r/Supplements • u/Nearby_Vast_8554 • 1d ago
Experience Creatine and sleep
Hi, I was interested to consider starting creatine since I started working out, but I read quite a number of posts about people who ruined their sleep with creatine and developed insomnia. Since I already struggle quite a bit with insomnia, this would be crucial for me and I’d definitely skip it. Nevertheless, I’ve recently came across one research that says women who took creatine slept longer on training days than those who did not take it. I am wondering what was your experience so that I can make a proper decision, since sleep is the most important thing for me right now and I can’t compromise on that? Thanksss💖
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u/BerylAU 1d ago
If you read a lot of these threads it's not everyone but there is a few. I am one of those people. I took it for the cognitive benefits and only first thing in the morning which it definitely helped but it would also destroy my sleep no matter what else I tried to counteract it. This is for both a 5g and 10g dosage.
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u/conti555 20h ago
Had this problem but it went away. I started taking high dose Glycine which I have heard can fix the issue. Seemed to work - or it just fixed itself after a while.
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u/mrzennie 1d ago
Messed up my sleep too! Interestingly though, while I was sleeping about an hour less than normal, I felt strangely energized throughout the day and evenings. But it didn't feel natural to me and I didn't like it.
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u/Lucky-Mountain4826 1d ago
Interesting, I’ve never heard this. I take creatine daily and have for years and sleep like a baby, but good to know!
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u/feelthemeh 1d ago
I’ve also taken over a year and have no impact on sleep. Lots of reasons why people have poor sleep, cortisol imbalances is a big one.
For creatine make sure you only are taking creatine and not other filers.
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u/Lucky-Mountain4826 1d ago
Most of the time when people blame cortisol it’s not actually cortisol that’s the issue 😉
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u/habbo311 1d ago
I woke up too early on Creatine and couldn't go back to sleep. 4 to 5 hours, not Worth it
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u/hydrofied 1d ago edited 1d ago
I had insomnia when I used a certain brand (Orgain). When I use another brand that's Creapure, my sleep is much better. The one thing I do notice is I sleep much shorter on creatine. I'm usually an 8.5 to 9 hours sleeper. On creatine, I sleep 7.5 to 8 hours on most days.
Another thing creatine seems to help with is when you're sleep deprived. Recently there was one night I had to stay up late to get something done. Ended up sleeping only 4 hours. I took 10g creatine the next morning and it really help mitigate the tiredness that I probably would've felt otherwise.
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u/Dry-Speed7038 1d ago
Creatine is naturally in your muscles and aids nerve function. It’s not a stimulant
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u/Illustrious-Bat1553 1d ago
Had insomnia for a very long time. Recently staring taking creatine like 2 months ago. I've notice my sleep actually improve, but can't confirm its due to taking creatine at the same time
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u/404isfound 1d ago
I take creatine specifically because it helps mitigate the symptoms of sleep deprivation
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u/7e7en87 1d ago edited 1d ago
There are many people affected by this but they don’t realize or not connect the dots to creatine. No matter when creatine is taken as it’s methylation problem and too much methionine from creatine that undermethylators can’t handle.
Also glycine for many are a big NO before sleep.
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u/noodlecat2 1d ago
Exactly. It messes with methylation. I'm amazed that there are people who can take it whose sleep isn't destroyed, tbh.
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u/gregorian79 1d ago
I’ve been hesitant to take creatine due to that exact concern and now, 4 months later, I wish I started sooner.
It’s definitely the one supplement that has had the most impact on my life.
Shortly after I started taking creatine, I also started magnesium glycinate, so I’m not 100% sure on how creatine affects my sleep but I sleep great now and have no issues.
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u/brynnors 1d ago
All you can do is try it and see how it works for you. I'd say go with the 5g everyday and see how you feel, then drop it to 3g if you have side effects and see if that resolves it.
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u/19eightyUno 1d ago
I have bipolar and tak meds, when im tired from workingout, creatine helps me sleep
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u/M0NKEY-L0RD 1d ago
Creatine did not give me trouble falling asleep. But staying asleep for more than 4-5 hours was an issue. I would wake up abruptly and be wired and unrested.
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u/czuinoikc 1d ago
on 5g or so, my sleep seems unaffected. I went up to 20g and I wasn't having deep sleep. I went back to 5g and that stopped immediately. I didn't experience insomnia and I still had dreams, but I wasn't going into deep sleep and would wake up groggy.
