Your body’s schedule can adjust depending on a lot of different factors. Things like changes in weather and season can have a great impact on your sleeping routine. Stress can also have a significant effect on your sleep schedule and quality.
Whatever the reason, being unable to sleep at night can take a serious toll on your productivity and mood. So to prevent the chances of becoming irate and sluggish, supporting your sleep with the best over the counter sleep aid should curb the sleepless nights.
Discover more about sleep supplements, how to choose the right one, and which products have ranked as the best options on the market with this top ten list and guide.
Top 10 Over the Counter Sleep Aids Chart
Your Guide to an over the Counter Sleeping Aid
While all the different sleeping aid products you find all have the same end in mind, not all of them can effectively meet that objective; this all depends on how well they work on your body and system.
Although there isn’t a sure-fire way to determine whether a specific sleeping aid will provide you the results you want, considering these factors will help lead you to a more suitable choice.
- Active Ingredient. The active ingredient in your chosen sleeping aid will more or less give you an idea of how well it will work for you. The most common active ingredients found in sleeping supplements are:
- Melatonin. The pineal gland is responsible for releasing melatonin into our system. This hormone controls the sleep and wake cycles of the body. Because some people have a shortage of this hormone, supplying it through sleeping aids can help improve sleep.
- Doxylamine Succinate. This first generation antihistamine is used for allergic reactions. However since antihistamines have a reputation for causing sleepiness, many pharmaceutical companies have used this component as a main active ingredient in sleeping aids.
- Diphenhydramine HCl. Another typical antihistamine, diphenhydramine HCl is also known for its ability to cause marked drowsiness a few minutes after use.
- Dosage. Sleep quality is composed of two factors, and these are the time of sleep and the duration of sleep. Time of sleep is basically the hour during which your body feels drowsiness and allows you to fall asleep. The duration is how long your body stays asleep, which could be interrupted by hours of restlessness and wakefulness throughout the night or the early morning.
Considering these two factors, the dosage of your sleeping aid should be high enough to guarantee that you don’t only fall asleep on time, but that you also stay asleep for as long as it’s appropriate. Too low a dosage and you might not experience any effects. Too high, and you may feel drowsy too soon or too long.
Dosage can change depending on the active ingredient. For supplements that incorporate Melatonin, 10mg is a common average dosage. For those that use antihistamines, 50mg is recommended.
- Fast Acting. When you take a dosage, do you want it to work instantly? Or do you prefer waiting a few hours before falling asleep after you down a pill?
A sleeping aid may or may not work instantly, and choosing which is best for you depends on your typical schedule. For instance, if you prefer taking your sleeping aid right before bed, a fast acting supplement will have you asleep just a few minutes after you’ve rested your head on your pillow.
Those who want to take their supplement after dinner and then perform a few chores or activities before sleeping would best benefit from a sleeping aid that takes a few hours to develop sleepiness.
Melatonin takes longer to produce effects while antihistamines are faster acting, and usually have users asleep within minutes after use.
Top 5 Best Over the Counter Sleep Aid Reviews
1. Nature Made Melatonin Tablets 240 Count
With zero preservatives, no artificial colors, gluten, yeast, or starch, Nature Made Melatonin is as natural and safe as it gets. Each tablet contains 3mg of melatonin which is a relatively lower dose compared to other products on the market.
Despite having only 3mg of active ingredient per tablet, however, Nature Made Melatonin is considered the best over the counter sleep aid because it’s effective and side-effect free.
The raw formulation is stripped of any unnecessary ingredients that could cause adverse reactions, which is the reason for its reliable efficacy and overall safeness.
2. Natrol Melatonin Fast Dissolve Strawberry Tablets
Another great alternative for those seeking the best over the counter sleep aid is Natrol Melatonin 5mg Fast Dissolve Nighttime Sleep Aid. With 5mg of melatonin in each tablet, this option has a slightly higher dosage than the previous product.
What sets this particular supplement apart, however, is that it was designed to be a fast release solution; this means users can experience its effects in as little as an hour after taking a dosage.
Made from 100% vegetarian ingredients, this sleep aid supplement is ideal for people who have certain dietary restrictions.
3. Member’s Mark Maximum Strength Sleep Aid
Each soft gel of Member’s Mark Maximum Strength Nighttime Sleep Aid contains 50mg of diphenhydramine HCl; this makes it one of the most potent options on this list.
This particular sleeping aid was formulated to cause drowsiness fast, which is why it’s the main choice for those who experience episodic bouts of sleeplessness. So if every few nights in a month, you struggle to fall asleep, this might be a good option.
Because this product uses diphenhydramine, however, it can cause some dependence. Limiting usage to instances when it is only necessary will help curb developing a habit.
4. Puritan’s Pride Super Strength Rapid Release Capsules
With 10mg of melatonin in each capsule, Puritan’s Pride Super Strength Rapid Release Capsules Melatonin is one of the supplements with the greatest melatonin concentration.
This super strength sleeping aid was developed for people who have significant trouble falling asleep at night on a consistent, everyday basis. The melatonin does not cause the development of a habit or dependence, and the strong concentration guarantees reliable results with each use.
Puritan’s Pride Super Strength Rapid Release Capsules Melatonin is ideal for use if you frequently experience sleepless nights and struggle to drift off even when you use lower doses of melatonin supplements.
5. Kirkland Signature Sleep Aid Doxylamine Succinate
For those who struggle to stay asleep throughout the night, Kirkland Signature Sleep Aid Doxylamine Succinate is a top pick.
Users who have bought and tested the product vouch that the formulation is an effective solution for those who frequently have sleep interruptions that prevent them from enjoying a consistent disturbance-free night.
A single consideration to be made is the fact that the product can also cause drowsiness long after the hours of sleep have passed; this means if you take a dosage to aid your slumber tonight, you might still feel some drowsiness in the morning and throughout the day after.
To help prevent this from happening, cutting the tablet into two halves and reducing your dosage will give you enough support for the night without affecting the succeeding morning.