Ashwagandha.
After consumption, L-theanine can cross the blood-brain barrier and affect brain activity by promoting increased alpha-waves, a pattern of brain activity associated with a more relaxed state. The tendency of L-theanine to increase alpha waves may explain its stress and anxiety reducing effects.
Animal neurochemistry studies suggest that L-theanine increases brain serotonin, dopamine, GABA levels and has micromolar affinities for AMPA, Kainate and NMDA receptors.
54 They found that all the components suppressed weight gain. Green tea powder, catechins, and theanine also reduced triglyceride levels. The researchers concluded that not only can caffeine help prevent weight gain and fat accumulation, but theanine can, too.
A study on the effects of theanine on the liver showed that when it was administered to mice prior to ethanol exposure, it fully restored the mice's baseline liver functions. These results bode well for drinkers, since they imply that theanine can help prevent ethanol-induced liver injury.