Wellness

5 Best Melatonin Brands for Sleep in 2024

Talor Bianchini
Talor Bianchini22 Apr 2024
Reviewed and Fact Checked ✔️

Melatonin is a hormone that is naturally found in the body that regulates sleep cycles. People who have low levels of melatonin may have a difficult time falling and staying asleep at night. Melatonin supplements are used for people who have trouble sleeping or conditions like insomnia. We found that the best overall melatonin supplement is Nature Made Melatonin. 

How Much Melatonin Should I Take?

Most people take way too much melatonin. The typical dose of melatonin ranges from 0.5 mg to 5 mg, taken about 30 minutes to an hour before bedtime. It's generally recommended to start with the lowest possible dose to see how it affects you, as higher doses are not necessarily more effective and can sometimes lead to next-day drowsiness or grogginess.

  1. For Difficulty Falling Asleep: A lower dose, such as 0.5 mg to 1 mg, taken 30 minutes before bedtime may help.
  2. For Sleep-Wake Cycle Adjustments: 2 to 3 mg taken an hour before the desired bedtime is usually effective, especially in cases like jet lag or adjusting to a new work shift.
  3. For Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS): Doses of 0.5 mg to 1 mg taken 90 minutes before bedtime may help advance the sleep phase.

5 Best Brands of Melatonin for Sleep

Melatonin is the hormone produced by the brain to induce one’s sleep cycle. Its production is affected by the time of day and is produced more when it's dark outside. Naturally, your body will produce melatonin each night, but some people produce less than others. People with insomnia, jet lag, delayed sleep phase disorder, circadian rhythm sleep disorder, and shift work disorder may benefit from taking a melatonin supplement to help them sleep. 

Although many think that most melatonin supplements are the same, their ingredients and benefits may differ. There are many things you can look out for when shopping for a melatonin supplement to ensure you are not purchasing a fake product:

  • Are the ingredients FDA approved?
  • Was it manufactured in the United States?
  • Has there been an FDA warning or recall on the product?
  • Does the label make exaggerated claims?

Different products work better for some people than others. When shopping, you’ll want to consider the form of melatonin you enjoy taking the most, how much money you want to spend, and how effective the supplement will be. We determined the best melatonin supplements for sleep based on the following criteria:

  • Best Overall: Nature Made Melatonin
  • Best for Quick-Release: Natrol Melatonin Advanced Maximum Strength
  • Best for a Budget: Nature’s Bounty Melatonin Tablets
  • Best Chewables: OLLY Melatonin Sleep Gummies
  • Best Spray: Onnit Instant Melatonin Spray

1.Nature Made Melatonin: Best Overall

Nature Made Melatonin is the best overall melatonin supplement that we found. This supplement comes in three different dosages: 3 mg, 5 mg, and 10 mg. Nature Made is the number one pharmacist-recommended amino acid vitamin and supplement brand and has the largest U.S. Pharmacopeia verified products. This ensures the purity and potency of their supplements. 

The pills are easy to swallow and 100% drug-free. Nature Made Melatonin has almost five-star ratings on Amazon, Walmart, Target, and CVS websites. Customer reviews say that it has helped improve their sleep quality dramatically and doesn’t make them feel dizzy or tired in the morning. In addition, the supplement is very cost-effective. The prices range from $4.64 to $12.99, depending on the dosage and where you are purchasing it.

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Talor Bianchini

Talor graduated from Penn State University with a B.S. in Biobehavioral Health, and minors in Spanish and Diversity & Inclusion in May of 2022. She has a passion for health equity and diversity in health. In the future, Talor hopes to work in public health policy reform to help eliminate health disparities. She enjoys reading, cooking, and listening to podcasts in her free time.

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