The Best Sleep Supplements, According to Experts

According to the National Institutes of Health, one in three adults don’t get the amount of sleep they need. Chances are, you knew that already—that’s right, I see you yawning, or anxious about getting to bed early enough, or just wired from that coffee you drank during your afternoon lull.

Sleep supplements can help you finally rest, but with so many products, formulas and active ingredients available today, which one is right for you? And what’s total BS? I asked leading sleep doctors to explain what to look for and what to avoid in supplements available without a prescription. Based on their insights, I researched the top brands to see what fit their criteria, then vetted them based on reviews to cull the best options on the market right now.

• Alex Dimitriu, MD is dual board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine and serves as a medical reviewer for the Sleep Foundation and Business Insider. He is a contributing author to The Encyclopedia of Sleep Medicine. 

• Abul Matin, MD is an internal medicine physician at Sleep Disorders Center of Georgia. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine and Sleep Medicine, and special interests include the interplay of sleep and pregnancy, metabolic syndrome, heart disease and psychiatric disorders.

“Nearly one in five adults regularly utilize some sleep aid, either prescription or over-the-counter,” says Dr. Matin. Common dietary supplements include melatonin, magnesium and valerian root, as well as zinc, vitamin D and L-theanine. Matin confirms that lots of supplements have the potential to boost your sleep quality; however, the evidence from clinical trials varies widely. Dr. Dimitriu has a general rule-of-thumb for over-the-counter sleep supplements: “I look for products with a short, easy-to-understand ingredient list, third‑party testing and evidence‑supported doses (ex; low-dose melatonin, modest magnesium) rather than mysterious ‘proprietary blends.’”

Dimitriu recommends steering clear of supplements that come in “megadoses” or “multi‑ingredient ‘kitchen sink’ formulas,” and to avoid using any “in combination with other sedatives, alcohol or antihistamines.” Additionally, the doctor says that sleep-disordered clients should be cautious taking supplements when pregnant, with polypharmacy (that is, pairing with lots of other supplements or medication) or if you’re over 65 years old.

While there’s a wide range of ways to take sleep supplements (including pills, gummies, liquids, powders and sometimes patches or sprays), “oral forms are the most studied, and thus most reliable to me,” Dimitriu says, “while transdermal or spray routes have far less data.”

1. Melatonin

“Melatonin has the best evidence for circadian-related issues like jet lag or delayed sleep phase,” Dimitriu says. “It can modestly help shorten sleep‑onset latency, and effects on chronic insomnia are small but real in many trials.” Matin points out that melatonin, a hormone produced naturally in the body by the pineal gland, plays a critical role in regulation of the sleep-wake cycle. “Melatonin supplementation has been promoted for shift workers in particular,” he says, “who have irregular sleep-wake schedules due to working at night.” Side effects to watch for include next‑day drowsiness, dizziness, headaches, potential balance and fall risk in older adults—and emerging concerns with long‑term, higher‑dose use (a possible heart‑failure signal in observational data). “Typical adult doses are .5 to 5 milligrams 30 to 90 minutes before bed,” Dimitriu says. “Higher dosage isn’t clearly better, and do not expect this, or any of these supplements, to be a ‘knock-out pill.’ Sleep hygiene [aka good sleep habits] still matters a lot.”

2. Magnesium

Magnesium is likely one of the more widely utilized dietary supplements for sleep promotion, according to Matin. “With regards to sleep, magnesium has a number of essential functions that include regulation of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which can have calming effects on the nervous system; increases in melatonin production; muscle relaxation; regulation of stress responses; regulation of calcium levels which promote muscle contraction and relaxation and anti-anxiety effects. Furthermore, low magnesium status has been associated with chronic inflammatory stress in both animal and human research studies,” he says. Even though we get magnesium from foods like nuts and seeds, legumes and beans, whole grains, green leafy vegetables and salmon, let’s be real—who among us really can be sure they’re maintaining a nutrient-rich diet? So, you might benefit from magnesium supplements.

“Despite its popularity, there seem to be few clinical benefits to magnesium supplementation among individuals with adequate serum magnesium,” Matin says. But I can personally attest to the sedative effects of magnesium citrate, magnesium glycinate, or magnesium bisglycinate in an evening wind-down herbal tea. “Common sleep‑study doses are around 250 mg elemental magnesium in the evening (often as citrate, glycinate or bisglycinate),” Dimitriu says. “The main side effects are diarrhea or cramping, and it should be used cautiously in significant kidney disease. Magnesium threonate may be particularly better in getting to the brain, and may also contribute to neuroplasticity and neurogenesis, the growth of new neurons.”

3. Valerian

Valerian has mixed evidence, according to Dimitriu. “Some trials and meta-analyses report improved sleep quality and reduced sleep latency,” he says, “but results are inconsistent enough that the American Academy of Sleep Medicine does not recommend it for chronic insomnia. It appears to enhance GABA-ergic tone and may slightly increase slow‑wave sleep.” Doses range from 300 to 600 milligrams of valerian extract taken about an hour before bed; side effects can include headache, dizziness, GI upset, dry mouth, morning grogginess, rare hepatotoxicity and additive sedation with other sedatives.