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Are you trying to figure out how to get better and more fulfilling sleep at night? In all honesty, who isn’t these days? After all, there’s nothing better than going to bed and waking up feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to tackle the day ahead.
In trying to improve your sleep cycles and habits, you may have researched your options or spoken to your doctor. However, the first suggestion that doctors often make is to explore a prescription medication designed to help people fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night.
However, prescriptions are not everyone’s cup of tea. So, if that’s not for you, know that you have other options worth exploring. When it comes to supplements, melatonin gummies are a simple and safe supplement that can help you enhance your sleep.
Best Melatonin Gummies:
Preview | Name | Rating | View |
Vitafusion Extra Strength Gummy Vitamins | |||
OLLY Sleep | |||
Vicks Zzzquil PURE Zzzs Triple Action Gummies | |||
Nordic Naturals Zero Sugar Melatonin Gummies | |||
Verma Farms Sleep Gummies | |||
Penguin CBD + Melatonin Gummies | |||
Solimo 5-Milligram Melatonin Gummies | |||
Natrol Melatonin Gummies | |||
Elm & Rye Melatonin Gummies | |||
Winged Women's Wellness Sleepy CBD Gummies |
What is Melatonin?
So, what exactly is melatonin? It is a naturally-occurring hormone that already exists within your body. Melatonin’s purpose is to help our bodies fall asleep and stay asleep.
In fact, take it from Nicole Avena, PhD, who is an associate professor of neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, as well as a visiting professor of health psychology at Princeton University. According to Dr. Avena, “Melatonin is a hormone in our body that naturally rises right before we fall asleep.”
Dr. Avena goes on to say that melatonin “helps with the timing of your circadian rhythms (24-hour internal clock) in your body. For most people, taking a dose of 0.5 milligrams to 5 milligrams of melatonin is sufficient to help you get to sleep. You should consider your age, weight, and experience with melatonin when you are finding the right dosage. It is always recommended to consult a doctor, but melatonin is considered relatively safe and non-addictive in small doses.”
As mentioned, melatonin controls aspects like our circadian rhythms and our internal body clocks, both of which are designed to tell us when to go to sleep and when to be on high alert. Everyone has differing amounts of melatonin in their bodies, and melatonin works differently inside of each of us, but that’s the gist of the hormone’s purpose.
Unfortunately, it’s all too often the case that our naturally-occurring melatonin is thrown out of whack. For many people, life events and sporadic circumstances can pop up in our lives and cause our bodies to produce less melatonin, resulting in low-quality sleep or less sleep overall.
Some of the disruptions in life that can cause melatonin levels to become imbalanced include stressors or environment-related changes. Sometimes, it’s something as simple as having habits that interrupt sleep, like using your phone in bed or eating right before bedtime.
Does Melatonin Have Any Side Effects?
But don’t think that just because melatonin is a naturally-occurring hormone that melatonin gummies come without any side effects. Just like any healthcare supplement you might take, these melatonin supplements come with their fair share of warnings.
For example, since melatonin is designed to make you sleepy, you could experience excessive sleepiness, or you could find that you wake up the next day after taking the melatonin feeling a bit under the weather, like you have a hangover or like you just can’t wake up. Additionally, it can make waking up in the middle of the night for things like going to the bathroom more difficult.
While these side effects won’t impact everyone, they’re something to consider and you definitely shouldn’t take melatonin and then hop in your car for a long drive until you know what side effects you’ll experience.
Likewise, you shouldn’t take melatonin gummies if you’re pregnant, nursing or on blood pressure medication or another blood-thinning medication. Melatonin gummies could also be harmful to those with epilepsy, diabetes, depression or autoimmune diseases.
Related: Is A Pillow Cube Really The Best Pillow For Side Sleepers?
Can I Use Melatonin Without Developing a Dependency On It?
One complaint that people may have when exploring their options for sleep support? They don’t necessarily want to be on a habit-forming prescription medication, but they do want a solution that they can use as needed on a regular basis. So, can you use melatonin as a long-term supplement?
While you can safely use melatonin on and off, as needed, for as long as you like, you shouldn’t adopt melatonin as a permanent fix for greater sleep issues. It’s just a handy assistant for when you need help falling asleep due to short-term problems like a short period of extra life stress or jet lag.
If you find that you need melatonin for long periods of time, like taking it daily for a month or two in a row, you may want to explore what could be causing your sleep issues. The root problem may be something that you can fix easily — such as by changing your pre-bedtime habits or your sleeping environment — or it may be something more serious that needs medical treatment.
