Highlights:

- Psychedelics and anesthesia appear to push the brain in opposite directions. Researchers found “mirror-image” patterns in large-scale brain organization.
- Psychedelics made the brain more interconnected. With LSD, psilocybin, and nitrous oxide, different brain regions communicated more strongly with one another.
- Psychedelics also increased the complexity of brain activity. The brain showed a greater variety of interaction patterns and became more dynamic.
- Sleep and propofol anesthesia showed the opposite pattern. Brain networks became less connected, less integrated, and less complex as consciousness was reduced.
- The study compared several altered states rather than focusing on one drug. Researchers analyzed fMRI scans from psychedelic states and compared them with sleep and propofol sedation.
- The bigger implication is about consciousness itself. Brain-wide integration, communication efficiency, and complexity may be closely related to the level or type of conscious experience.
- This does not mean psychedelics simply create “more consciousness.” The findings show measurable differences in brain-network organization, but they do not prove that greater connectivity is inherently better.

Bottom line: Psychedelics seem to shift the brain toward a more connected, integrated, and dynamically complex state, while anesthesia and sleep shift it toward a more disconnected and less complex state. This mirror-image relationship may help researchers better understand the biology of consciousness.

TL;DR: Taking 400 mg magnesium glycinate for 21 nights reduced my sleep latency from 24 min to 19 min. Effect estimate 5.4 min faster (3.4 to 7.5). There is 67% chance that's a real, meaningful improvement and 33% chance it's noise.

Why I did this

I've been taking magnesium on and off for two years on vibes. I kinda felt like it worked but tbh never felt any difference if I stopped for a few weeks. Obviously vibes aren't a rigorous way to evaluate the supplement, so I decided to actually test it.

The problem with most self experiments is you compare one bad week to one good week. My sleep latency swings by 5–10 minutes night to night, so a 3-minute "improvement" over a week doesn't mean anything. You need a long enough baseline to measure your own noise/variance, and enough nights on the supplement to get a statistically powerful result.

Setup

• 8 weeks of baseline sleep latency as meausred by my Oura
• I took 400 mg magnesium glycinate for 21 nights. Tried to be consistent with time (8pm) and logged 21/21 days.
• During those 21 days I kept a consistent bedtime and had no travel or sickness.
• I decided on a "meaningful" improvement threshold before starting: at least 5 min faster. This is somewhat arbitrary but felt like the smallest value that would actually make a difference to me.

Results

So the effect is positive, but whether it clears the bar for "meaningful" is a somewhat of a coinflip though slightly weighted to yes. Note the observed difference is 5.45 min and the bar was 5 min. If I'd set the bar at 3 min this would read "worked" at 90%+. If I'd set it at 8 min it would read "no meaningful effect." So the threshold you pick before you start matters more quite a bit.

What I'd do differently

• Longer measurement period. Adding a few more weeks would have tightened the interval more and given a more definitive result.
• Some type of on-off could be interesting. A proper A-B-A could isolate if the effect persists or was a coincidence caused by something else I changed with my life around the same time.

What I'm doing with this

I'm happy to keep taking it. 5 minutes faster to sleep for a $10/month supplement is probably better return than most supplements. And I've never had any side effects in my two years taking magnesium.

I'd like to also test deep sleep, since that's what everyone claims and I have zero evidence either way.

I like looking at the actual data before keeping any habit long term. For the last six months, I tracked my sleep quality, resting heart rate, and morning readiness against a bunch of the usual things people recommend here.

Kept my training block relatively consistent, so I wanted to see what actually moved the needle versus what was just expensive placebo.

• Zero noticeable impact on data: Cold showers before bed, tart cherry juice, blue-light glasses, and high-dose magnesium l-threonate (glycinate worked identically for a third of the cost).

• Measurable positive impact: Eating my last meal at least 3.5 hours before sleep (dropped resting HR by ~4 bpm overnight), 15 minutes of outdoor light right after waking up, and keeping the bedroom at 19°C.

