The Best Natural Sleep Aid in 2024 (Reviewed and Compared)

Natural Sleep Remedies Reviewed

Our short and informative reviews will give you great insight into each supplement. You will easily be able to decide which of our top 10 picks for 2022 is the right product for you.

Picking the Best Natural Sleep Aid

– Buyer’s Guide –

There’s a significant number of natural remedies for sleep out there, and one might get frustrated when presented with so many choices. That’s why we developed this handy buyer’s guide to help you classify and separate out the various products on the market.

Prescription Sleeping Pills vs. Natural Remedies

Prescription sleep aids are the drugs commonly referred to as sedative-hypnotics. These are synthetic substances that induce sleep by acting on different parts of the brain.

Prescription sedatives, such as benzodiazepines and antidepressants, are very potent and often distress the central nervous system (CNS). They usually produce side effects, such as drowsiness, confusion, blood pressure drops, and increased tolerance.  

Natural products are more diverse in composition, thus affecting a larger population. They carry fewer serious side effects and are used to treat mild to moderate insomnia. In contrast to Rx and OTC meds, they’re considered dietary or herbal supplements and are therefore not regulated.   

Types of Natural Sleep Remedies

The pharmacological effectiveness of natural sleep products varies primarily depending on their composition. When they come in pure form, they offer a more controlled effect, thus lowering any adverse reactions. The ones that mix multiple contents are more potent and act on different levels of sleep.

Herbs

Valerian Root

Valerian root is widely used for its mild sedative properties. That’s why most herbal sleep aids contain valerian. Its active principles are based on benzodiazepine-like chemicals that act on GABA receptors in the CNS, thus producing relaxation and neuron depression. This is an excellent sleep-onset ingredient.

Lemon Balm

The aromatic properties of lemon balm have been used for centuries in cuisine. It’s also used as a constituent in natural sleep medications for its mild calming properties. It has been proven that lemon balm provides an additional relaxing effect in multi-compound products. 

Hops

The calming effects of hops flowers are used for a variety of hormone-related sleep disorders. Most natural supplements aimed at improving sleep have it as a mild tranquilizer.

Passionflower

This remarkable plant can be a sleeping remedy on its own, as it both promotes sleep and maintains it. However, due to its unknown maximum dose, it’s often used in low strength. It’s a great choice for children, or for temporary insomnia.

Lavender

Its extracts are used both orally and as inhalants. Lavender calms the CNS by acting on peripheral nerves. In stronger doses, it can cause nausea and confusion, so its quantity needs to be carefully assessed in a product.

Chamomile

Chamomile relaxes peripheral blood vessels, and it’s commonly regarded as the perfect natural sleep aid for those with high blood pressure. In addition, it’s a smart choice for children, and it has mild anxiolytic properties. Chamomile is the most-used herbal remedy around the world.

Cannabis

As it acts on cannabinoid receptors, it’s very potent in inducing both relaxation and promoting sleep. Due to its high THC content, it carries a risk of psychoactive side effects. Therefore, CBD-only products are preferred. They can be found in various dosage forms, from oil to brownies and gummies. CBD is proven to be an anxiolytic, a nerve protector, and an immunostimulant. CBD oil is a great pick for jet lag and circadian rhythm disorders.

Magnolia Bark

This is known and used for its anti-inflammatory properties. However, it can also aid users in falling asleep, especially in the case of headache-related insomnia.

Tea

Its main active substance, L-theanine, is confirmed as a neuroprotectant and CNS depressant. It lowers excitatory brain chemicals and promotes proper attention and nerve relaxation. As a constituent, tea extracts alleviate drowsiness and produce a refreshed feeling.

Tart Cherry 

Athletes commonly use the extract of tart cherry to relieve muscle and joint pain. It’s often referred to as the best natural remedy for kids’ sleep problems, and it’s considered safe for pregnant women. Cherry is famous for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It also contains natural melatonin, and as such, it’s a mild sleep promoter.

Spine Date Seed 

An old Asian remedy, it has antirheumatic, antidiabetic, and liver-healing properties. It’s confirmed as a tranquilizer without side effects and is a constituent that promotes sleep and maintains sleep quality.

Albizzia Flower 

This herb has both anxiolytic and antidepressant properties. In the Far East, it’s considered one of the most effective natural aids for sleep, whose use is followed by waking up refreshed. It also has mystical energy flowing properties.

Cyperus Rhizome

In Eastern medicine, it’s referred to as the Qi healing herb. It promotes blood circulation, relaxes the CNS, and softly promotes a state of relaxation. 

Salvia Root 

Often used to treat high blood pressure, this herb is one of the traditional Asian anti-anxiety herbs. It also lowers the heart rate and calms nervousness.

Reishi

This is a mushroom that’s used to slow down aging and to assist the immune response in cancer patients. It’s one of the top-rated natural sleep aids in East Asia, and it promotes the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.

