Best Over-The-Counter Sleeping Pills

Get Better Sleep Tonight for a More Productive Tomorrow

Sleep isn’t just a luxury of time but a necessity of healthy living.

And many of us aren’t getting enough of it.

If global patterns are any indication, the much of the entire developed world isn’t getting enough sleep.

In fact, sleep deprivation is so perniciously widespread that researchers are beginning to consider “insufficient sleep” to be a serious public health crisis.^[1]

Sleep deprivation is both a personal dilemma and a social crisis with large-scale implications.

And the reasons for this public health crisis are multi-fold, pointing to various factors. Namely including the increase of circadian rhythm-disrupting electronic screens that keep our brains awake and primed well past bedtime with their solar-like blue light glow. 

However, what we’re primarily interested in here isn’t playing the blame game...but rather covering the Best Over-The-Counter (OTC) Sleeping Pills that might help us better withstand this brave new world of electronic media and hypercaffeinated stimulants.

The Beginner’s Guide on OTC Sleeping Pills

In this guide, we highlight the benefits of three natural OTC sleep supplements that may be taken individually or altogether to help you get better sleep:

1. CherryPURE® - a premium Montmorency tart cherry extract that supplies a natural melatonin concentrate with tissue-protecting antioxidants.
2. TryptoPure® - a potent, plant-based form of L-tryptophan, an amino acid associated with mood-boosting serotonin and sleep-supportive melatonin.
3. NutriGenesis® Magnesium – a probiotic-cultivated form of magnesium, a life-essential mineral that helps calm overexcited neurotransmissions and muscle twitches.

But before diving into our full analyses of these over-the-counter sleep aids, let’s first address the basics, starting with:

What Does “Over The Counter” Mean?

The term “over the counter” applies to anything sold and bought without the requirement of a prescription. Essentially any ordinary retail purchase is considered over the counter to varying degrees based on accessibility.

Items that can be bought without any age or legal restrictions are considered 100% over the counter, whereas items restricted by age (e.g., certain anti-allergy brands that require the purchaser to be aged 18 or older) but not by prescription are still considered over the counter, just not completely over the counter.

With regards to traditional medicines, supplements, and sleep aids, examples of over-the-counter substances include ibuprofen, acetaminophen, diphenhydramine, melatonin, multivitamins, herbal powders and extracts, workout formulas, and most natural nootropics.

Conversely, any substances controlled or scheduled by the government, typically based on their risk of abuse, are not classified as “over the counter.” For most governments, this includes synthetic, highly addictive stimulants and sedatives, as well as performance-enhancing hormones.

When Do You Need an OTC Sleeping Pill?

When you’re failing to consistently receive adequate sleep every night, it’s time to look into getting an OTC sleep supplement. For adults, “adequate sleep” typically falls somewhere on average between 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night.

However, it’s also important to investigate why you’re getting sub-optimal sleep. A few factors that contribute to sleep deprivation include:

• Inconsistent Sleep-Wake Schedule: your circadian rhythm, which regulates your daily physiological patterns, is heavily dependent upon the consistency of when you wake up and when you go to bed;
• Lack of Daily Exercise and Activity: expending daily energy is key to getting a good night’s rest, given that the primary functions of sleep involve recovering the day’s rigorous activities;
• Exposure to Blue Light in the Evening: melatonin, the neurotransmitter that triggers sleepiness, is released in the absence of solar “blue light” rays, the same rays that are also emitted from your electronic screens.

In today’s hypermediated, screen-lit world, one of the best ways to get better sleep is to limit your screen time in the evening.

Easier said than done, though, right? However, with an effective sleep supplement to help you establish a healthy, consistent circadian rhythm, getting better sleep—and maintaining better sleep—is easier than it’s ever been.

Are Sleeping Pills Safe?

For the most part, yes—OTC sleeping pills are safe.

Assuming that you’re dealing with a natural OTC sleeping pill.

Not all sleeping pills are the same, and, in fact, sleeping supplements may drastically vary in terms of efficacy and safety. Even sleeping supplements that advertise having the same ingredients for the same range of effects—such as, say, melatonin sleep aids—may significantly vary in terms of effect.

For example, take melatonin. Generally considered as the go-to sleep aid, melatonin is a neurochemical naturally produced and secreted by the brain’s pineal gland to trigger the “sleep” part of your daily sleep-wake cycle.^[2] As such, many people consider melatonin to be a “natural” sleep aid by default.

Though a natural occurring neurochemical in the brain, melatonin supplements come in either natural or synthetic forms.

And, of course, the synthetic (and, thus, cheaper) variant of melatonin comes with a higher risk of side effects than natural melatonin ingredients—side effects such as:

• Morning Grogginess
• Drowsiness
• Brain Fog
• Headache
• Upset Stomach
• Irritability
• Temporary Depression and Mood Swings

To lower your risk of side effects, it’s best to stick with natural sleep aids over their synthetic counterparts. With exception to serious sleep disorders, a natural sleep supplement works better as a safe, long-term option than powerful synthetic sedatives.

What’s the Difference: Natural Sleep Aids vs. Synthetic Sedatives?

Under conditions of severe insomnia and other sleep disorders, a doctor may recommend and prescribe the use of powerful, prescription-grade sedatives. While these are generally considered unsafe for recreational use, they do serve as a legitimate “extreme measure” for “extreme circumstance.”

