Best Natural Sleep Aids (2024), Tested and Reviewed
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.Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting that's too important to ignore for just $2.50 $1 per month for 1 year. Includes unlimited digital access and exclusive subscriber-only content. Subscribe Today.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.
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