Shopping for Melatonin Gummies
Think that you might want to give melatonin gummies a try? Here are a few things you may want to look for as you begin shopping.
Dosage
It’s important to realize that not all melatonin gummies contain the same dosage of melatonin. If you’re brand-new to natural sleep supplements, you may want to go with a low dosage first, to see how your body handles the potential side effects. A low, beginner-friendly dosage is around 1 milligram.
Third-Party Certification
Since melatonin gummies are a supplement, they aren’t regulated by the USDA or the Food and Drug Administration. This means you need to look for third-party certification from a trusted source to determine that a gummy is safe, as well as capable of actually doing what it says it can do. Look for gummies that have been certified by groups such as the National Sanitation Foundation International, U.S. Pharmacopeia or cGMP.
Ingredients
Make sure to take a good look at the ingredients list. Some gummies are made with pork-derived gelatin, so aren’t safe for vegans. Some contain artificial sweeteners, flavors and dyes. If you care about what kind of ingredients you’re putting into your body, you’ll want to be sure to choose the right gummies for your needs.
On the flip side, some gummies may include extra ingredients that you specifically want, such as extra calming herbs and supplements for a more restful sleep.
10 Best Melatonin Gummies
Here are 10 of our favorite melatonin gummies.
1. Vitafusion Extra Strength Gummy Vitamins
These blackberry-flavored vitamins contain 2.5 milligrams of melatonin per gummy. Plus, it’s important to know that you can take upward of two gummies every night, which equates to a whopping 5 milligrams of melatonin before bed.
The Vitafusion melatonin gummies do not contain any high-fructose corn syrup, dyes or artificial flavors. However, they are made with gelatin, meaning they’re not suitable for people who follow a vegan diet or those who abstain from consuming pork products.
Even so, they are perfect for the occasional bout of insomnia or period of jet lag. Reviewers have said that these gummies are lifesavers that make it possible to get a night of sound sleep while also waking up feeling completely rested.
However, make note that you may want to cut the gummies in half and consume a small dosage at first, especially if you’ve never used a sleep aid before. Some reviewers have reported that the high dosage sometimes results in either worsened sleep overall or psychedelic dreams.
2. OLLY Sleep
These NSF-approved gummies come in 3 milligram doses. In addition to the melatonin, however, each gummy also contains chamomile, lemon balm and L-theanine, a calm-promoting amino acid.
Made with natural flavors, no artificial colors and no gluten, the gummies are designed to be used about half an hour before bed and the brand recommends using them with its daily energy supplements and supplements designed to relieve daytime stress.
Users reported coma-like sleep even when other prescription products haven’t worked or when dealing with anxiety issues.
3. Vicks Zzzquil PURE Zzzs Triple Action Gummies
Okay, we all know that NyQuil will knock you right out when you have a cold, but it’s kind of frowned upon to use the medication to sleep better if you don’t have a sniffly nose. Thankfully, the folks at Vicks recognize that they understand sleep pretty well, so they created their own take on melatonin gummies.
Combining melatonin with mood-enhancing ashwagandha, chamomile, valerian and lavender, these gluten-free, lactose-free gummies help to combat stress, insomnia and irritability. Do note that these Vicks triple-action gummies contain artificial dyes.
4. Nordic Naturals Zero Sugar Melatonin Gummies
If you want a lower-dose option without any sugar, you’ll want to try these sugarless melatonin gummies. There’s 1.5 milligrams of melatonin in each gummy. Not only are they vegan, but they are also GMP-certified and non-GMO.
These are definitely a good option for those who only want the occasional better night’s sleep or beginners who want to start exploring melatonin at a very small dose. Users report that they’re a helpful aid to use before a stressful day at work or when dealing with odd sleep schedules.
5. Verma Farms Sleep Gummies
If you already take a CBD gummy supplement, you can now combine melatonin with CBD for one seriously relaxing experience. These vegan CBD sleep gummies include 30 milligrams of CBD per serving in addition to the melatonin.
You can even sign up for a subscription with Verma Farms, which will ensure that you always have some melatonin CBD gummies on hand whenever you need them. Reviewers say that it takes about an hour for them to kick in, but once they do, you’ll be sleeping like a baby.
6. Penguin CBD + Melatonin Gummies
For CBD and melatonin that comes with a side of fun, you’ve got to check out Penguin and their CBD gummies, which aren’t like every other gummy on the CBD market. See, these gummies are literally CBD melatonin gummy worms, each of which is colorful and filled with 10 milligrams of CBD.
