If you’re anything like me, you find it harder and harder to get a good night’s sleep these days. With too much to do and too much stress with all that’s going on in the world, who can just lay their head down at night and fall asleep?!
Luckily, there are many great all-natural sleep supplements out there that can help slow spinning thoughts and relax muscles so you can fall asleep and stay asleep. These supplements come in many forms, including sleep gummies, sprays, and capsules. And many contain unique active ingredients and formulas, making it possible to find the perfect concoction for your needs.
Below, we look at our top 5 picks for the best sleep gummies and supplements in the vegan market. Since each has a different main active ingredient, you should have no problem finding the right one to work with your body to help you overcome stress to get a better night’s rest.
Table of Contents
The Best Sleep Gummies and Supplements at a Glance
- Best Nootropic – Troomy Sleep
- Best CBD + Herb Mix – VitaDreamz
- Best CBD – FOCL Sleep
- Best Oral Spray – Rejuva Sleep
- Best Melatonin – Future Kind Vegan Sleep
What Are in Natural Sleep Supplements?
In humankind’s endless search for more restful nights and better mornings, we have found a number of herbs, compounds, and chemicals that may encourage the body to slow down. Not all of these magic tinctures have been scientifically proven to help people sleep better, but a few have.
The most effective sleep supplements typically contain one or more of the following ingredients:
- CBD – Cannabidiol is a compound produced naturally by hemp and cannabis plants. It’s not psychoactive like some more famous cannabinoids, but its effects on the body’s endocannabinoid system make it highly effective for lowering anxiety levels, reducing stress hormone production, and balancing the body’s sleep-wake patterns.
- Hemp Oil – Hemp oil contains a long list of cannabinoids, including CBD, that help balance and regulate multiple systems throughout the body. The terpenes, flavonoids, and other compounds in this oil work together to have a more holistic effect than what CBD extract alone can offer. It’s worth noting that hemp oil is different from hemp seed oil, which contains no CBD.
- Functional Mushrooms – These medicinal fungi are chock full of nootropic compounds that affect how the brain functions. Some, including reishi, lion’s mane, Chaga, and cordyceps, are especially helpful for sleep and relaxation.
- Melatonin – This natural hormone is produced by the brain in response to darkness. It helps the body maintain a healthy circadian rhythm and to sleep better. Many people do not naturally produce enough melatonin at the right times to benefit from its effects, which is where supplements can help.
- L-Theanine – This compound, which exists naturally in green tea and some mushrooms, helps relieve stress, maintain healthy sleep patterns, and improve mood.
- GABA – Gamma-aminobutyric acid is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that restricts nerve cells’ abilities to send and receive signals. This helps reduce anxiety while having a sedative effect.
- Valerian Root – This herb is believed to increase the amount of GABA produced in the brain. Many sleep and anxiety medications, such as Xanax and Valium, work in a very similar way, though these are more potent.
- Passion Flower – Another GABA stimulator, passion flower does wonders to lower the activity of certain brain cells to reduce spinning thoughts and help you fall asleep more easily.
- 5-HTP – 5-Hydroxytryptophan is the chemical byproduct produced during the breakdown of tryptophan and a large part of why tryptophan makes you sleepy. This amino acid is also a precursor to serotonin, a hormone that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle.
- Lavender, Chamomile, and Lemon Balm – Many herbs, including these three, are frequently included in sleep supplements for the relaxing effects they have on the body. Most have been used for centuries to help people sleep.
The Top 5 Sleep Gummies, Sprays, and Supplements
Best Nootropic – Troomy Sleep
Quick Look:
- Main Ingredient – 400mg Reishi Extract
- Supporting Ingredients – Melatonin, passion flower, lemon balm, chamomile
- Form – Gummies
- Best for – Anxious non-sleepers
Troomy, a brand we love and have covered before for their wonderful line of mushroom gummies, has a great sleep gummy for people whose anxiety prevents them from catching some zzzs.
The main actor in this powerful blend is organic, triple-extracted reishi mushroom extract. This popular functional mushroom and effective nootropic is full of triterpenes and beta-d-glucans. These chemicals soothe nerves and have a potent sedative effect.
This action is backed by a long list of herbs plus melatonin to help calm cycling thoughts and promote relaxation.
We can say from personal experience that these gummies also work wonders for getting you back to sleep when a sudden rush of anxiety wakes you up in the middle of the night.
The gummies themselves are made with organic tapioca syrup, pectin, and natural flavors and colors. They’re not certified vegan but the only questionable ingredient is sugar. They are vegetarian-friendly and are manufactured right here in the US.
