5 Best Mushrooms for Sleep (According to Studies)

Sleep is essential for recharging the body and mind, physical health, and overall wellness. Frighteningly, an estimated 50 to 70 million Americans struggle with chronic sleep disorders.

If you’re one of the millions of people looking for a way to battle your insomnia, we’ve put together a list of the five best mushrooms for sleep you can add to your nightly routine. 

Combined with good sleep hygiene and proper treatment, these five best mushrooms for sleep have been proven to have an effect on relaxing the body. They could just be the solution you need to finally get a good night’s rest.

5. Shiitake (Lentinula edode)

Shiitake mushrooms today are well-known for their umami flavor, and woody texture, and now for their medicinal benefits. This mushroom was first cultivated in China between 1000 and 1100 A.D. Its name is, however, a combination of the Japanese words for the Shii tree mushroom (take). 

Shiitake mushrooms now have evidence that suggests they offer several health benefits including:

• Anti-cancer
• Anti-viral
• Anti-microbial
• Anti-diabetic
• Anti-obesity
• Improved immunity 

These many health benefits are likely due to the compounds found within shiitake, which include ​polysaccharides, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals including B12, Potassium, Magnesium, dietary fiber, and ergosterol just to name a few.

Perhaps more important is its compound eritadenine. Eritadenine found in shiitake makes this one of the best mushrooms for sleep thanks to eritadenine’s sedative effects.

Amazingly, animal studies have found that eritadenine is an antagonist to adenosine, which is responsible for many of the body’s physical anxiety responses. Eritadenine has been shown to have both sedative-hypnotic and anti-anxiety effects. 

For people with insomnia who find it difficult to relax and unwind before sleep, compounds like eritadenine show promising benefits. Being able to relax and slow down your central nervous system can be the boost you need to reduce anxiety before bed.

Unfortunately, this is easier said than done, especially if your nervous system is in constant overdrive such as in people with chronic stress. Deep breathing, meditation, and supplements like shiitake can be an excellent way to slow down the nervous system without other invasive treatments like medications. 

Fortunately, getting your hands on shiitake should now be relatively easy! They are, after all, the second most commonly cultivated edible mushrooms worldwide. I’ve had the pleasure of using shiitake in my vegan dishes, like Korean soondubu soups, and adding dried shiitake to my ramen.

Shiitake is also an excellent source of fiber, making it easy to digest and great for gut health. In fact, studies on Shiitake have shown they improve gut immunity. I’ve noticed a difference myself after switching to a vegan diet consisting of mushrooms like shiitake, and feeling relaxed is yet another amazing benefit!

Try our delicious mushroom gummies infused with the most powerful adaptogenic mushroom in the world

4. White Button Mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus)

White button mushrooms can be found in almost any supermarket and in tons of vegan recipes. While unassuming at first, these mushrooms pack a punch in terms of vitamins and benefits.

Agaricus bisporus has a shorter history than other mushrooms and nootropics on our list, with only 300 known years of cultivation. However, it’s gaining a reputation for having various health benefits, including regulating sleep.

That’s because it is packed full of ergosterol, a compound that, under UV exposure, converts into Vitamin D2. It’s now known that Vitamin D plays a big role in helping regulate sleep. In addition, white button mushroom’s high level of ergosterol that could play a role in its anti-insomnia and neuroprotective effects.

Studies on ergosterol in edible mushrooms, including white button mushrooms, show that they not only help protect against neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, but also have benefits including:

• Antioxidant activity
• Anti-inflammation
• Anticancer
• Antidiabetic
• Antimicrobial

Moreover, it’s well documented that people suffering from neurodegenerative diseases also experience sleep disturbances. Taking advantage of the positive effects of white button mushrooms can be an extra protective factor to tackle neurodegeneration and insomnia. 

The great thing about white button mushrooms is that they are now the most cultivated mushroom in the world (second is shiitake)! I use it actively in vegan cooking, including for making mushroom-style burgers, and have also found that extracts in supplements help give a calming and mood-boosting effect.

You can find white button mushrooms whole and even as part of other important nootropic supplements.

3. Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus)

Lion’s Mane, known as Hericium erinaceus, is now one of the most well-studied and most-used nootropics on the market. Lion’s Mane is named after its beautiful alien-like white fruiting bodies that give it the appearance of a lion’s mane.