Plus, each gummy contains the much-needed melatonin in addition to CBD. Penguin also offers a subscription, but it’s optional! You can always simply stock up with one of the two-pack or four-pack bundles that are available as well.
7. Solimo 5 Milligram Melatonin Gummies
These gluten-free and vegan melatonin gummies are made with pectin, though they contain zero artificial dyes. Each gummy is jam-packed with 2.5 milligrams of melatonin, though the suggested dosage is two gummies for a total of 5 milligrams. However, feel free to take a smaller dosage if that’s what works best for you.
Take the gummies about half an hour before bedtime and let them work their magic as you get ready for bed. Each bottle comes with enough gummies for a month’s worth of good sleep!
8. Natrol Melatonin Gummies
Do you want a gummy that’s absolutely filled to the brim with melatonin? If the 5-milligram options just aren’t doing it for you, level up with these 10-milligram melatonin gummies.
Since they are incredibly fast-acting, you’ll want to be careful with these strawberry-flavored bad boys. However, if your doctor gives you the green light to up your dosage to 10-milligrams of melatonin per gummy, you might just find it’s exactly what you need to fall asleep, even under the worst circumstances.
9. Elm & Rye Melatonin Gummies
Elm & Rye is a bit of a cult favorite for supplements, and now, the brand offers its own take on melatonin gummies. Made with a limited list of ingredients, these gummies are free of soy, gluten, GMOs, preservatives and dairy. Plus, these gummies deliver small doses of melatonin and nothing else, making room for the purest sleep possible.
10. Winged Women’s Wellness Sleepy CBD Gummies
These melatonin gummies are made by women, for women. They contain CBD, L-theanine, evening primrose oil and other vegan ingredients, all of which can help you get to sleep faster. They’re uniquely designed in ways that specifically support female hormonal health.
Related: Rest, Relaxation and Rejuvenation – Why Sleep Matters
FAQs
Have more questions? We’ve got answers.
Can I Make My Body Produce More Melatonin Without a Supplement?
If you’re still not ready to introduce a new supplement into your diet, there are a few things you can do to help your body’s naturally-occurring melatonin do its job more efficiently. Melatonin spikes a few hours before you normally fall asleep, so start planning to get ready for bed about two hours before you want to actually fall asleep.
This doesn’t mean that you should tuck yourself into bed and stare at the ceiling for two hours. Instead, just put away your technological devices, turn off the TV, dim the lights and partake in some relaxing habits. For instance, you can read a book. Drink some tea. Chat with your partner. Take a bath. The options are endless!
Additionally, since the production of melatonin is linked to our circadian rhythms, make sure your body is receiving appropriate cues throughout the day as well. This means making sure you get enough exposure to sunlight each and every day. If you can’t find the time to head outside for a walk in the mornings or the afternoons, consider working next to a window that receives a lot of sun during the day.
Can You Take Melatonin in Another Form?
You can definitely consume melatonin in other ways! Gummies are not the only form of melatonin, so if you don’t like the taste or the texture of gummies, there are other options. For instance, you can try capsules, tablets, sprays, liquids and even a powdered form of melatonin.
Is Melatonin Safe For Children?
While melatonin is generally considered safe for children, it’s important to speak with your pediatrician before adding any supplements to your child’s diet. Additionally, melatonin should never be abused when used to provoke sleep in otherwise healthy children. Some side effects for children who frequently use melatonin include delayed puberty, bedwetting and increased dizziness.
Can You Overdose on Melatonin?
While there are no recorded incidences of death caused by an overdose of melatonin, it is still technically possible to take too much melatonin and then experience rather unpleasant side effects, such as extra dizziness, confusion, lethargy or even insomnia.
Get Better Sleep Now
If you’ve been struggling to find a way to get a better night’s sleep, consider taking melatonin gummies. While they’re not a good fit for everyone and they may not be a long-term fix, they still boast an admirable track record of helping people fall asleep fast when counting sheep just won’t cut it.
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10 Best Melatonin Gummies for a Good Night’s Sleep:
- Vitafusion Extra Strength Gummy Vitamins
- OLLY Sleep
- Vicks Zzzquil PURE Zzzs Triple Action Gummies
- Nordic Naturals Zero Sugar Melatonin Gummies
- Verma Farms Sleep Gummies
- Penguin CBD + Melatonin Gummies
- Solimo 5-Milligram Melatonin Gummies
- Natrol Melatonin Gummies
- Elm & Rye Melatonin Gummies
- Winged Women’s Wellness Sleepy CBD Gummies