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Sleep disruptions are a common problem, but if your doctor recommends that you try melatonin, a chewable melatonin gummy may be more pleasant — and easier to take — than pills. Plus, the best melatonin gummies come in a variety of doses, to help mimic naturally occurring melatonin in your body, so you can rest.
A Note On Dosage
Most gummies start with a dosage of 3 or 5 milligrams, but some are also available over the counter with 10 milligrams for a higher dosage. Dr. Nicole Avena, assistant professor of neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, tells Bustle it's best to start with a smaller dose (5 milligrams) and then to take more as recommended, if needed. Serving sizes for some brands are two gummies, which means you can easily try a smaller dose; just keep in mind the overall gummy count listed on the bottle will go faster if you take two.
Consider All The Ingredients
Some melatonin gummies are also supplemented with other ingredients intended to help with sleep and relaxation, like L-Theanine (which is a proven anti-anxiety supplement), chamomile (which has been studied for insomnia), or lemon balm (which has been found to help with anxiety and sleep disturbances). It’s helpful to figure out why you can’t sleep to find the right one for you, Dr. Avena says. “For example, if it is because you are stressed about something and need to relax, something with L-theanine in it may help,” she explains.
Gummies are also typically fruit flavored, and some may be made with organic ingredients or without specific ingredients you might want to avoid, including high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners or dyes.
Though melatonin supplements are safe to use regularly, Dr. Avena advises that taking them long term for sleep shouldn’t be a habit. If you're having trouble falling asleep for more than a week or two, she recommends considering lifestyle changes that may help.
With all this in mind, below are the best melatonin gummies.
1
The Overall Best Melatonin Gummies
The best melatonin gummies have an award-winning taste (really, there's actually a rigorous "sensory evaluation process" to determine the best!) that makes them easy to take, and their blackberry flavor is created without high-fructose corn syrup, gluten, dairy, or synthetic dyes. With 120 gummies in a bottle, two Vitafusion gummies make a 5-milligram dose.
After more than 12,000 reviews, it's also the highest rated melatonin on the list, with many buyers noting that they wake up feeling "rested," not "groggy." This pick is also available in a lighter 3-milligram melatonin dose if you'd like to start even smaller with melatonin.
A helpful review: “. I take it around 30-60 minutes before bed and it keeps me asleep for most of the night. If I do wake up, I tend to fall back asleep easily. [...] It's soft textured and tastes great as well (better than most non-medicinal gummies in fact), which is a definite plus!”
2
The Best Vegan Melatonin Gummies
Most gummies are made with gelatin to achieve their texture, but vegan versions do exist, like this highly rated one from Solimo. These melatonin gummies are soft, use pectin instead of gelatin, and have a strawberry flavor that is also gluten-free. They're also free of artificial dyes, using instead carrot juice concentrate.
Two gummies provide a 5-milligram dose of melatonin, and this pick has 120 gummies in a bottle. Reviewers love the taste, value, and quality of sleep they get from this supplement.
A helpful review: “I absolutely love these, they never fail to work. Plus, they taste delicious. I couldn’t find any melatonin that were vegan and gluten free until I found these on Amazon, I decided to give it a shot and now they’re the only melatonin I buy.”
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The Cult Favorite: A Melatonin Gummy With Calming Botanicals
Though this one is pricier with a 60-count supply and 3-milligram dose per two gummies, people absolutely love OLLY's melatonin gummies for helping them achieve more restful sleep. They're highly rated with more than 4,000 reviews, and these gummies have botanical ingredients to help wind you down before bed, too. Each gummy has L-Theanine, chamomile, and lemon balm to instill a sense of calm and encourage sleep. The blackberry flavor has a pleasant hint of mint, and it's gluten-free and made without artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners. Plus, the gummy pouch is made with reduced plastic packaging.
A helpful review: "I'm obsessed with these!!! They help calm me to sleep without making me groggy! I can take these at night and within 30 minutes my mind is calm and I'm ready to sleep. No problems waking up in the mornings!!"
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The Most Potent: A Fast-Acting Natural Melatonin Gummy
For a fast-acting, heavier dose, these are the best melatonin gummies for you. Two gummies offer a 10-milligram dose of melatonin with a sweet strawberry flavor.
The bottle brings 90 gummies made with organic sweeteners and without GMOs or artificial flavors, sweeteners, colors, or preservatives. Though these gummies are made with pectin instead of gelatin, they're described as vegetarian not vegan, so the “natural flavors” may not be suitable for someone who abstains from all animal products. Reviewers commented these were the melatonin gummies that finally helped them fall and stay asleep.
A helpful review: “I have used these Melatonin gummies for about 2 years now. The flavor is better than others and they work better than tablets."
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Also Great: An Instant Dissolve Tablet
Another alternative to swallowing pills is "melt-aways" also known as quick-dissolving sublingual tablets. Just place one 5-milligram melatonin tablet under your tongue and it dissolves in seconds. Reviewers commented they love how quickly these work.
What's more, Dr. Avena tells Bustle she's a fan of this melatonin supplement, in part, because it’s free of additives and sugar, as well as preservatives, colors or dyes, gluten, and GMOs. These tablets also have chamomile powder, and reviewers note the flavor is slightly sweet, though more medicinal than others they’ve tried. This pick is also available as a 10-milligram tablet.
A helpful review: “I have a lot of difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep usually, but taking one of these 30 minutes before bedtime helps me get to sleep much faster. Since I started taking these, I have been sleeping deeper and wake up actually feeling refreshed for once!"
Studies referenced:
Kim, S.; Jo, K.; Hong, K.; Han, S.; Suh, H. (2019) GABA and l-theanine mixture decreases sleep latency and improves NREM sleep. Pharmaceutical Biology, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6366437/
Srivastava, J.; Shankar, E.; Gupta, S. (2010) Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future. Molecular Medicine Reports, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/
Cases, J.; Ibarra, A.; Feuillère, N.; Roller, M; Sukkar, S. (2011) Pilot trial of Melissa officinalis L. leaf extract in the treatment of volunteers suffering from mild-to-moderate anxiety disorders and sleep disturbances. Mediterranean Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3230760/
Experts:
Dr. Nicole Avena, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine
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