More sleep for the whole family. Pexels / Simon Matzinger
Our bodies and brains need sleep, but, according to a national survey, 1 in 3 Americans don’t get enough. Blame busy schedules, screen time, anxiety—there are tons of culprits robbing us of the necessary zzzs to function at our best. If you feel like you’re running on empty, a sleep supplement could help. As with any supplement, vitamin or medication, talk to your doctor about what’s right for you, your overall health and lifestyle.
They consist of herbal ingredients known to have snooze-enhancing properties.
You might have to try a few different ones to find the formula that works best for you.
Melatonin is a key ingredient in most sleep supplements. While our body’s pineal gland naturally produces melatonin, sometimes we need an extra helping of the stuff. You see, it’s the hormone that tells you when it’s time to hit the hay and when it’s time to rise from bed. How much melatonin you need in a supplement depends on the individual, so you’ll have to try different dosages to find what’s right for you.
They work to calm anxiety.
Stressed out? Join the club. This one uses a proprietary blend of herbs to help calm you down and help you snooze.
If stress and anxiety are major factors behind your difficulty falling asleep, there are supplements with blends that work to calm the mind and signal to your brain that it’s bedtime. For example, an ingredient like L-Theanine, included here, increases levels of dopamine and serotonin, promoting feelings of tranquility.
They can help immensely with jet lag.
When you’re traveling between time zones, sometimes you need help to get your sleep on track.
While you’ll find many of these supplements come in gummy form in berry flavors, others are tablets that quickly dissolve on the tongue, like this one. It includes 12mg of melatonin, a hormone which has not only been proven to enhance nighttime sleep, but daytime rest as well. If you’re traveling in between time zones and concerned about jet lag, a dose of melatonin may help reset your clock at your destination.
