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Best Melatonin Supplements for Sleep? ConsumerLab Selects Its Top Picks
White Plains, New York, February 1, 2024 — Melatonin supplements can help you fall asleep faster, but with so many different products on the market, which provide the best quality and value?
To find out, ConsumerLab recently tested 20 popular melatonin supplements, including capsules, tablets, lozenges, liquids, and gummies. It found that all of the products contained their listed amounts of melatonin. This was an improvement from ConsumerLab’s findings in 2020, when a melatonin gummy marketed for children was found to contain nearly double its listed amount of melatonin. However, the wide variations in dose and cost among the recently tested products suggest that some people may be taking much more melatonin, and paying much more for it, than needed. Among the products tested, the amount of melatonin per suggested serving ranged from 0.3 mg to 11.4 mg. The cost to obtain 1 mg of melatonin from products ranged from 1 cent to over 60 cents.
ConsumerLab selected Top Picks among melatonin supplements in several categories, including very low, low, medium, high, and very high dose, and include regular and time release products. Top Picks among melatonin products for children and for pets were also selected. The Top Picks represent products that offer high quality, low cost, convenience, and the ability to provide an appropriate dose of melatonin.
The results are available online in ConsumerLab's new Melatonin Supplements Review, which includes test results and comparisons for 20 products. Eighteen products were selected for testing by ConsumerLab: Herbatonin 0.3 mg Plant Melatonin, K9 Choice Melatonin 3 mg – Peanut Butter Flavored, Life Extension Melatonin IR/XR, MidNite Sleep Health, Natrol Kids Melatonin – Berry, Natrol Melatonin 5 mg – Strawberry Natural Flavor, Nature Made Melatonin Gummies 2.5 mg – Dreamy Strawberry, Nature’s Bounty Melatonin 10 mg, NOW Liquid Melatonin, OLLY Sleep – Blackberry Zen, Pure Encapsulations Melatonin – SR, REMfresh, Solgar Melatonin 3 mg, Source Naturals Melatonin – Orange Flavor, Swanson Low Dose Melatonin, Trader Joe’s Chewable Melatonin 3 mg – Peppermint Flavor, Vicks ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs Back to Sleep, and Webber Naturals Melatonin 3 mg. Two additional products passed the same testing and were Approved through CL's voluntary Quality Certification Program: GNC Melatonin 3 mg and Nature’s Way Melatonin Lozenge.
As discussed in the review, clinical trials show that melatonin can shorten the time it takes to fall asleep, while time release melatonin supplements may also decrease waking during the night. However, melatonin supplements do not work as well as prescription sleep medications, and, as it is a hormone, it should only be used short-term, and at the lowest possible effective dose. Some products contain higher doses, but this may be more than most people need and may cause grogginess and other side effects. The review explains this as well as other potential uses for melatonin and possible side effects and drug interactions. A video with expert tips for choosing a melatonin supplement is also available.
Founded in 1999, ConsumerLab.com is a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. Membership to ConsumerLab.com is available online and provides immediate access to continually updated reviews of nearly every popular type of dietary supplement and health food, answers to reader questions, and product recalls and warnings. ConsumerLab also provides independent product testing through its voluntary Quality Certification Program. The company is privately held and based in New York. It has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products.
To find out, ConsumerLab recently tested 20 popular melatonin supplements, including capsules, tablets, lozenges, liquids, and gummies. It found that all of the products contained their listed amounts of melatonin. This was an improvement from ConsumerLab’s findings in 2020, when a melatonin gummy marketed for children was found to contain nearly double its listed amount of melatonin. However, the wide variations in dose and cost among the recently tested products suggest that some people may be taking much more melatonin, and paying much more for it, than needed. Among the products tested, the amount of melatonin per suggested serving ranged from 0.3 mg to 11.4 mg. The cost to obtain 1 mg of melatonin from products ranged from 1 cent to over 60 cents.
ConsumerLab selected Top Picks among melatonin supplements in several categories, including very low, low, medium, high, and very high dose, and include regular and time release products. Top Picks among melatonin products for children and for pets were also selected. The Top Picks represent products that offer high quality, low cost, convenience, and the ability to provide an appropriate dose of melatonin.
The results are available online in ConsumerLab's new Melatonin Supplements Review, which includes test results and comparisons for 20 products. Eighteen products were selected for testing by ConsumerLab: Herbatonin 0.3 mg Plant Melatonin, K9 Choice Melatonin 3 mg – Peanut Butter Flavored, Life Extension Melatonin IR/XR, MidNite Sleep Health, Natrol Kids Melatonin – Berry, Natrol Melatonin 5 mg – Strawberry Natural Flavor, Nature Made Melatonin Gummies 2.5 mg – Dreamy Strawberry, Nature’s Bounty Melatonin 10 mg, NOW Liquid Melatonin, OLLY Sleep – Blackberry Zen, Pure Encapsulations Melatonin – SR, REMfresh, Solgar Melatonin 3 mg, Source Naturals Melatonin – Orange Flavor, Swanson Low Dose Melatonin, Trader Joe’s Chewable Melatonin 3 mg – Peppermint Flavor, Vicks ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs Back to Sleep, and Webber Naturals Melatonin 3 mg. Two additional products passed the same testing and were Approved through CL's voluntary Quality Certification Program: GNC Melatonin 3 mg and Nature’s Way Melatonin Lozenge.
As discussed in the review, clinical trials show that melatonin can shorten the time it takes to fall asleep, while time release melatonin supplements may also decrease waking during the night. However, melatonin supplements do not work as well as prescription sleep medications, and, as it is a hormone, it should only be used short-term, and at the lowest possible effective dose. Some products contain higher doses, but this may be more than most people need and may cause grogginess and other side effects. The review explains this as well as other potential uses for melatonin and possible side effects and drug interactions. A video with expert tips for choosing a melatonin supplement is also available.
Founded in 1999, ConsumerLab.com is a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. Membership to ConsumerLab.com is available online and provides immediate access to continually updated reviews of nearly every popular type of dietary supplement and health food, answers to reader questions, and product recalls and warnings. ConsumerLab also provides independent product testing through its voluntary Quality Certification Program. The company is privately held and based in New York. It has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products.
How to Choose Melatonin - Dr. Tod Cooperman, MD
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