references
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "Prescription Sleep Aid Use Among Adults: United States, 2005–2010"
Mayo Clinic: "Melatonin"
Sleep Medicine: "Association Between Night-shift Work and Level of Melatonin: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis"
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: "Valerian"
Journal of Evidence Based Integrative Medicine: "Valerian Root in Treating Sleep Problems and Associated Disorders—A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis"
Sleep Medicine: "Effectiveness of Valerian on Insomnia: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Placebo-controlled Trials"
USDA: "What We Eat in America, NHANES 2013-2016"
Nutrients: "Micronutrient Inadequacy in Short Sleep: Analysis of the NHANES 2005–2016"
Nutrients: "The Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Subjective Anxiety and Stress—A Systematic Review"
Journal of Research in Medical Sciences: "The Effect of Magnesium Supplementation on Primary Insomnia in Elderly: A Double-blind Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial"
Mayo Clinic: "I've Heard That Magnesium Supplements Have Health Benefits"
Nutrients: "The Association between Vitamin D Deficiency and Sleep Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis"
Nutrition and Health: "The Effect of Vitamin D on Sleep Quality: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis"
PLOS ONE: "Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Objective Short Sleep Duration Are Independently Associated With the Risk of Serum Vitamin D Deficiency"
National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: "Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Consumers"
National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: "Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Health Professionals"
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: "Ashwagandha"
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine: "Kava"
National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: "Vitamin C"
Nutrients: "The Role of Vitamin C in Two Distinct Physiological States: Physical Activity and Sleep"
Appetite: "Dietary nutrients associated with short and long sleep duration. Data from a Nationally Representative Sample"
Mayo Clinic: "Melatonin Side Effects: What Are the Risks?"
Mayo Clinic: "Valerian: A safe and effective herbal sleep aid?"
National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: "Magnesium"
Is this an emergency? If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, please see the National Library of Medicine’s list of signs you need emergency medical attention or call 911.
Even the best natural sleep aids aren't meant to be taken every single night.
Image Credit: Jelena Danilovic/iStock/GettyImages
Image Credit: Jelena Danilovic/iStock/GettyImages
- Melatonin
- Valerian Root
- Magnesium
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin C
- Ashwagandha
- Kava
- What to Look for in a Supplement
The most effective natural sleep aid is practicing good sleep hygiene, including going to bed and waking up at the same time every day; keeping your bedroom cool, dark and quiet; limiting screen time, alcohol and caffeine before bed; and getting regular exercise during the day.
Breus says he’s impressed with the quality of the ingredients in this plant-based melatonin supplement.
Nature Made is a popular supplement option — the company does “a good job in the quality of materials they put into their supplements,” Breus says. The supplement is also USP certified.
The root of the valerian plant has shown the most promise for sleep. This supplement, by Nature’s Way, contains 100 capsules of 530 mg.
This supplement was a top pick in the Consumer Lab review of valerian supplements. Testing found that GNC Herbal Plus contained good quality ingredients and the 4 to 8 mg of valerian root that was specified on the label. Each capsule has 500 mg of valerian root extract.
There are many different forms of magnesium, but magnesium glycinate is particularly promising for promoting sleep, Breus says.
Breus recommends MagSoothe, a packet that contains magnesium lysinate glycinate chelate. Mix each packet with 4 ounces of water.
These liquid vitamin D drops were a top pick from Consumer Lab. This one contains D3—the same form found in fortified foods—and is better form for sleep than vitamin D2.
2. Nature Wise Vitamin D3 1,000 Subscription: NatureWise.com ($13.99 for 360 softgels)
Nature Wise’s supplement contains a reasonable dose of 1,000 IUs (the upper limit for D is 4,000 IUs for adults). And, because vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, the supplement also contains organic extra virgin olive oil to boost its absorption.
This vitamin C supplement is made from a blend of organic fruits and vegetables. It also contains a reasonable 500 mg dose (the upper limit for adults is 2,000 mg), as many people already get enough C from their diets.
Tired of swallowing capsules? This gummy supplement contains 250 mg of vitamin C. It was also an approved pick from Consumer Lab in its review of vitamin C supplements, which was last updated in May of 2022.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "Prescription Sleep Aid Use Among Adults: United States, 2005–2010"
Mayo Clinic: "Melatonin"
Sleep Medicine: "Association Between Night-shift Work and Level of Melatonin: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis"
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: "Valerian"
Journal of Evidence Based Integrative Medicine: "Valerian Root in Treating Sleep Problems and Associated Disorders—A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis"
Sleep Medicine: "Effectiveness of Valerian on Insomnia: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Placebo-controlled Trials"
USDA: "What We Eat in America, NHANES 2013-2016"
Nutrients: "Micronutrient Inadequacy in Short Sleep: Analysis of the NHANES 2005–2016"
Nutrients: "The Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Subjective Anxiety and Stress—A Systematic Review"
Journal of Research in Medical Sciences: "The Effect of Magnesium Supplementation on Primary Insomnia in Elderly: A Double-blind Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial"
Mayo Clinic: "I've Heard That Magnesium Supplements Have Health Benefits"
Nutrients: "The Association between Vitamin D Deficiency and Sleep Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis"
Nutrition and Health: "The Effect of Vitamin D on Sleep Quality: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis"
PLOS ONE: "Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Objective Short Sleep Duration Are Independently Associated With the Risk of Serum Vitamin D Deficiency"
National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: "Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Consumers"
National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: "Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Health Professionals"
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: "Ashwagandha"
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine: "Kava"
National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: "Vitamin C"
Nutrients: "The Role of Vitamin C in Two Distinct Physiological States: Physical Activity and Sleep"
Appetite: "Dietary nutrients associated with short and long sleep duration. Data from a Nationally Representative Sample"
Mayo Clinic: "Melatonin Side Effects: What Are the Risks?"
Mayo Clinic: "Valerian: A safe and effective herbal sleep aid?"
National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: "Magnesium"
