Compare Our Picks<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Others Tested<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
These were effective, but not as consistently so as the above picks. I’d still encourage others to try since bodies react differently to the active ingredients in these over-the-counter sleep aids.<\/p>\n
Rebalance Dream Sleep Mints (Melatonin-Free; 31-Pack) for $46:<\/strong><\/a> These melatonin-free mints are designed to slowly dissolve, with natural sleep inducing ingredients like L-theanine, L-tryptophan, GABA, and slow release Reishi mushroom. You can take up to three lozenges every night, and it took me three to feel any sort of calming effects. I like the idea of a slow melting mint alternative, but I’m currently testing the version with melatonin to see how it stacks up against the melatonin-free version.<\/p>\n Photograph: Molly Higgins<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n Olly Sleep Gummy for $17:<\/strong><\/a> 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\u2019t 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. With so many people (both on the internet and in my real life) swearing by these Olly sleep gummies, I expected more.<\/p>\n Kona Sea Salt Deep Ocean Magnesium Water Drops for $12:<\/strong><\/a> Kona’s line of sleep and relaxation products use Magnesium from deep ocean waters in Hawai’i to support improved sleep and muscle relaxation. I tried a whole host of Kona Sea Salt’s Hawaiian water products, including Calm Mineral Spa Bath ($8)<\/a> and Deep Ocean Magnesium Mist ($18)<\/a>, but I found the drops to be most effective, although I still regularly spray the Magnesium mist before bed. You just need to put one drop per one ounce of drinking water, and it quickly absorbs into the body, with a host of supposed benefits like regulation of the sleep-wake cycle and promoting deeper sleep without a hangover. It doesn’t really taste like anything except a slight salt taste, but it didn’t deliver solid, consistent sleepy results like other picks above.<\/p>\n Osea Vagus Nerve Pillow Mist for $38<\/strong>:<\/a> This spray 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. The smell is almost hard to describe\u2014it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Photograph: Molly Higgins<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n Earthing Pillow Cover for $140:<\/strong><\/a> I’m so confused by this product. The pillowcase is supposed to serve as a sort of conduit for Earth’s natural electrons, which give you a burst of negative charges to keep you \u201cgrounded\u201d while sleeping and thus lead to more restful sleep. According to Earthing’s website this electron grounding is supposed to \u201crejuvenate, reduce inflammation,\u201d and help you \u201creconnect with the earth.\u201d In actuality, it’s a synthetic plastic-y faux leather pillow cover infused with carbon pigment that needs to be plugged in while you sleep. There is a huge safety warning and it even comes with an outlet safety test to make sure it doesn’t cause an electrical fire while you sleep. So, that’s reassuring. I found the leather material to be way too hot, sticky, and uncomfortable, and I woke up feeling very much Not Grounded.<\/p>\n Canary Nighttime Nourisher (60-Pack) for $18:<\/strong><\/a> I hate to do this, because all of Canary’s products are so darn tasty, but I didn’t feel the effects of these sleep gummies. These vegan tart cherry gummies use natural ingredients like ashwagandha, chamomile, and lemon balm for a more natural foray into relaxation. Although they are super tasty (like every gummy supplement I’ve had from Canary<\/a>), I didn’t feel any noticeable sleepy effects while taking these.<\/p>\n BodyHealth Sleep for $42<\/strong><\/a>: Before bed, you take three capsules (which is a lot of pill to swallow) that are enhanced with \u201cPerfect Amino\u201d (which has no information about what it actually is), taurine, vitamin C, L-theanine, L-glycine, 5-HTP (I-5-hydroxytryptophan<\/a>, which is often used for depression, with less evidence for helping insomnia); L-glutamine and GABA (amino acids), and 3 milligrams of melatonin. These horse pills were so<\/em> hard for me to ingest and gave me acid reflux symptoms every time I took them. They may have helped to increase sleepiness but I was too focused on my heartburn to realize.<\/p>\n What Else Can I Try Besides Sleep Aids?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Jar](\"https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/695327045848afcaee8c4246\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/Rebalance-Dream-Sleep-Mints-source-Molly-Higgins.jpg\"\/)
<\/picture><\/span><\/div>\nNot Effective (for Me)<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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