Sleep & Recovery

Peter Attia Breaks Down Every Sleep Drug and Supplement Worth Knowing

Peter Attia dedicates a full episode to sleep pharmacology, walking through how major prescription sleep medications work, their effects on sleep architecture, and when they are actually appropriate to use. He explains why behavioral interventions must come first, and how medications should be matched to the specific mechanism driving a person's insomnia. He covers benzodiazepines, Z-drugs, and the newer dual orexin receptor antagonists (DORAs), including their potential role in Alzheimer's prevention. The episode also reviews off-label options like trazodone and first-generation antihistamines, then closes with an evidence-based look at common sleep supplements including glycine, magnesium, ashwagandha, and phosphatidylserine. The overarching message is that sleep is a biological imperative and that indiscriminate use of sedatives — without understanding the underlying problem — can undermine the restorative stages of sleep that matter most for health.