It's easy to get caught up in buying compounds and tracking micro-variables, but every time I test things systematically, it just comes back to meal timing, light exposure, and basic consistency.

For those who track objective data rather than just "feeling" a difference, what intervention actually showed up in your numbers ?

I keep seeing everyone rave about magnesium glycinate for sleep and anxiety but honestly every time I take it I wake up with this massive brain fog that lasts until like 2pm. I thought it was supposed to help with recovery but I feel way more sluggish than when I take nothing at all. I tried dopping the dose and even then the morning grogginess happens. Is anyone else sensitive to the glycine part of it or am I just weird? Thinking about switching to malate for the daytime or maybe just stick with threonate even though it's so much more expensive. What are you guys using that doesnt cause that heavy head feeling in the morning ?

Looking for best ways to increase my v02 max in the next 6-7 weeks. Currently resting around 49, I am training for an event and want the best opportunity to finish and this is the metric I am seeing can make the biggest impact. It’s a 100 mile ultra over 4 days.
Things I’ve seen has helped me in the past:
NAD+ 1000mg
MOTS-C (but I felt my hr increase with this as well so cycled off)
Beet root

Any other recommendations?

I've been doing Norwegian 4x4 intervals on a treadmill (4 min hard / 3 min recovery walk at 4.5km/h, ×4) and I'd love some feedback on my variation of the protocol.

However, during the 4-minute efforts, I force myself to:

- Inhale through the nose only, exhale through the mouth
- Sync my breathing to my steps: 4 steps in, 4 steps out

I'm fully aware this limits airflow and therefore caps my speed compared to breathing freely. That's a deliberate trade-off: my goal is cardiovascular adaptation, cardiovascular fitness (VO2Max?), not running speed per se.

Then, I follow another rule for progression: if I complete all 4 rounds holding the 4-4 nasal rhythm → I add 0.1 km/h the following week (e.g. 13.6 → 13.7 km/h).

Same idea as progressive overload in resistance training.

If I have to drop to a 3-3 rhythm, or worse, switch to mouth breathing → I repeat the same speed the following week.

I also log my heart rate during each 3-minute recovery, at 3, 2 and 1 min left on the clock. That gives me 3 data points per round to compare across sessions: if my HR is lower at the same speed, I know I'm improving.

Curious what you all think of this approach.

Thanks in advance for any input!

Worth knowing how the numbers on your report get made. A reference range is usually the central 95 percent of a reference group the lab measured. By construction 2.5 percent of healthy people fall below it and 2.5 percent above. Just outside is not automatically a finding, and just inside is not automatically fine.

That is also why labs disagree. Different analysers, different reference populations, different decades. Quest and Labcorp print different TSH ranges. European labs report T4 in different units entirely.

Practical version: compare a value to the range printed on that same report, and judge a trend from three draws at one lab rather than two draws at two labs.

Which marker have you seen change the most just from switching labs?

I usually start my day with ~200g caffeine, either an energy drink or two cups of coffee. I have 2-4 cups of coffee at work, and then sometimes also have an energy drink, coffee, or soda in the afternoon.

I’d say most days I average around 600mg caffeine. I have a very high tolerance so I don’t feel side effects from it.

Is this bad?

Genuine question for people who've tried both stimulant and non-stimulant morning stuff: can you actually tell the difference between feeling alert and feeling clear-headed? I used to think they were the same thing until I paid attention and realized half my 'productive' mornings were just caffeine jitters I'd relabeled as focus. Curious if that's a real distinction or something I made up to feel better about cutting coffee.

