The science

Every ingredient, every dose, every study

Each ingredient had to clear three bars: human research on memory or sleep, a dose that matches that research, and independent testing of every batch. Below is what we used and why, including who was studied and for how long.

The dose ledger

Our dose next to the dose that was studied, for every ingredient. Where they differ, we say so.

IngredientOur doseDose studiedWho was studied
AM packet, with breakfast
Lion’s Mane mushroom1,800 mg1.8 g MatchHealthy adults 18–45, 28 days
Citicoline (Cognizin®)500 mg500 mg MatchHealthy adults 50–85, 12 weeks
Cocoa flavanols500 mg500 mg Match3,500+ healthy older adults
PQQ20 mg20 mg MatchMiddle-aged and older adults, 12 weeks
Vitamin C200 mg90 mg 222% DVEssential nutrient; Daily Value for adults
PM packet, with a light snack 1 hour before bed
Magtein® magnesium L-threonate2,000 mg1,000 mg Ours is higherAdults 35–55 with sleep complaints, 21 days
L-theanine200 mg200 mg MatchHealthy adults, 4 weeks
Bacopa300 mg300 mg MatchHealthy adults 55+, 12 weeks
Saffron extract28 mg28 mg MatchAdults 18–70 with poor sleep, 28 days
Split between both packets: 2 g AM, 3 g PM
Creatine monohydrate5 g3–5 g Match16 trials, adults 20–76

Every study behind these numbers, with its results and a link, is listed below.

How to read this page

  • Each study below tested its ingredient on its own, at the dose listed.
  • We list each study’s population, dose and length, and note where our dose differs.
  • We cite studies in healthy adults. Results are averages; individual experience varies.

AM packet · Learn

Lion’s Mane mushroom

1,800 mg

Hericium erinaceus. A culinary mushroom studied for memory and processing speed. We compared the main forms of Lion’s Mane, from fruiting body powders to mycelium and dual extracts, and how each is delivered. We chose SO-DSX1 because it is the blend tested in healthy adults, so we can match the study exactly: the same ingredient at the same 1.8 g a day. It combines both parts of the mushroom: the fruiting body, a source of hericenones, and the mycelium, the main source of erinacine A.

Docherty et al., Nutrients, 2023

41 healthy adults aged 18–45 · 1.8 g/day · 28 days. Faster performance on an attention task (the Stroop test) within an hour of a single dose.

Saitsu et al., Biomedical Research, 2019

Healthy adults over 50 · fruiting body · 12 weeks. Improved scores on a brief cognitive screening test.

Citicoline (Cognizin®)

500 mg

A form of choline the brain uses to build cell membranes and the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

McGlade et al., University of Utah, 2012

60 healthy women aged 40–60 · 250 or 500 mg/day · 28 days. Both doses improved attention scores versus placebo.

Nakazaki et al., Journal of Nutrition, 2021

Healthy adults aged 50–85 with age-related memory complaints · 500 mg/day · 12 weeks. Improved overall and episodic memory scores.

Silveri et al., NMR in Biomedicine, 2008

16 healthy men · 500 or 2,000 mg/day · 6 weeks. Brain imaging showed higher energy measures, including ATP and phosphocreatine, at both doses.

Our 500 mg matches the memory and brain-energy studies.

Cocoa flavanols

500 mg flavanols

Plant compounds from the cocoa bean studied for blood flow and memory. Delivered as a concentrated extract, not chocolate.

Brickman et al. (COSMOS-Web), PNAS, 2023

More than 3,500 healthy older adults · 500 mg flavanols/day · 3 years. Slight improvement overall; people with low-flavanol diets improved memory scores about 10% more than placebo after one year.

Same daily amount as the largest trial to date.

PQQ

20 mg

Pyrroloquinoline quinone, a compound studied for supporting the growth of new mitochondria, the parts of cells that produce energy.

Itoh, Nakano and colleagues, 2016–2023

Small trials in middle-aged and older adults · about 20 mg/day · 12 weeks. Improvements in attention and memory measures. Most were funded by the ingredient’s maker.

Same dose as the studies. The evidence is promising but early.

Vitamin C

200 mg

An antioxidant included to support the AM formula. Kept in its own capsule.

PM packet · Store

Magnesium L-threonate (Magtein®)

2,000 mg

A form of magnesium developed to raise magnesium levels in the brain. Provides 144 mg of elemental magnesium.

Hausenblas et al., Sleep Medicine: X, 2024

80 adults aged 35–55 with sleep complaints · 1 g/day · 21 days. More deep and REM sleep measured by wearable, and better morning alertness and mood versus placebo.

Zhang et al., Nutrients, 2022

102 healthy adults · Magtein-based formula, 1.6 g/day · 30 days. Improved memory scores versus placebo.

Our dose is higher than both studies. The memory study tested Magtein combined with other nutrients.

L-theanine

200 mg

An amino acid from tea leaves, studied for relaxation and sleep quality.

Hidese et al., Nutrients, 2019

30 healthy adults · 200 mg/day · 4 weeks. Better sleep quality and lower stress scores versus placebo, with improved verbal fluency.

Same dose as the study.

Bacopa

300 mg

Bacopa monnieri. A standardized herbal extract with one of the larger bodies of memory research. Effects build over weeks.

Calabrese et al., J Altern Complement Med, 2008

48 adults aged 65+ without dementia · 300 mg/day · 12 weeks. Improved delayed word recall versus placebo.

Morgan & Stevens, 2010

81 healthy adults aged 55+ · 300 mg/day · 12 weeks. Improved verbal learning and delayed recall versus placebo. Some participants had mild stomach upset, which is why we suggest taking the PM packet with a snack.

Same dose as both studies.

Saffron extract

28 mg

Crocus sativus stigma extract, standardized. Studied for sleep quality.

Lopresti et al., Sleep Medicine, 2021

120 healthy adults aged 18–70 with poor sleep · 14 or 28 mg taken 1 hour before bed · 28 days. Better sleep quality and mood on waking, and higher evening melatonin, versus placebo.

Same dose and timing as the study, which is why the PM packet is taken 1 hour before bed.

Both packets

Creatine monohydrate

5 g · 2 g AM, 3 g PM

A compound your brain uses as a ready energy reserve. Best known for muscle, it’s increasingly studied for memory, especially when sleep is short.

Systematic review and meta-analysis, Frontiers in Nutrition, 2024

16 randomized trials · 492 adults aged 20–76. Creatine improved memory scores versus placebo, with moderate certainty of evidence.

Most studies used 3 to 5 g a day.

Testing

Every batch will be made in a cGMP facility and tested by an accredited independent laboratory for ingredient strength, heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury) and microbes. Each box will carry a lot number; scan its code or visit Lot results to see that lot’s results.

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