Not getting enough sleep is horrible. You feel like you have no energy before the day has even started and you’re in a bad mood.
Sure, you can handle 1 or 2 sleep-deprived days. But if this turns into a long-term condition then you might unlock more serious health problems. For example, people who get 7+ hours of sleep are 4.2 times less likely to get sick than people who are sleep deprived.
One of the most common reasons why you can’t fall asleep is that you’re dealing with a lot of stress and that prevents your body from functioning normally. Even the food you consume can impact your ability to fall asleep.
To get back to your normal sleep routine, you might have considered some over the counter medications. But these are short-term solutions that leave you feeling drowsy and disoriented the next morning.
Luckily, there are natural sleep supplements that calm you down so you can ease into your blissful, much-needed 8 hours of sleep.
And since there are many different natural remedies out there, we’ve assembled a list of the top 20 on the market.
So read on to find out the best natural supplements that will help you sleep like a baby.
20 Best Sleep Supplements
#1. Namastay in Bed
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With this natural sleep supplement, you get to fall and stay asleep with ease and feel refreshed when you wake up the next morning.
The premium selection of herbs and ingredients contribute to a feeling of relaxation, balanced sleep cycle, improved mood, and reduced stress and anxiety symptoms.
The supplement is made with 100% non-GMO ingredients and no additives or fillers, so you get the most out of every serving.
#2. Valerian Root
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Valerian root is one of the most ancient natural remedies with a relaxing effect on your body. When you take valerian, you stimulate the production of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). This is one of the neurochemicals that promotes sleep and relaxation.
Valerian alleviates symptoms of anxiety, stress, and menopause. If you want optimal results, take valerian 1 hour before going to bed. This will soothe you into a restful sleep for the whole night.
But if you’re not planning on at least 8 hours of sleep, you might want to reconsider taking valerian since it will make you feel drowsy the next morning.
#3. Passionflower
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Passionflower is a well-known natural remedy that alleviates insomnia and anxiety symptoms.
Passionflower increases the levels of GABA - the neurochemical that promotes sleep, calmness, and improves your sleep quality. And you can take it in the form of herbal tea, liquid extract, or even as tablets or capsules.
#4. Melatonin
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Melatonin is a hormone produced by your body. It’s also known as the “sleep hormone” since it signals your body when it’s time to sleep. Its levels are naturally higher in the night and lower in the morning.
But sometimes you’re exposed to factors like jet lag, sleeping disorders, excessive caffeine consumption, or bright light. This leaves you with insufficient amounts of melatonin during the night and disrupts your sleep.
Taking a melatonin supplement can help you balance the production of the hormone and fix any short-term irregularities in your sleep pattern.
#5. L-Theanine
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L-theanine is an ingredient naturally found in tea leaves. This supplement helps you stay relaxed during the day without making you sleepy.
It also stimulates the production of GABA. This helps you fall asleep quicker and have better sleep during the night. L-theanine also boosts the production of serotonin and dopamine which improves your mood, creativity, and memory.
If you’re a tea drinker, you already get about 8 mg of L-theanine per cup of tea. But if you want to get the optimal dose of 100-400 mg that will get you to a calm, non-drowsy state during the day, you can try taking L-theanine supplements.
#6. Chamomile
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Chamomile is an herb that contains the antioxidant apigenin. This ingredient is exactly what gets you in a relaxed mood after a cup of chamomile tea.
It also helps with falling asleep and improving the overall sleep quality especially in people with insomnia and other sleep disorders.
You can get chamomile in the form of herbal tea or as a pure extract.
#7. Magnolia Bark
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Magnolia bark has been used in Chinese traditional medicine for hundreds of years to promote sleep and reduce anxiety symptoms.
But that’s not all. Magnolia bark can help improve your mood, reduce the production of adrenaline, and boost your memory and learning abilities.
Some of its compounds act as antioxidants and have an anti-inflammatory effect on your body. This protects you from various heart diseases, prevents tumor growth and reduces inflammation in the brain . And magnolia bark also activates your cannabinoid receptors, which alleviate pain and boost your immune system.
#8. Hops Flowers
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Hops flowers are an essential ingredient in the making of beer. But they’re also used as a sleep supplement that can help you have a longer, uninterrupted sleep.
Hops are an effective sedative that lowers your body temperature, which in turn makes you drowsy and kicks off the sleeping process.
Hops also have a beneficial effect on your overall health. They have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and help with the regulation of your weight, cholesterol, and blood sugar.
#9. 5-HTP
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5-HTP is naturally made in your body as a byproduct of the amino acid L-tryptophan. This supplement increases the production of serotonin which in turn is required to make the sleep hormone melatonin.
So, if you want to both balance the levels of melatonin and relieve stress and depression symptoms, 5-HTP is a good choice since it fixes both of these issues.
5-HTP is known to help relieve symptoms of fibromyalgia, like tiredness, pain and anxiety.
This supplement is also helpful for weight control since it suppresses your appetite. And it can reduce pain and symptoms related to migraines and headaches.
#10. Magnesium
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Magnesium is a mineral that your body needs for over 300 internal functions and processes. Apart from being a crucial element in your cells’ reactions, heart health, and bone density, magnesium is important for the production of melatonin.