Use this link to pursue Troomy’s wonderful line of mushroom gummies, including their effective Sleep formula.
Best CBD + Herb Mix – VitaDreamz SleepEZ Pillowz
Quick Look:
- Main Ingredient – 10 mg CBD Distillate
- Supporting Ingredients – 5-HTP, GABA, L-Theanine, chamomile extract, melatonin
- Form – Gummies
- Best for – Falling asleep fast and waking without grogginess
VitaDreamz SleepEZ Pillowz gummies are a fun and effective way to ensure you get a good night’s sleep. The unique combination of CBD, herbs, neurotransmitters, and compounds attack restlessness from every angle to help calm the brain and the body so you can fall asleep fast and stay asleep longer.
Each active ingredient in this mix is used in precise amounts to prevent the morning “hangover” common with many sleep supplements. It has just 10 mg of CBD and 1 mg of melatonin.
Each bottle contains four fantastic flavors that are lower in sugar than most gummy options. They’re made with only natural ingredients including vegan agar agar in place of gelatin.
You can try VitaDreamz for 60 days, risk-free. It’s a great option for those who have trouble getting to sleep in the evening. But be warned, it will make you drowsy, so don’t take it until you’re ready to crawl into bed!
Best CBD – FOCL Sleep
Quick Look:
- Main Ingredient – 25 mg CBD and 10 mg CBN
- Supporting Ingredients – L-theanine, passionflower
- Form – Gummies (drops and capsules also available)
- Best for – Creating better sleep habits
CBD is a powerful player in promoting better health throughout the body. It’s proven effective at reducing anxiety, helping to control pain, and even fighting certain cancers. It can also be a very effective tool for helping to balance your hormones and mood so you can sleep better.
FOCL’s sleep gummies contain 25mg of broad-spectrum CBD (or full-spectrum CBD, if you opt for the premiere formula). This compound has a cumulative effect to help you gain better sleep habits and a more normal sleep-wake cycle.
This formula also contains helpful secondary ingredients to calm the body and mind as soon as you take the supplement. Cannabinol (CBN) is another cannabinoid found in hemp that is thought to have sedative properties. This combined with calming herbs like passion flower and chamomile is exactly what you need to fall asleep fast.
FOCL’s sleep gummies are vegan-friendly and made from organic and natural ingredients. The company also offers an effective CBD-CBN gummy with THC and a CBD-CBN sleep formula in oil form. If you prefer the effects herbs have over hemp oil compounds, they also have a great herbal sleep capsule.
You can find all these options and bundle different formulas to get more savings by clicking on the sleep tab, here.
Best Oral Spray – Rejuva Sleep
Quick Look:
- Main Ingredient – 4 mg Hemp and 8 mg Hemp Seed Oil
- Supporting Ingredients – Valerian root, passionflower, feverfew leaf, ginkgo biloba Leaf, cramp bark, peppermint leaf, 5-HTP
- Form – Spray
- Best for – Those who want a clean, easy sleep solution
Rejuva has reinvented the sleep supplement with their amazing Sleep spray. This unique spray combines powerful holistic ingredients with a variety of herbal extracts to help you fall asleep fast, stay asleep without anxious dreams, and wake feeling rejuvenated.
The bulk of the spray mixture is made up of hemp and hemp seed oil. Together, these ingredients bring a wealth of endocannabinoid-stimulating compounds and health-supporting nutrients. These work together to help balance your system holistically so you can sleep the way nature intended.
Backing these active compounds is a long list of herbal extracts with a proven ability to calm the mind and promote deep, lasting relaxation.
But what really separates this option from other sleep supplements is how quickly and effectively it absorbs. The spray is meant to be applied under the tongue to maximize sublingual absorption. All those powerful ingredients go straight into your bloodstream to help you start relaxing now.
Rejuva sprays, both their Sleep formula and their Stress formula, are made with 100% organic, non-GMO, vegan-certified ingredients. Their products are manufactured in my home state of Colorado using only US ingredients. And all products are third-party lab tested to confirm purity and to ensure each batch is 100% THC-free.
You can buy these awesome products in bundles of three for extra savings or get both in one fantastic bundle.
Best Melatonin – Future Kind Vegan Melatonin
Quick Look:
- Main Ingredient – 6mg Melatonin
- Supporting Ingredients – Vitamin B6
- Form – Gummies (capsule options available)
- Best for – Aiding disrupted sleep
We love Future Kind for their commitment to vegan-sourced supplements, from their lichen-derived vitamin D to their algae-sourced omega-3s. This awesome company also has a line of sleep products worth checking out.
