The Best Natural Sleep Aids
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Ever since I was a kid, I’ve had trouble falling asleep. Insomnia can be caused by a multitude of things, including stress, irregular sleep schedules, illness, mental health disorders, other sleep disorders, or, in the case of my own insomnia, unknown causes.
Most nights I resort to using over-the-counter (OTC) medicines like ZZZQuil or Unisom for assistance, although it’s pretty generally agreed upon that you shouldn’t rely on sleep meds for everyday use, only occasional insomnia. Most OTC sleep aids contain antihistamines, and tolerance to their sedative effects can develop quickly, meaning that the more often you take them, the less likely they are to be effective. Not to mention that I’m no stranger to the “hangover effect,” where sleep aids can make you feel groggy and just “out of it” the next morning.
After years of dependence on OTC medications, I wanted to try some alternative, more natural sleep aids that take a gentler approach to falling asleep. None of the sleep aids on this list have the common medications found in prescription or over-the-counter medicines (more on that below), and many on this list contain supplements like vitamins and melatonin.
These days, there seems to be a never-ending list of nonprescription and alternative products touted to cure insomnia or ease falling-asleep woes. During testing, I cut out all of my other usual sleep aids and tried to have the same nighttime routine in order to compare the individual products. For a week at a time, I tested more than a dozen of these products, from edibles and drinks to sprays and soaks, to see which ones helped me fall—and stay—asleep.
Check out our many other sleep-related guides, including the Best Mattresses, Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers, Best Gadgets for Nagging Insomnia, Best Sleeping Gadgets and Apps, Best Sleep Trackers, and Best Cooling Sheets for a great night’s sleep.
Updated November 2024: We've added Slumber Extra Strength CBN Gummies for Sleep, the Soaak app, MoonBrew Hot Cocoa, and Numi Sweet Slumber Tea, and updated links and prices throughout.
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What Else Can I Try Besides Sleep Aids?
Before just running to the store for a quick fix, Monica Baena, adult-gerontology nurse practitioner at the George Washington Center for Sleep Disorders, recommends establishing good sleep hygiene. This includes keeping a set sleep schedule, creating a bedtime routine, and avoiding screen time, alcohol, and bright lights before bed, as well as making sure you’re getting physical activity during the day and caring for any other health issues that may contribute to insomnia.
Part of the importance of creating a bedtime routine is making sure your bedroom is optimal for your personal sleeping preferences, whether that's temperature or using a sleep mask or a sound machine—whatever is going to make your environment more conducive to a restful sleep.
What Are the Risks of Sleep Aids?
“There is a potential for both dependence and tolerance to sleep medication—these medications are intended to be for short-term use,” says Hannah Sagedy, physician assistant at the George Washington Center for Sleep Disorders. Though sleep aids can be helpful at times to initiate and maintain sleep, Sagedy outlines some of their more serious potential side effects, like grogginess and memory issues. They can even increase the risk for abnormal sleep behaviors like sleepwalking or sleep-eating.
As a general rule, people shouldn’t drive or operate machinery while on sleep aids or mix them with alcohol, and everyone—especially pregnant people or those with preexisting medical conditions—should consult their doctor before use. The FDA only endorses prescription medications for insomnia like Ambien, as well as over-the-counter medications, which often are just variations of the same two active ingredients: doxylamine and diphenhydramine. However, OTC meds are not regulated in the same way prescription drugs are. Some of the active ingredients, like doxylamine, have actually been shown to increase the risk of dementia.
What Are Some of the Common Ingredients in OTC Sleep Aids?
While these should be used in moderation, there are certain ingredients believed to help in promoting healthy sleep that appeared in most of the sleep aids on this list. Let’s do a crash course.
- Doxylamine, found in OTC medications like Unisom, is one of the most common medications used for insomnia and is also used for nausea during pregnancy and allergic rhinitis. It stays in your system longer than other sleep medications, so it’s more likely to cause that next morning “hangover” feeling of lingering drowsiness.
- Diphenhydramine, used in OTC medications like Benadryl and ZzzQuil, is also one of the most common OTC sleep medications and can be used for allergies too. Both diphenhydramine and doxylamine work similarly and have similar side effects.
- Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone produced by the brain that helps regulate your internal clock. Increased levels of melatonin help signify it’s time for your body to sleep. Monica Baena, adult-gerontology nurse practitioner at the George Washington Center for Sleep Disorders, explains that “melatonin is a hormone released by the pineal gland in the brain. It is connected with the time of day and increases when it's dark and decreases when it's light. This helps with the timing of your circadian rhythms (24-hour internal clock) and with sleep. Being exposed to light at night can block melatonin production, and melatonin production declines with age.” Hannah Sagedy, physician assistant at the George Washington Center for Sleep Disorders, adds, “Though melatonin can seem relatively safe, you can experience side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness, headache, and strange dreams.” Melatonin has been proven to regulate the sleep-wake cycle, but since it’s considered a dietary supplement in the US, it's regulated less strictly by the FDA than a prescription or over-the-counter drug. Melatonin is generally considered safe for pregnant people and children in low doses, but a doctor should be consulted before use.
- CBD (cannabidiol) has potential calming and relaxation effects that are pretty hotly contested in the scientific community. CBD is the second-most prevalent active ingredient in cannabis, but doesn’t have any of the mind-altering properties of THC. CBD is derived directly from the hemp plant or manufactured in a laboratory. CBD is mostly used for relief of bodily ailments because it does not cause a high by itself. People often report that CBD aids in relieving anxiety and pain and helps with sleep issues. According to Harvard Medical School's Harvard Health Publishing, the strongest scientific evidence is for CBD’s effectiveness in treating certain childhood epilepsy syndromes, which typically don't respond well to anti-seizure medications. Research regarding medical CBD use for various health conditions is ongoing and very limited: “Our research is limited on the effects, positive or negative, of CBD or L-theanine and sleep. They may promote sleep by helping to relax the nervous system, potentially decreasing anxiety and pain. However, it could be disruptive to the sleep cycles, causing drowsiness and headaches. Hopefully, we will have more research in the future to thoroughly inform patients of their options,” Sagedy says.
- CBN is CBD’s lesser-known brother. Although both interact with the same bodily receptors, they produce different effects. CBN (cannabinol) is sort of a weaker version of THC. When THC components in the cannabis plant age, they break down, which leads to the formation of the much less potent CBN. Unlike CBD, which is non-psychoactive, CBN in very large doses can produce mild psychoactive reactions. CBN has not been studied or used as widely as CBD or THC, so there’s limited research on its uses and benefits. It's often used as a sleep aid and also sometimes for pain relief—a study showed that CBN was effective when used by rats with muscle and joint pain conditions. Because medical testing of CBD/CBN is limited, pregnant people, those nursing, and parents of children should consult a medical professional before taking or administering.
- Other ingredients include vitamin B6, thought to aid in the production of melatonin; magnesium glycinate, which helps to regulate the nervous system and melatonin production; L-theanine, an amino acid that promotes relaxation; and GABA, an amino acid that helps calm the brain.
Best App
The Soaak app ($30/month; seven-day free trial) uses sound frequency therapy with a multitude of frequencies for different things like helping you sleep well, reducing stress, decreasing anxiety, boosting energy, and more. Each frequency has options for “original” (meaning just the frequency itself plays), “nature,” and “music.” I used the Sleep Well frequency, which claims to support falling asleep faster, less tossing and turning, deeper REM sleep, and waking up more refreshed. Each of the three sound options you can play in tandem with another video or audio source, like Spotify, to have the frequency sounds playing in the background of what you already listen to.
The first few nights of testing, I just played the “original” option, but that was a little harder for me to fall asleep to, as it sort of sounds like a low-ringing tornado siren (which isn't the most sleep-inducing noise). Afterward, I played the nature preset, which sounds like waves crashing, or played the original option alongside my favorite white noise machine. As a true Midwesterner, when I first started testing, my initial reaction was, “What’s this hippie ‘frequency’ BS?” But, I’m eating crow—I’m a believer now.
The nature option for Sleep Well has become my go-to when falling asleep, as the noises pleasantly guide me to dreamworld. The app also has mindful intentions that change daily, and 21-day programs that are like motivational speeches to help with a myriad of things like physical health and addiction. I’ve started listening to the other channels, like Focus and Accelerated Learning, while working. If you’re someone who already needs to fall asleep with a white noise machine, I’d try out this upgrade.
Photograph: Molly HigginsBest CBD Capsule
CBDfx’s CBD and CBN Capsules ($65) have a 1-to-1 ratio of cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN). As mentioned above, the effectiveness of CBD is still contested, but CBD is generally thought to help with anxiety, seizures, and pain, whereas CBN has historically been less studied than its counterpart and also helps with pain, sleep, and appetite issues.
