LessWrong (Curated & Popular) "Is fever a symptom of glycine deficiency?" by Benquo
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Mar 24, 2026 They explore how glycine can lower core temperature to help sleep and how it supports mitochondrial cleanup during rest. They discuss widespread modern glycine shortfalls from low-collagen diets and practical ways to restore it. They propose glycine’s role in immune responses, collagen maintenance, and a prediction that glycine status may change fever intensity.
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Benquo's Sleep Improved After Glycine Supplementation
- Benquo reports his sleep improved noticeably after he began supplementing glycine.
- He cites Chris Masterjohn's estimate that total glycine need may be 10–60 g/day, explaining his personal improvement.
Glycine Lowers Core Temperature To Promote Sleep
- Glycine improves sleep by lowering core body temperature through NMDA activation in the suprachiasmatic nucleus.
- Activating SCN NMDA receptors widens skin blood vessels and dumps heat from the core to the surface, easing sleep onset.
Glycine Limits ROS Clearance And Raises Sleep Need
- Glycine is often the bottleneck for glutathione synthesis, so deficiency slows neuronal ROS clearance and increases sleep need.
- Studies show ROS accumulate during wakefulness and reducing neuronal ROS lowers sleep drive, linking glycine to oxidative cleanup.