Our favorite option is their vegan Deep Sleep melatonin gummy. This supplement has 6mg of melatonin in each delicious chew. And unlike most melatonin supplements, this one includes 6mg of vitamin B6 to support the action of melatonin in the body.
B6 acts as a cofactor to aid in the biosynthesis of melatonin. That means this supplement is more effective for getting this helpful hormone into your bloodstream.
The gummies themselves are made of pectin and other natural ingredients and have a wonderful blueberry flavor. They are 100% vegan, third-party lab tested, and made in the US.
Future Kind also has a wonderful sleep capsule with melatonin and herbs, as well as a vegan magnesium capsule that is highly effective for combating anxiety. You can explore all of these great sleep products by choosing the sleep category under the “Shop By Goal” tab, here.
How to Choose the Right Sleep Supplement for You
With so many different options in the sleep supplement world, it can be hard to find the right option for you. To help you on your journey, here are some important things to keep in mind.
Inactive Ingredients
We talked a lot about the many active ingredients used in sleep products in the first section. But the inactive ingredients are also important to pay attention to, especially if you follow a vegan diet.
Gelatin is one of the first red flags to look for under the inactive ingredients list. This non-vegan product is used in many gummies. Instead, look for products made with pectin, agar agar, or other vegan thickeners.
Artificial flavors are another ingredient to look out for. Not only can these be made from non-vegan sources, but they often contain synthetic chemicals.
Soy, dairy, artificial sweeteners, white sugar, synthetic dyes, and other ingredients can also be problematic. It’s best to read the label carefully and choose only products that are all-natural and vegan-certified.
Quality
It can be difficult to assess the quality of dietary supplements since they aren’t regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.
One sign of a high-quality product is third-party testing and certification. These reports should be available to view on the company’s website. They will tell you how pure the product is and should confirm concentrations of the active ingredients.
For CBD products, ensure the hemp oil is made using CO2 extraction. Double and triple extractions using this process produce the best results.
Form
Sleep supplements come in all shapes, sizes, and flavors—each with its own benefits and drawbacks.
Gummies
Gummies are great because they taste good, which makes them easier to remember to take. But they tend to be more dilute than other options since they include a long list of inactive ingredients. They also generally have sugar in them and more calories.
Sprays
Sprays have an incredibly high bioavailability and tend to work very fast. But these can be expensive and are still fairly hard to find.
Capsules
This old standby is nice because the amount of active ingredients is generally much higher than the inactive ones. But they don’t taste very good and have to be swallowed whole, which is hard for some people.
Oils
Oils are similar to sprays in that they allow for sublingual absorption for a faster effect. They also tend to have few filler ingredients. But these are generally limited to CBD, hemp oil, and THC products.
Sleep Supplement FAQ
How often can you take natural sleep supplements?
Most sleep supplements are designed to be used as needed and are safe to take for prolonged periods. This is especially true for CBD supplements which have a cumulative effect and are more powerful when taken consistently.
Others, such as melatonin, can have negative effects if used too frequently. Researchers recommend limiting daily melatonin use to one or two months at a time.
How soon before bed should you take sleep gummies?
Most sleep gummies begin to have an effect within 30 to 60 minutes of taking the full dose. Many tend to have a more powerful effect if you are already beginning to relax before you take them. Just make sure you eat the gummies before brushing your teeth for the evening.
Spray supplements, such as Rejuva Sleep, tend to have much faster effects and can be taken closer to bedtime or even as you lay down to sleep.
What are the side effects of sleep aid supplements?
Most herbal sleep supplements have very limited side effects. Drowsiness is the most common (and the most sought-after). Some compounds, including melatonin, CBD, and 5-HTP, can cause dizziness or headaches in sensitive people.
To avoid side effects, stick to the manufacturer’s recommended dosage and talk to your doctor about how long and how often you should take the supplement.
Our Choice for the Best Sleep Gummy Brand
When it comes to the best sleep gummies and supplements for sweet dreams and a better morning, there’s no one choice.
Each of the five sleep supplements reviewed above has worked wonderfully for us. Finding out which one is best for you depends on what is keeping you up at night.
For anxiety, Troomy Sleep and VitaDreamz SleepEZ Pillowz work wonders. For creating more consistent sleep habits, FOCL Sleep and Future Kind Vegan Melatonin are great. And for a pure, fast-acting sleep aid you can count on whenever you need it, Rejuva Sleep is our go-to.