When you're magnesium deficient, your body can’t produce enough of the sleep hormone melatonin and you experience sleep disturbances and worse quality of sleep.
So, making sure that you have your daily dose of magnesium on a regular basis is essential for maintaining good sleep quality, bettering your mood, and improving any sort of sleep disorder symptoms.
#11. Lavender
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The soothing scent of lavender calms your nervous systems and slows down your body’s rhythm. This makes lavender a great way to ease yourself into sleep.
Lavender is very effective if used as aromatherapy. It improves mild insomnia symptoms in young people. It is also as helpful as more serious sleep medications with elderly people.
You can use it as a fragrance that you can spray around in the room you'll sleep in. Or you can add a few drops of it directly on your pillow. Using it as a spray is safer since taking lavender oil extracts and pills might cause stomach aches and nausea.
Namastay In Bed
Namastay In Bed is a plant-based supplement that supports you by:
- Easing your brain into a normalized sleep cycle
- Nurturing you gently to sleep when you need it
- Wake up refreshed without feeling groggy
- Providing 100% natural herbs and premium melatonin
Try it risk free with our 60-Day Money Back Guarantee.
#12. Glycine
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Glycine is an amino acid produced by your body, but you can also get it from foods like cabbage, beans, eggs, and poultry.
Glycine helps you fall asleep faster and improves sleep quality. This happens because glycine lowers your body temperature which makes you naturally sleepy.
It also increases the levels of serotonin which is directly involved in the production of the sleep hormone melatonin in your body. This helps if you’re suffering from insomnia or if you wake up often during the night.
#13. Moon Juice Dream Dust
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The supplement comes in powder form and it’s a mix of 5 different herbs, including chamomile and jujube.
You can mix a spoonful of the powder into warm milk, herbal tea, or hot water and drink it before sleep. The supplement will give you a sense of tranquility after a stressful day and improve your sleep quality.
#14. Perricone MD Sleep Booster
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The mix of magnesium, melatonin, L-theanine, and ashwagandha will help you get relaxed at the end of even the most stressful days. These ingredients will help you cope with tiredness and reduce the feelings of stress and anxiety.
This way you will start snoozing before you even know it. And you don’t have to worry about feeling drowsy the next morning. This supplement will leave you with the feeling of being well-rested and refreshed after a night of good sleep.
#15. Hush & Hush MindYourMind
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This natural sleep supplement is a good way to opt for a melatonin-free sleeping aid. Taking melatonin in the long-term will only get your body used to it and weaken its effects.
So, if you want to prevent increased melatonin tolerance, you can go for a natural remedy that contains other sleep-friendly ingredients like valerian, chamomile, and holy basil.
#16. SugarBear Sleep
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This sleep supplement is like a tasty treat you take right before you doze off. This supplement from SugarBear is packed with all the sleep-boosting ingredients you’ll ever need.
It contains magnesium, melatonin, valerian, and the mood booster 5-HTP. The product is suitable for anyone aged 13 years and above. The only possible downside for some will be the feeling of drowsiness in the morning.
#17. Olly Sleep Melatonin Gummies
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The Olly sleep supplement contains natural sleep-promoting ingredients like passionflower, valerian, and melatonin. The gummies have tasty blackberry flavor and each of them contains only 1.5 mg of melatonin. This makes it easy to track and regulate your melatonin intake.
However, the gummies are produced in a factory with soy, gluten, and other non-vegan ingredients. This might make it a no-go for vegans and people with allergies. On the bright side, this is one of the more affordable natural sleep supplements on the market.
#18. HUM Nutrition Mighty Night Supplement
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If you’re searching for a product that will improve both your sleep and your skin health, then this might be a good option.
The combination of melatonin, valerian, ceramides, and CoQ10 (among other ingredients) will provide you with restful and restorative beauty sleep that will make you feel and look good the next morning.
Keep in mind that taking melatonin long-term is not recommended due to possible built-up resistance.
#19. Dr. Barbara Sturm Sleep Food
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This sleep and beauty supplement will leave you with a feeling of relaxation and will revive your skin health. This happens with the help of active ingredients like 5-HTP, St. John's Wort, and the vitamin B-complex.
With this set of ingredients, you will get peaceful sleep, improved mood, and better-looking skin. And you wake up well-rested and energized. But despite the effectiveness of this sleep supplement, it is priced much higher than other natural sleep remedies.
#20. The Beauty Chef Sleep Inner Beauty Powder
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This is a multifunctional sleep supplement, probiotic, and skin health booster all in one. All you have to do is mix a spoonful in some water or warm milk an hour before you go to sleep and the rest is taken care of.
The sleep-promoting ingredients, probiotics, and antioxidants help you get rejuvenating sleep that helps you feel healthy inside and out.
Some people might be turned off from its turmeric taste. But if that’s no bother for you, go for it!
Conclusion
A good night’s sleep makes you more productive, improves your health, balances your hormones, and increases your cognitive abilities.
If you suffer from mild sleep inconsistencies, going for natural ingredients and herbs is a healthy way of stabilizing your sleep schedule.
So, if you found something that you like on our list, go ahead and give it a try!
But, keep in mind that if the issue keeps persisting or worsening, it’s better to consult a doctor who might prescribe you more serious medication.
Sweet dreams!