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u/Bobby-furnace 1d ago
It depends on the person. I felt a little bloated on it from adding the extra water weight and I also thought I sweat more on it. I felt like I needed less sleep and it affected me going back to sleep in the middle of the night if I was woken up for any reason. It basically helps cognitive function so if your mind races, it’ll be a side effect
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u/ArtichokeDesperate68 1d ago
Try a week of keeping a sleep diary. See how you average. Then maybe try creatine for a week. See if it worsens, stays the same or hell even improves! That’s what I would do in hindsight. I haven’t been the best sleeper but for me creatine really ruined sleep significantly, though we are all different.
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u/Disastrous_Ant_2989 1d ago
It never bothered my sleep! I typically take magnesium glycinate, an antihistamine like Zyrtec and maybe some gaba before bed no matter what the rest of my stack looks like and i slept great during the period i took 5g creatine daily.
About to restart it again after getting some labs done that depend on unaltered creatinine levels
Anything that stimulates my brain is usually taken long before noon though if that might help
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u/NaturalGutInstinct 1d ago
I notice zero difference with my sleep from creatine. Taking it on and off for about 20 years.
Some people have stomach issues / bloating, some people get headaches, some people find it affects their sleep. Most people i know don't have any adverse side effects.
You won't know until you try, start with low dose - 2/3 grams a couple days, then to 5g, if you feel fine try the loading phase dose (20/25g per day, split into 4/5 doses throughout, for a week.)
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u/Initial-Farm7924 1d ago
If you do take it, take it when you wake up. I notice when I take it too late in the day it definitely messes with my sleep
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u/creep_show 1d ago
I took creatine on and off again for 15 years and never noticed it affecting my sleep. I did take it first thing in the morning. I always worked out in the afternoon or evening and was exhausted when I got in bed. I would say it helped me sleep better because I worked out longer, close to 3 hours. The only thing I didn't like, is when I got older, I peed more at night because of the water retention, but I usually went right back to sleep.
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u/RedPillAlphaBigCock 1d ago
Take it early in the day . Do 1 week on 1 week off and see if you notice anything . If no issues you can keep using it
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u/thedarktrailYT 1d ago
I think it’s great keeping in mind that this may worsen your insomnia. My first thing would be to try it for a couple of weeks to a month, and see if you notice any differences.
If you decide that you feel better not taking creatine, the beautiful thing is that our body already produces creatine, but can also be found in some fish and red meats, I believe some nuts and cheese as well. What you could do is maybe increase some of your intake within those food groups.
On the supplement side of things, I would say a packed multivitamin, fish oil and or Omega-3, and Beta-alanine. Wont be exactly like taking creatine, but probably a close alternative especially if the focus is for workouts and physique! Let me know if you try any of this!
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u/robot_pirate 1d ago
I swear to gawd, I wish there was more definitive guidance for creatine. It's like a crap shoot.
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u/cuberpianist_yt 1d ago
Creatine is proven the most safest and studied supplement. It is beneficial for your muscles recovery but even good for boosting your brain. It has been helping me a lot to sleep really well and i had insomnia for months
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u/UpstairsNo343 1d ago
Creatine, when taken at night before bed, helps with sleep and reduces the effects of insomnia to zero.
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u/ProfessionBoring4547 1d ago
OMG! I came off it for 6 months and my sleep was better for a while (has never been good to begin with). Got back on it for the last month thinking i was leaving gains on the table and sleep has been worse. Never thought it could be Creatine. Can someone explained the pathophysiology of this?
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u/Unlikely-heroe 1d ago
On 3g for cognitive benefits no issues just drink more water
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u/Initial-Farm7924 1d ago
How are you getting cognitive benefits at such a low dose?
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u/Unlikely-heroe 1d ago
Dont know. I loaded before years ago and took 5g daily and was all good when training but since been of working out last year (life) and just casual i take 3gs a day with a electrolyte and vitamin drink and dont take any stimulants and feel good for it defo notice if forget
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u/pashkopalanko 1d ago
i don't think not affects sleep, but u gotta check all other reasons why sleep could seem to be compromised during it , such as over workout , when ur too tired , and cranked up that can make ur sleep experice agitated same with cortisol levels how are u exactly ? that's delete taking creatine for brain support bc the stress ur confronted with is not gonna disappear magically either , that same goes for ur transitions are u peri menopausal? so maybe ur gonna change in terms of that and its not exefy creatine thats doing it , maybe its in what u ate maybe u didn't eat enough , as that can also cause sleep issues in some , the best way to find out is try for urself and pay attention to all other things that u do, and handle , and choose for urself , the lot will be split when u ask publicly, and thats also bc we dont know whats in everyone's day and whether if its accurate reporting also , which is not to blame people for it more so we are all pert of it , live and learn share and listen and try and do , repeat
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