Because medical testing of CBD/CBN is limited, pregnant people, those who are nursing, and parents wanting to give CBD/CBN to children should first consult a medical professional. Along with the 1-to-1 CBD and CBN ratio to help promote sleepiness, the capsules contain vitamins like magnesium and zinc, valerian and hemp extract, and a terpene sleep blend. Though terpenes are most associated with cannabis because the plants contain high concentrations of them, they're simply compounds that help create the characteristic scent of many plants (think lavender or pine). The capsules are vegan, use organically grown products, and are non-GMO, and the recommended serving size is two capsules taken with water 30 to 60 minutes before sleep. The capsules smell very potent because of the terpenes—it's that earthy smell reminiscent of cannabis, with notes of citrus. CBDfx also has a bunch of other products for an array of uses, including daytime CBD gummies and capsules for focus and energy, and flavored tinctures and treats for dogs and cats to help with pain management and anxiety.
This was the first CBD product I tested, and these capsules sort of made me a believer. I felt noticeably more relaxed after taking them, followed by wave of sleepiness about an hour later. I stayed asleep and woke up without the groggy feeling that you can get after taking NyQuil or similar sleep products. The flavor wasn’t my favorite, and the two capsules aren’t small (make sure to swallow these with plenty of water), but this is a product I will keep coming back to.
Photograph: Molly HigginsBest CBD Gummy
CBDfx’s CBD Gummies for Sleep with Melatonin ($55) come in either 1,500- or 3,000-milligram strength. I tested the 3,000-milligram bottle with a recommended serving size of two gummies, which contain 100 milligrams of CBD (total for the two) along with a terpene blend; 5 milligrams of melatonin, magnesium, and passion flower; chamomile; lemon balm; and hemp extracts to help to enhance scent and flavor. The gummies are made of tapioca syrup and don’t contain corn syrup, animal gelatin, or artificial sweeteners. Because they're all-natural, you’re missing that strong fruity (artificial) flavor; the gummies are mild, slightly bitter, and have a grainy mouthfeel. Because medical testing of CBD/CBN is limited, pregnant people, those who are nursing, and parents wanting to give CBD/CBN to children should first consult a medical professional.
They aren’t the best flavor, but they get the job done, and I didn't wake up feeling groggy or “off.” Although I am more of a fan of CBDfx’s capsules due to these gummies' sort of odd taste, these helped me relax and I felt noticeably more chill all around, which helped me drift to sleep a little over an hour after eating them. The flavor is a no for me, but the effects are a yes, and I will most likely continue to eat them before bed.
Photograph: Molly HigginsBest CBN Gummy
Slumber's Extra Strength CBN Gummies for Sleep ($60) have 15 mg of CBN extract (per gummy) derived from Colorado-grown hemp. As mentioned previously, CBN hasn’t been as extensively studied as CBD, but is primarily used as a sleep aid and for pain relief. This gummy doesn’t use other supplements like others on this list, like melatonin or magnesium—CBN is the star of the show. It takes effect around a half hour after eating, and aims to help you fall asleep and stay asleep more organically while promoting natural (and healthy) sleep patterns.
The gummy is a super tasty vanilla blueberry flavor (the vanilla is very subtle) and is non-GMO and vegan. It usually takes me a lot longer to feel the effects of sleep aids than the directions suggest, but with these, I was feeling super relaxed and cozy within half an hour, with a truly pleasant body relaxation. These have become tied for my favorite overall gummy and I’ve kept going back to them nightly (long after testing ended).
Photograph: Molly HigginsBest Chocolate
Nightcap from Alice ($59) mushroom chocolate aims to aid in nighttime relaxation while also regulating sleep cycles long-term. Alice uses reishi, a substance that comes from fruiting mushrooms that has historically been used in many Asian countries for general health and boosting the immune system, among other purposes. According to Alice’s website, “When incorporated into a daily routine, the mushroom’s nutrients compound in your body and become more effective (and noticeable) with sustained use.” Alice has also added chamomile, L-theanine, magnesium, and zinc, to lessen tension and promote relaxation and stress relief for more immediate results. The idea is that the reishi will help regulate and promote healthy sleep patterns over time, while the added supplements will aid in helping sleepiness with more immediacy.
Alice’s products are designed for adults and haven’t been extensively tested with children, teens, pregnant people, or those breastfeeding. Alice’s website states they are unaware of any ingredients that could negatively impact a young person and aren’t able to make any claims about the safety of functional mushrooms. Always consult your doctor before making any lifestyle changes or taking new supplements. Alice’s chocolates are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and kosher, and also come in Brainstorm, to aid in energy and focus, and Happy Ending, for arousal and pleasure.