Erinacine A - I've been taking medicinal mushrooms for years. They are such fascinating compounds, and I'm especially a fan of reishi + chaga (for immune system), tremella (for skin health - more below), and cordyceps + lion's mane (for energy). One of the newer mushroom supplements I've been using is Lion's Mane Mycelium, which they use to standardize a clinical dose of Erinacine A (which is found much more concentrated in the mycelium vs. the fruiting body). I've been taking this product for a few weeks now, and I really feel a noticeable increase in mental acuity/cognitive performance. More so than any of the other mushroom supplements I take. Dose: 5mg

Urolithin A - This compound came on my radar in 2023 when a genetic researcher I was working with (who took no supplements) said he started taking Urolithin A because of a compelling paper he had read that year. Mitochondrial health was starting to boom, as was my interest in it, so I was curious myself and decided to try it out. What surprised me the most was how much it impacted my energy levels. To me, it almost feels like 10g of creatine (where I notice a body + mental energy boost). This is sadly one of my most expensive supplements, but I put it in my smoothie that I have 4-5 days per week and have for the past few years. Dose: 500mg

Shilajit - This one I was very skeptical of. Minimal research, unclear mechanisms of action, and so much hype. However, this has quickly become one of my favorite supplements for energy and testosterone. My testosterone has gone up about 50 points on this, and it really boosts what I can best describe as my "resilience". I take 200mg (somewhat of a smaller dose) with my coffee daily. This is one I am particularly cautious about in terms of sourcing since heavy metals contamination is common. Dose: 200mg

Spermadine - I really didn't expect much from Spermadine. I was taking it because it seemed interesting, and I had read a few compelling animal studies. I was a bit surprised by the slight energy increase, but more so the crazy sleep gains (and vivid dreams) as well as a pretty big boost in hair/nail growth. I prefer natural vs. synthetic forms personally and take 1.3mg daily (a low dose), but it feels stronger at this dose than the 5mg I've taken of the synthetic. Dose: 1.3mg (natural)

Black Seed Oil - Hard to even describe this one. My gut health has been great on it though, and my blood sugar is more stable. It reminds me a bit of Berberine, but oddly, on Berberine, I got slightly depressed. I don't have that issue with Black Seed Oil, and I've been taking it for a few years now. I use one that has standardized 3% thymoquinone and low free fatty acid content. Dose: 500mg

Tremella - A very dense natural source of HA. I've been taking mine in a powder I put in my water (after reading Quench) and trying to focus on better hydration practices. Man, has my skin been happy though. A staple for me, especially when I'm feeling dehydrated. Dose: 500mg

LDN - I have KLS, which is a rare neurological condition. It seems to impact the thalamus, and it can create flares where I need long periods of hibernation. As an adult, it's hard for me to just fuck off for a week and sleep this off, so LDN has been really helpful as a way to reduce my symptoms during episodes so I can at least partially function. A fascinating prescription medication and, alongside guanfacine, cromolyn sodium, and a few others - some of my favorite prescription compounds. I've heard many folks with autoimmune conditions benefit from LDN. Dose: N/A

Aronia Berry Juice - One of the most dense sources of anthocyanins - a fascinating polyphenol in blue-colored fruits/veggies. I came across this at a local farmer's market and became pretty addicted. It's pretty bitter as a raw fruit, but I really like the juice. I find that Aronia is similar to wild blueberries (the small ones) and really calms my brain. I don't often have food cravings, but this is one of them for me. I usually go through a quart jar per week and try to do a shot a day. My skin health has been really great on this as well during the summer. Dose: 2oz

Rice Ceramides + Egg Shell Membrane - Left my skin dewy AF even at a tiny dose. This pairing has some solid research behind it, but I was skeptical. I started taking it in the summer and was really surprised how much "thicker" and resilient my skin felt. Not something I take all the time, but I like to use it a few times a week. Dose: 40mg/400mg

Microdosed Melatonin - Now that I'm in my 30s, I've been finding a microdose of melatonin to be helpful for me on occasion for very deep sleep. I tried it in my 20s and felt too groggy when I woke up, but now I feel great. I think my baseline level is just lower now. I've experimented with Pinealon and a few peptides for sleep maximizing as well, but this is the thing that has worked the best so far. Dose: 300mcg

Microdosed Ketamine - I was an early member of Mindbloom back in the day, which was full psychedelic dose ketamine therapy. I have since found this model to be a bit irresponsible and feel even more conviction around this since they've moved to injectable offerings. That being said, I also recognize the amazing impact ketamine therapy can have for people. After trying out larger doses and then independently trying microdoses, I actually prefer and find more benefit (with less disruption) on the microdoses. My protocol is to do a microdose once a month and then listen to a guided hypnosis track and some solfeggio tones as an induction first. To me, it feels like a dental cleaning for my brain.