This mushroom has been used for centuries in ancient Chinese medicine. Its purported benefits which have been studied by modern science include fighting:

• Diabetes
• Hyperlipidaemia
• Neurodegenerative disorders
• Cancers
• Mild cognitive impairment

Like other adaptogenic mushrooms, Lion’s Mane has compounds which allow it to benefit the mind and body, including Polysaccharides, Hericenones, and erinacines. For people with insomnia, these compounds play a big role in reducing symptoms of sleep disturbance and anxiety.

Researchers found that only four weeks of ingesting Lion’s Mane helped reduce chronic stress and negative mood, as well as improving sleep quality. It’s thought that hericenones and erinacines can help cross the blood-brain barrier and are responsible for reducing depression and improving sleep, as evidenced by studies on people with obesity taking Lion’s Mane.

Lion’s Mane continues to be studied for its benefits on Alzheimer’s Disease as well, showing how powerful this nootropic can be in the world of research and medicine. Lion’s Mane capsules, supplements like Zen Bites, and tinctures can be an amazing way to improve cognitive functioning and focus. 

I’ve used Lion’s Mane for years now, and have noticed that my ability to complete tasks and my to-do lists increases dramatically! As a result, I suffer from less stress before sleeping, and many others online and in separate reviews of this nootropic report the same. 

Try our delicious mushroom gummies infused with the most powerful adaptogenic mushroom in the world

2. Cordyceps

Cordyceps are highly unique, rare, and powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant fungi which are slowly becoming a popular topic in the world of nootropics. Found in the high altitudes of the Himalayas, this powerful fungus has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for almost 300 years.

Cordyceps are a type of adaptogen, meaning they help your body adapt to stress and fight fatigue. While it has several compounds, its most pronounced and powerful is cordycepin. Cordycepin has been shown to have a number of effects on the body, including:

• Anti-diabetic
• Anti-hyperlipidemia
• Anti-fungal
• Anti-inflammatory
• Anti-oxidant
• Anti-aging

It is also this cordycepin that acts as an adenosine analogue. Adenosine is a neurotransmitter that plays a role in sleep, alertness, and energy levels. By mimicking adenosine, cordycepin has been proven to play a role in sleep. A sleep study conducted on rats examining EEGs on subjects for four hours found that cordycepin increased NREM or non-rapid eye movement sleep.

Some might be wary of cordyceps, which the ancient Chinese call "Dong Chong Xia Cao," which means "Worm in winter and grass in summer!" This relates to the nature of cordyceps, which is more of a parasite than a fungus. Still, it has been deemed non-toxic and relatively safe.

I've used cordyceps in full capsule form, and now use it as part of my daily regimen in a nootropic gummy. I have noticed that it gives me a mood boost, helps reduce daytime fogginess and fatigue, and is easy on the stomach! No concerns about parasitic worms here!

1. Reishi (Ganoderma Lucidum)

Reishi, also known as Ganoderma Lucidum, is a medicinal mushroom that has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese and East Asian medicine. It contains over 400 bioactive compounds, including polysaccharides, triterpenoids, nucleosides, sterols, alkaloids, polypeptides, fatty acids, and so many more.

This is perhaps the most powerful nootropic known today, with benefits including:

• Anticancer
• Anti-inflammatory
• Hepatoprotection
• Hypoglycemic
• Anti-melanogenesis
• Anti-aging
• Akin barrier-repairing activity

In short, Reishi is, no doubt, a growingly popular nootropic, and for good reason. Not only does it have well-documented health benefits for physical health, but also for sleep.

Research on Reishi, including randomized controlled trials, showed that Reishi improves sleep quality for people with insomnia. In animal studies, extracts from Reishi reduced the time it took to sleep (known as sleep latency) and even prolonged sleep duration.

While studies will continue to attempt to answer the question as to why Reishi has such potent effects on sleep, the evidence speaks for itself! Today, Reishi users report feeling less anxious, sleep time, and sleep quality.

It's no wonder this mushroom was once known as the mushroom of immortality and connected to royalty. While it doesn't make you a regal, it does, in my personal use, give you a good night's sleep fit for a king or queen.

Get the Most Benefits For Sleep with Zen Bites Today

Zen Bites gives you the best combination of all of these nootropics in a simple, delicious, and convenient gummy. Our carefully crafted formula includes 10 of the most powerful nootropics to help you achieve better sleep and mood, including all of these mushrooms listed here!

Try our delicious mushroom gummies infused with the most powerful adaptogenic mushroom in the world

Our users love our all-vegan, natural formula, in addition to the amazing benefits they see for their sleep and overall well-being. Start your journey to better sleep with Zen Bites now and discover the wonders of medicinal mushrooms for yourself with our gummies!