The chocolate was tasty—it wasn’t overly sweet and had a nice bitterness like a robust dark chocolate should. Every night this helped me feel more calm and settled; however, for the first few nights of testing, I woke up around 4 am. After that I upped the dose to two chocolate squares (Alice says one square works for most, but you can take two for an extra sleepy boost) and fell asleep in a little over an hour and stayed asleep all night. The chocolates were tasty (especially for being vegan), and I’m excited to try the other Alice products for other benefits.
Photograph: Molly HigginsBest Drink
Som Sleep ($20) is a powdered drink mixture that's added to water for a nighttime sleep aid. The powder comes in cherry and berry, and both flavors are super tasty, similar to something like a less flavorful Gatorade or Vitaminwater. The mixture is made with five sleep-aiding ingredients that were present in most of the other edible products on this list: vitamin B6, magnesium, L-theanine, GABA, and 3 milligrams of our friend melatonin. If you’re currently taking medication or are pregnant or nursing, consult with your doctor before use. Each package has 10 sticks, and Som is sugar-free, vegan, non-GMO, and gluten- and allergen-free.
It's supposed to take about half an hour to feel the effects. For me it was closer to an hour, but this powder mix was the most effective aid in helping ease me into sleep outside of the CBD products. The flavors were tasty, and I felt noticeably more relaxed and ready for bed. Twice during the week of testing I woke up in the middle of the night, but that might’ve been due to other factors, as the rest of the week I stayed asleep—and best of all, I didn’t feel any grogginess the next morning. I will continue to go back to this before-bed drink.
Photograph: Molly HigginsBest Pillow Mist
The Vagus Nerve Pillow Mist ($38) aims to create a calming atmosphere to help regulate and prepare the mind and body before bed. The longest cranial nerve in the body, the vagus nerve activates the body's relaxation response to help regulate stress. Each spray of this mist gives a hearty spritz of a soothing essential oil blend of juniper berry, lavender, lemon tea tree, chamomile, and Moroccan rosemary to help relax the mind and body.
This spray stands out because it’s unlike any of the other very lavender-forward sleep products on this list. The smell is almost hard to describe—it’s light, with slight herbal and citrus notes that made me want to douse all of my pillows and bed linens. It may have been a placebo effect, but this triggered something in me that made me feel like I was in a spa, and I always felt noticeably more relaxed, cozier, and ready for bed.
Photograph: LushBest Body Spray
This spray ($40) blends soothing essential oils like calming lavender, tonka, benzoin, and ylang-ylang, along with glycerin to soften your skin. This 6.7-ounce bottle is both a Lush favorite and a bestseller. Although the spray emits a lot of the mist on your skin, the scent is light, reminiscent of a spa, and doesn't feel overpowering. This can be used all day for a calming, soothing scent that feels a little sexy, but I used it as a body and pillow spray before bed. The scent stays on your body and clothes without smelling too fragrant.
★ Alternative: Lush’s Sleepy Dust ($14) is a fine purple dusting powder in the same scent that you pat directly into your skin for even softer, better-smelling skin (I used it after a nighttime bath and felt like a baby getting powdered) or sprinkle on your pillow. While these products didn’t make me pass out, they definitely made me feel cozy, and my bedroom smelled like a relaxing spa that welcomed me into bed for the night.
Photograph: Molly HigginsBest Oral Spray
This oral spray by Onnit ($13) delivers melatonin straight to the source by delivering six pumps, equal to about 3 milligrams of melatonin, directly into your mouth. It comes in lavender and mint flavors, and since it’s directly absorbed, the spray is fast-acting, taking around half an hour to take effect. (Melatonin is generally considered safe for pregnant people, but a doctor should be consulted before use if you are pregnant.)
I love everything lavender, so I preferred the lavender flavor over the mint, but both were flavorful and fresh without being too overpowering. The first day of testing, I felt the effects in closer to an hour rather than half an hour, but it was a noticeable, nice wave of sleepiness. The next two days I felt less sleepy, so I doubled the dosage to 12 sprays rather than six for a total of around 6 milligrams of melatonin (with my sleep issues, I need something a little heartier). In the remaining testing days I kept the dosage at around 5 or 6 milligrams (basically doubled) and consistently felt sleepy without any sort of weird grogginess the next day. The flavors were good and it was effective. I’m a fan.