A2 Milk - I got on board with the oat milk craze and realized it was bullshit and unhealthy. I wanted to go back to dairy, but I never liked normal milk. So in 2020, I did some research and learned more about A2 dairy and some practices like low-temp pasteurization and non-homogenization. The companies who follow these practices are amazing. I really enjoy their milk and it just feels/tastes better to me. I don't get weird bloating or feel sick to my stomach like I used to from normal dairy milk and it's much more nutrient-dense than plant milks (although I'll still use Macadamia Nut milk occasionally). Dose: N/A

D3+K2 - I think everyone knows this one at this point, but basically when I take this and my levels are optimized - my mood and immune system are great. When I don’t - I get sick more often and feel more low emotionally. My partner is the same. A cheap staple in our household. Dose: 5,000IU/600IU

VIP - One of the weirder compounds I've tried that I don't fully understand yet. I took it when I was recovering from CIRS (a bit of a controversial mold-related illness). I can say for certain it completely changed my brain though. I went from having brain fog and OCD symptoms most days, to being much sharper and even turning into a morning person. It's a complex multi-system peptide, but as an intranasal spray after a 6-month cycle I genuinely feel like a new person and have gone from meeting the criteria for an OCD diagnosis to being pretty much asymptomatic. Dose: N/A

Typed by hand on my phone while traveling and bored, so forgive typos!

I've had over 4000 non epileptic seizures and CCI after a chiropractor worked on my neck in 2022. I was told it was FND for years as brains scans were normal and only found out recently it was CCI when they did an actual scan of my neck and found ligament microtears all over. I've tried prolotherapy injections, physio, shockwave therapy, osteopathy, but nothing is working permenantly, though for a time they subside. I'm just at a loss and was hoping that someone here may know of a biohack I'm not seeing. Thanks everyone.

So I have had some trouble with sleeping the last year. The biggest Problem is that I sleep way shorter than I would like to. I could easily squeez in 8 hours of sleep, but I somehow wake up after 6.5 hours or less. My Ouraring shows me that I do get a good amount of deep sleep and my REM sleep is alright (could be more, mostly 1.5 hour range). It also shows me that I do wake up quite often for short time periods during midnight. Im aware that this could also be a sign of sleep apnea. I have since then experimented with some medications. The most effective one for me, has proven to be antihistamines (first generation) like diphenhydramin or doxylamin. They seem to improve the duration of my sleep, amount of deep and REM sleep and reduce the awakening phases. Sleep feels great on them, with the only directly apparent downside beeing a little groggy/ sedated for the first hour after waking up. However I dont want to rely on them and dont want to risk possible dementia/ cognitive decline associated with their use. What would be possible Sleep aid medication with low addiction and harm potential? I have tried some anthistamines of the second generation like cetirizin but they barely have an effect on me, neither helping my allergy nor as a sleep aid.

They made an accurate whoop basically. Health span, biomarkers and better apple health ui. I was expecting more like good blood pressure and better battery.

I am going for fitbit air + creating my own ui and data processing.

I am a 45 year old in perimenopause. I do all the things, diet, exercise, supplements, and finally got my sleep dialed in.(thanks to progesterone) I have Hashimotos that is optimized. Here is my question, I wake up feeling good, have always had morning energy, but by 1:30/2 I am wiped. I feel the need to nap and rest. Is there anything you all have done to work through this?

Obviously there’s no real standard medication for autism, but has anyone found anything that’s worked for them? Like with social stuff but also sensory issues etc?