The bar exam induces anxiety, fear and stress in just about everyone. If these feelings start to affect your sleep or your ability to study effectively for the bar exam, you may want —in consultation with your healthcare provider — to try the amino acid 5-HTP.
5-HTP is an amino acid that is a building block for serotonin. Use of this supplement will increase serotonin, helping to control stress and improve sleep. Some doctors prescribe 5-HTP as a sleep aid, especially for those patients who have trouble “turning off” their brains at night or who have anxious thoughts that keep them awake.
5-HTP can also improve mood and help eliminate fear and depression-like feelings you may have while studying for the bar exam. Julia Ross, a psychotherapist and pioneer in the field of nutritional psychology, prescribes 5-HTP to her patients to cure depression. In fact, Ross blames low serotonin for increasing feelings of fear, obsessiveness, and negativity — not the trifecta you are looking for while studying for the bar exam! (Note that 5-HTP should not be taken with other medicines that increase serotonin, such as most antidepressant medications, unless you’re closely supervised by your doctor.)
A typical dose to aid with sleep is 25 to 50 mg on an empty stomach about one hour before bed. As with using melatonin to assist with sleep, tolerance can build up quickly, so use of 5-HTP as a sleep aid should only be periodic. Because 5-HTP can induce drowsiness it should not be taken during the day or when planning to operate heavy machinery.
According to Julia Ross, doses from 50 to 150 mg twice a day are needed to reduce low-serotonin symptoms like phobias, panic, and depression. Check out her book, The Mood Cure, to learn more about her dosing regime and precautions when using 5-HTP.
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