Reality Index · Report #002 · First edition →
One Month Later, the Ranking Barely Moved
The first edition of this index had a fair question hanging over it: was the September ranking a snapshot or a pattern? One month and a full re-harvest later, we have the answer. Across 1,645 posts re-scored in the same five communities, the standings held almost perfectly — which is exactly what a real signal does and a fluke doesn't.
The October findings
1. Glycine is still the quiet favorite — 97%, again
Fifty-six posts, one negative. A month later, identical. At some point that stops being a data point and starts being a fact about glycine: near-zero backlash, near-zero hype. (Dosing guide →)
2. Ashwagandha's last place is structural, not a bad month
71% approval in September. 71% in October. The side-effect threads keep coming at the same rate — blunted emotions, thyroid questions. If you're stacking it, the honest exclusions list ages well.
3. The one mover: tart cherry's conversation shrank — and firmed
The biggest change in the dataset: tart cherry threads fell from 165 to 131 (−21%), while its approval actually rose from 82% to 85%. Fewer people talking about it; the ones who do, like it more. Interpretation: seasonal chatter fading, not reputation falling. (The trials review →)
4. Magnesium's form consensus didn't budge
Glycinate remains the community's form by roughly 6:1 over threonate. Six weeks of stability on that question — the trial data and the crowd keep agreeing. (Ranked forms →)
The index — October 2026, with September comparison
| Supplement | Posts | vs Sep | Approval | vs Sep | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magnesium | 216 | -1 | 81% | — | Holds at #1 in volume; the crowd still picks glycinate. | → |
| L-Theanine | 215 | — | 81% | — | Steady — the racing-mind specialist. | → |
| Ashwagandha | 213 | -1 | 71% | — | Still last of the majors. The controversy is structural, not a fluke. | → |
| Melatonin | 202 | -1 | 83% | — | Engagement king, dose regret unchanged. | → |
| CBD | 198 | -2 | 78% | -1 | Middling as ever. | → |
| GABA | 188 | — | 79% | — | Talk exceeds evidence, again. | → |
| Valerian root | 185 | — | 76% | -1 | The stable old-timer. | → |
| Apigenin | 178 | — | 77% | +1 | Quietly consistent. | → |
| 5-HTP | 157 | — | 84% | +1 | Thin data, decent reports. | → |
| Tart cherry | 131 | -34 | 85% | +3 | Conversation shrank a third; approval firmed. | → |
| Reishi | 130 | +1 | 84% | — | Small crowd, loyal crowd. | → |
| Glycine | 56 | — | 97% | — | Still the quiet favorite. Still 97%. | → |
Methodology
Same rules as edition #001: every top post mentioning the twelve supplements across r/sleep, r/insomnia, r/Supplements, r/ashwagandha, r/Biohackers; substring match required; approval = positive ÷ (positive + negative) posts with explicit outcome language; self-reported sentiment, not clinical evidence. Month-over-month deltas reflect both new posts entering and old posts leaving each community's top-50 search results — churn at the edges, stability at the core.
Cite this data
Free to cite with attribution to Naturally Restful — Sleep Supplement Reality Index, October 2026 with a link to this page. Need a specific cut for an article? Ask.
Dataset generated October 1, 2026. Next edition: November 2026.