Kava

Kava has potent alkaloids that also act as GABA enhancers and therefore are used as depressants. There is evidence that kava can be used as a mild anxiolytic and sleep inducer. However, an excessive amount of kava can have opposing effects on the CNS and lead to anorexia, elevated anxiety, and gastrointestinal problems.

Melatonin

Melatonin is a peptide hormone that’s naturally produced in the brain. Its main physiological function is to control specific processes, such as the circadian rhythm and certain receptor expressions. 

Melatonin production is controlled by both the retina and the thermoregulatory receptors of the skin. Therefore its production is mostly induced by low light. That’s why it’s called “the winter hormone.”

Physiologically, melatonin induces and regulates sleep. Therefore, there’s a multitude of melatonin-based products out there. Most of them are slow-acting, meaning it may take up to an hour for them to kick in. However, studies confirm that solid oral dosage forms absorb more slowly than those meant to be taken sublingually.

Minerals

Magnesium

There are more than three hundred biochemical functions within our body that require magnesium. 

This is an essential mineral and is taken via supplements for heart and blood vessel functions, for skeletal and muscle relaxation in cramps, and as a mild stress relief. Many sleep aid products will contain the recommended daily allowance of magnesium in order to promote a state of relaxation, until an herbal sedative kicks in.

Calcium

Although it’s a CNS excitant that stimulates muscle contraction and brain function, calcium is sometimes used in natural mixtures for sleep. Its combination with magnesium stimulates the ionic depolarisation of neurons, which promotes a more systemic relaxation of nerves and muscles. 

Amino Acids

Tryptophan and 5-HTP

These represent an essential amino acid, which means any sleep-based benefits can only be obtained externally via food or a supplement. The chemical synthesis of neural hormones, such as serotonin and melatonin, depends on it. 

Most natural sleep aids without melatonin contain either tryptophan or its active metabolite 5-hydroxy-tryptophane (5-HTP). Both help lighten one’s mood while regulating natural biorhythms by promoting melatonin and serotonin synthesis. 5-HTP is more biologically active and acts more quickly. 

Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) and Glycine

Both are naturally occurring chemicals in the CNS. They act as depressants and are responsible for complex neural activity. Their use facilitates nerve relaxation, which aids the onset of sleep.

Potent Combinations

Manufacturers usually choose more than one component to create a natural remedy. Herbs are considered safe in case of an overdose and are the best for sleep onset and body regeneration. Melatonin, however, is the best for prolonging the sleeping state, while amino acids provide more neurological control. 

Quality

A natural remedy for sleep has to be a product of proven quality. In other words, the technological aspects of sleep aids are as important as their composition. 

Manufacturing

Dietary and herbal supplements are not officially regulated, so their production doesn’t legally require sterile conditions and quality measures. Many of the products out there are actually made in ordinary facilities without substance or overall condition control. 

How is that possible? The only FDA-required testing for supplements is the toxicity test. In order for the manufacturer to obtain a trade permit for the product, just one bunch must be tested for heavy metals and known toxins. If it doesn’t hurt, it can be approved.

The best all-natural sleep aids are the ones produced in controlled conditions. This means that the producer has a certificate for high manufacturing standards, and the whole process is done under the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines. These are the conditions that promise that every dose of the product actually contains the declared composition.

Substance Origin

Herbs can be found all over, which doesn’t mean that they all satisfy the quality needed for supplement production. Plants grown in distinctive sites contain different amounts of active compounds. 

The top-rated organic natural sleep aids are made from authentically produced plants. In other words, tea grown in Chinese plantations is not equal in L-theanine compared to the ones found in someone’s backyard in North America.

This is an agricultural aspect of the substance. Non-GMO herbs that are carefully grown and naturally fertilized have more active chemicals within them and are more valuable—and more expensive.  

Compound Choice

Not all magnesium or calcium compounds are equally utilized by the body. The aspects of substance absorption and distribution are determined by the type of compound the manufacturers use in production. Therefore, high-quality all-natural sleep remedies should contain highly absorbable and usable compounds and extracts.

The most easily absorbed minerals are those in organic complexes. This means that calcium carbonate and magnesium-oxide have limited bioavailability, while citrate and gluconate complexes are absorbed in higher amounts.

Additionally, physiologically active amino acids are only L-stereoisomers. Declaring tryptophan on a label doesn’t necessarily guarantee its effect, but having L-tryptophan on it promises an impact. 

Safety Issues

Side Effects

Although considered safe, natural remedies for sleep may have side effects. They depend on the composition and the dose taken. In most cases, one can’t overdose on them.

Any valerian root side effects are rare, but they can include dry mouth, headaches, dizziness, stomach cramps, and confusion. Hops flower can worsen depression symptoms and interact with some hormones. Magnolia root can induce tremors and heartburn and lower the libido. When taken in high doses, lavender produces headaches and nausea. Tea extract can be erosive on the stomach, and it can interact with some medications.