Photograph: Molly HigginsBest Oral Oil
Sunday Scaries CBN + CBD Sleep Oil ($47) has 750 milligrams of CBD per bottle (25 milligrams per serving) and is enhanced with CBN, chamomile, L-theanine (an amino acid that promotes relaxation and reduces anxiety levels), lemon balm, and valerian root—a lot of the same components found in many of these products aimed at increasing relaxation and sleepiness without the grogginess or “hangover" other sleep aids can cause. Because medical testing of CBD/CBN is limited, pregnant and nursing people and parents of children should consult a medical professional before taking or administering. The oil has a subtle, light orange and vanilla taste. For the most immediate results, put a dropper of the oil under your tongue and let it sit for around 30 seconds to best soak in the effects before swallowing. You could also put it in a drink or apply it topically. Sunday Scaries has a bunch of other CBD products, including gummies, which I tried and liked (they were the tastiest of the more all-natural, mom-and-pop company’s gummies), but I didn’t feel the effects as strongly as I did with this oil.
The first two days of testing I felt more relaxed and at ease after taking the oil, and it definitely aided in falling asleep. The day after that, I didn’t fall asleep as easily, and the day after that I woke up in the middle of the night. I began doubling the dose and taking two full droppers back-to-back before bed, because it’s no joke that I need a light sedative to go to bed normally. I felt more relaxed (especially body-wise) and drifted to sleep around an hour after taking the oil.
Photograph: Molly HigginsBest Bath Soak
Flewd soaks have captured fans over social media with a young, hip aesthetic that feels more personal and elevated than a regular bath bomb or bath salt mix. Flewd has several different specialized soaks aimed at helping with anxiety, aches, and more. Its Insomnia Ending Anti-Stress Bath Treatment ($9) isn’t a typical bath bomb or salt—it’s made of small, circular balls that, if I had no impulse control, I would pop in my mouth to see if they tasted as much like Dippin’ Dots as they looked. Our skin is our largest organ and is constantly soaking up whatever is around in our environment, so this soak is aimed at fighting stress by inundating it with supplements that promote sleep. The mix includes magnesium, which is essential for many body functions, including stress response, and is believed to help with promoting sleep; vitamins A and E, which are believed to aid in sleep; and natural L-carnitine, which helps promote function of the vitamins. Flewd’s soaks are biodegradable, nontoxic, vegan, and paraben- and cruelty-free.
I loved the scent of this soak, which didn’t rely on the usual lavender sleep-inducing scent and instead went light and bright with yuzu, grapefruit, and navel orange with top notes of subtle white floral. The soak felt like an Epsom salt bath, leaving my limbs feeling light and helping release tension in my shoulders. Because of the oils in the granules, my skin felt slightly oily but hydrated, and I overall felt super cozy, relaxed, and ready for bed after my soaks.
Honorable Mentions
Photograph: Molly HigginsOther Products I Liked
Lush’s Bath/Shower Set for $8-$40: I tested many products from Lush aimed at sleep—they have an extensive line of Sleepy products intended for shower, bath, and getting ready before bed. Like the spray and dust, the shower gel, bath bombs (muslin-wrapped and in cube forms), massage bar, and body lotion all have top notes of rich, calming lavender. (I particularly like Lush’s Sleepy scents because they don’t have that artificial, overly sweet lavender scent and are balanced with other subtle, essential oil-esque scents like tonka and chamomile). I really liked the massage bar, which was cut in a grooved pattern that made the bar feel like a tiny massage when rubbed on the skin. The bar itself smells like essential oil lavender and also contains chamomile and magnesium to promote healthy sleep. It left my skin covered in a waxy, oily hydrating sheen. The lavender-scented lotion is made of oat milk and cocoa butter, and infused with essential oils like almond, jojoba, and lavender. Because of the oils, the lotion on skin has a bit of an oily sheen to it, but it feels like a creamy body butter.
MoonBrew Hot Cocoa for $43: Like the mushroom-based Alice Chocolate on this list, MoonBrew Hot Cocoa uses a blend of superfoods like reishi fungi to slowly nurture your body’s natural sleep cycles, rather than an addition like melatonin that aids in immediate help with insomnia. In addition to reishi, the cocoa has other familiar heavy sleep-inducing hitters, like L-theanine; a magnesium blend; and chamomile, lavender, and zinc to promote relaxation and a deeper sleep. It's vegan and sugar- and gluten-free, and can be added to cold or hot water or milk. The cocoa is pretty tasty, but definitely has a more natural taste and crunchy texture than a super-sweet hot cocoa you’d find from a big name like Nestle (I think that’s mostly due to the reishi). I liked it best when combined with warmed oat milk for a before-bed dessert-type drink. As mentioned, this is more of a slow burn designed for long-term use, so I didn’t feel an immediate super-sleepy effect, but I stayed asleep the whole night after drinking and woke up without grogginess. I still like our other drink mix pick, Som, better, but this is a more effective sleep aid than a cup of herbal tea.
Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Extra for $5: Sleepytime Extra tea is a variation of the classic Sleepytime tea, which has been a major household name in commercial teas for more than 50 years. Sleepytime Extra tea is Celestial Seasonings' classic blend of chamomile and spearmint, with soothing herbs like lemongrass, hawthorn berry, and tilia flower. There’s also added valerian root, which has historically been used as an all-natural supplement to help with insomnia and anxiety (although the claim hasn’t been tested by the FDA). The tea has a pleasant, mild spearmint flavor with a hint of citrus. However, I'm not sure if it really helped me knock out—I think just brewing a nice warm cup of tea automatically makes you feel cozier and sleepier. This didn’t make me immediately drowsy, but it was helpful for relaxation before bed, and just looking at that snoozing bear on the box makes me sleepy.
Numi Sweet Slumber Tea for $10: This tasty organic herbal tea uses familiar natural ingredients thought to help with relaxation, with an herbal blend of chamomile, lavender, lemon balm leaf, and licorice root. There’s also valerian root, which has historically been used as an all-natural supplement to help with insomnia and anxiety (although the claim hasn’t been tested by the FDA). Passionflower and hop flowers (the same family as the hops in beer) promote drowsiness. The tea has a nice, mild herbal flavor that’s given a little citrus flavoring from the lemon balm and a very faint, anise-esque taste from the licorice root. This didn’t make me immediately drowsy like others on this list, but it was helpful for relaxation before bed—this nice warm cup of tea brought the cozy vibes.
Emergen-Zzzz Nighttime Sleep Aid for $14: Emergen-Zzzz Nighttime Sleep Aid is the snoozy version of the popular Emergen-C Vitamin C supplement drink. Emergen-Zzzz has melatonin to help promote sleepiness, along with vitamin C and antioxidants like zinc and vitamin D for immune system help. (Melatonin is generally considered safe for pregnant people, but a doctor should be consulted.) You stir the powder into a glass of water and it fizzes until dissolved. The Berry flavor tastes very artificial and wasn’t my favorite. The product says it takes around 30 minutes to become effective and contains 3 milligrams of melatonin. I felt more relaxed and slightly sleepier after taking this, but it wasn’t as powerful as some others on this list. My issue with it is that it didn’t seem to make me stay asleep, as I woke up a few times during the night. However, I think this would help an average person without major sleep issues get to sleep faster.
Olly Sleep Gummy for $20: Olly is a super trendy brand whose gummy supplements consistently go viral on social media like TikTok and sell out fast. These are tasty: blackberry flavored with a hint of mint, and they contain 3 milligrams of melatonin; L-theanine, which eases anxiety and promotes a healthy sleep cycle; and botanicals like chamomile, passionflower, and lemon balm extract. (Melatonin is generally considered safe for pregnant people, but a doctor should be consulted.) The first time I took these gummies, I felt the effects and fell asleep easily. I woke up around 2 am and took two more and eventually got back to bed. The next night, after taking two I didn’t feel the sleepy effects as strongly and doubled the dose to four gummies (6 milligrams) and fell asleep after an hour or so but again woke up in the middle of the night and took more. Every time I took more, I did feel sleepier, so it was effective that way, but with so many people (both on the internet and in my real life) swearing by these Olly sleep gummies, I expected more. For someone who struggles with falling asleep as much as I do, they didn’t keep me asleep as effectively as some of the other products on this list.
Not Effective
Photograph: AmazonProducts That Didn't Work for Me
Bach Rescue Sleep Dropper for $20 and Liquid Melts for $22 (two pack): These all-natural, child-safe products from Bach aim to help you fall asleep naturally, and people online rave about them, but as someone who has severe struggles to fall asleep, I did not find them effective. I never felt more drowsy after taking them. I do think there’s merit in having an all-natural sleep aid alternative that's safe for children, and I believe that the thousands of people who swear by these had a positive experience, but as a chronic insomniac, I need the harder stuff.