The side effects of melatonin supplements include daytime drowsiness, nervousness, confusion, headaches, blood pressure variations, and nausea. However, most of melatonin’s side effects are rare and dose-dependent.

On the other hand, they can worsen an underlying pathology—and they should be avoided when this is the case.

Contraindications

There are cases when natural products should not be used. Depending on their contents, some products are contraindicated with heart disease, as they can lower blood pressure and induce fatigue. 

Melatonin shouldn’t be taken in the case of some hormonal problems. Eastern herbs are natural antidepressants and as such can oversaturate the liver when taking other medication at the same time.

All natural sleep aid pills should be given careful consideration when it comes to psychopathology. Conditions such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, and psychosis can compromise neurochemistry, and they’re often treated with heavy medication. Prescription meds of this type act on the same receptors as natural remedies. Therefore, professional consultation is recommended when deciding which sleep remedy to take.

Furthermore, sleep disorders are more frequent in the elderly, who use a lot of other drugs, so possible interactions may occur.

Safe Use of Natural Sleep Aids

The best way to use natural sleep aids is to take them before bedtime and to eliminate any disturbances, such as noise or excessive light. Certain foods and beverages can elevate blood pressure or induce excitation within the brain, thus keeping you awake. 

Dosage

Most natural remedies are found in solid dosage forms, such as capsules or tablets. They provide optimal absorption and are the best choice for achieving compliance. Oral chewing forms, such as gummies, can be the best choice for children.

Liquid forms are more potent and are delivered by drop. However, a person is more likely to overuse if they don’t count drops regularly. These are pure or compound extracts and oils.

Nevertheless, some of the top-rated all-natural sleep aids come in semi-solid dosage forms. These are creams and ointments, and their use in sleep therapy is based on the compounds’ aromatic properties. The effects of absorption through the skin can be disregarded in sleep therapy.    

Finding the best dosage form is essential in achieving the optimal dose titration. The top products can be used across different age groups, and users should have the option to accurately increase or decrease the dosage. This can most easily be achieved in liquids and low-dose solid dosage forms.

Other Considerations

Natural Sleep Aids During Pregnancy

In general terms, during the first trimester, all substances and drugs should be avoided, with the exception of prescribed therapies. However, studies show that 73.5% of pregnant women display some form of insomnia during the last trimester.

In the case of gravidity, sleep aids shouldn’t be taken without consulting a doctor or pharmacist. Nevertheless, some preparations are declared possibly safe to take in the third trimester.

Research shows that melatonin use could be beneficial in pregnancy for neuroprotection and its antioxidant properties. Therefore, lower doses of melatonin, up to 1mg, could be regarded as safe. Studies show that it regulates both the circadian rhythm and fertility. Additional minerals could aid sleep.

Chamomile, however, is an ideal natural remedy for good sleep during the breastfeeding period, as it stimulates the lactation process.

However, lavender, hops, passionflower, and Eastern herbs should be avoided because of possible interactions with hormonal and circulation levels.

Natural Sleep Aids for Children

Although seldom recommended for toddlers, melatonin is considered safe in children. In low doses, it can aid sleep’s onset and help regulate the circadian clock. 

The combination of honey, melatonin, and chamomile has been proven safe. Furthermore, the use of lavender vapors can be useful in breathing stimulation with babies. In any case, natural sleep remedies for young children should be low potency, which sometimes requires a dose increase over time. 

Sleeplessness and Menopause

Hormone shifts can be stressful, potentially causing the circadian clock to misbehave. Sleep aids are recommended and even prescribed when necessary. Menopause is associated with hot flashes, mood changes, nervousness, sleeplessness, and blood pressure variations. 

The appropriate natural aids can include Eastern herbs, which can energize and invigorate users for their waking hours. Additionally, minerals can ease muscle cramps and deliver slight pain relief. 

The use of melatonin and tryptophan products can be useful in regulating hormone levels. 

However, hops extract is considered the perfect natural sleep aid for insomnia during menopause because it contains phytoestrogen, which can substitute for the hormone shift.   

Insomnia in the Elderly

Melatonin biosynthesis decreases as we age, so the circadian rhythm changes in the way it reduces sleep and introduces restlessness. The elderly often use prescription sleeping pills—and they’re often involved in polypharmacy, where more than five medications are used at the same time.

Mineral supplementation can be useful; however, it can’t alleviate the symptoms completely, so stronger combinations are needed.

The ideal natural sleep aid for elderly people is a combination of both hormonal and herbal ingredients. Stronger doses of herbal medicine combined with melatonin can affect how well elderly users fall and stay asleep.

Disclaimer: Even though you don’t need a prescription for these products, always consult with a licensed physician before taking any supplements.