However, for mild insomnia and basic sleep goals, a natural sleep aid suffices. Not to mention that the advantages of a natural sleep aid over synthetic sedatives include:

• Safety – an effective, well-made natural sleep supplement can be taken frequently and consistently without any long-term side effects;
• Accessibility – suggested by the title “over the counter,” OTC sleep aids are highly accessible, to the point that you can grab one off your local retail counter;
• Affordability – natural OTC sleep supplements don’t require costly doctor visits or prescriptions, and they tend to be relatively cheaper than other types of health supplements.

All in all, with exception to conditions of severe sleep disorders, natural sleep aids are the superior options over synthetic sedatives for promoting a more active, natural lifestyle.

How to (Not) Take a Sleep Aid

For a natural boost on cognitive performance, you need natural nootropics—not synthetic stimulants. Likewise, for a natural boost on sleep quality, you need a natural sleep aid—not synthetic sedatives.

Even so, there are ways to use and misuse natural sleep aids. A few general precautions to take when using a sleep aid include:

• Only take one sleep supplement at a time – to minimize your risk of overdose or negative ingredient interactions, limit yourself to one sleep stack at a time.
• Don’t mix sleep supplement with alcohol – combining a sleep supplement with alcohol may exacerbate the sedative effects of alcohol to a harmful degree.
• Only take minimally effectives doses – while the urge to double the dose and get really deep sleep is tempting, doing so may result in a groggy, next-morning headache.
• Don’t give children without a doctor recommendation – most sleep supplements are intended for adult use and shouldn’t be given to children, unless advised by a doctor.
• Only take on an as-needed basis – similar to taking only minimally effective doses, if you already feel sleepy enough, you don’t really need to take a sleeping pill.

Regarding that last point, over-frequent use of some sleep supplements can actually be habit-forming, contributing to a near-addictive need to take a sleep aid just to fall asleep. This is why in our list of the Best OTC Sleeping Pills below we’ve only identified ingredients that are non-habit-forming with frequent use.^[3]

The Cognitive Benefits of OTC Sleeping Pills

Though powerful and effective strategies for falling and staying asleep, prescription-grade sedatives often come at the cost of impaired daytime cognition and memory loss. Natural OTC sleep supplements, on the other hand, may help you get better sleep without sapping any of your daytime brainpower.

Quite the opposite, in fact: OTC sleeping pills may actually improve your cognitive performance and productivity by helping you get better sleep.

Here are a few of the cognitive benefits associated with sleep:

Sleep and Memory

During the daytime, we acquire loads of new information and experiences, which we consolidate into memories during sleep.^[4] In other words, if we fail to receive adequate sleep, we fail to adequately consolidate new information into memories. The flipside to this relationship is also true: poor memory performance correlates with a poor circadian rhythm, making poor sleep and poor memory a self-feeding downward spiral.

More on the Relationship between Sleep and Memory here.

Sleep and Attention

In a study titled “The yin and yang of sleep and attention,” a couple of researchers make an interesting observation paired with an interesting theory:^[5]

• Observation: attention-demanding tasks increase our need for deeper, longer sleep, and sleep restores our capacity to pay attention.
• Theory: sleep and attention co-evolved as brain states that regulate each other.

Not paying attention throughout the day lowers the need for sleep, making a night of good rest more difficult. Likewise, sleep deprivation seems to negatively impact attention performance, making sleep the currency we use to “pay” attention.

More on the Relationship between Sleep and Attention here.

Sleep and Metabolism

Sleep is intricately connected with various hormonal and metabolic processes, making it one of the most important factors—alongside diet and exercise—in maintaining healthy metabolic homeostasis.^[6]

In both clinical research and anecdotal reports, much has been said about the rise of weight-related issues and metabolic disorders, both of which impact each other and virtually every other bodily system from cardio health to mental performance. As such, getting better sleep with a natural sleep aid is one of the best ways to maintain metabolic homeostasis.

Sleep and Age-Related Cognitive Decline

As with any physiological process associated with aging, the relationship between sleep and aging is complicated. On the one hand, sleep deprivation seems to correlate with an increased risk of cognitive decline and serious long-term brain disorders. On the other hand, overall sleep quality and quantity seem to naturally decline with age.^[7]

Does poor sleep contribute to cognitive decline or does cognitive decline contribute to poor sleep? Both seem true. Even so, throughout adulthood, getting optimal sleep seems a smart move to reduce your risk and rate of age-related cognitive decline.

Best Over-The-Counter Sleeping Pills

When it comes to taking over-the-counter sleeping pills, it’s best to err on the side of simplicity. Take only what’s necessary to achieve better sleep—no more, no less—lest you get too good of sleep and wake up in the morning feeling like you could stay in bed for five more hours.

With that in a mind, here are a few of the Best Over-The-Counter Sleeping Pills for getting better sleep the natural, healthy way. Enjoy!

Montmorency Tart Cherries (Melatonin)

A far superior option to synthetic melatonin, Montmorency tart cherries supply one of the highest concentrations of natural occurring melatonin.

The most important hormone for sleep, melatonin helps regulate the circadian rhythm by triggering sleep onset at the end of the day. When the lights go down, the brain secretes melatonin and, in response, we fall asleep.

Or at least that’s how it should work.

Unfortunately, as previously suggested, several factors interrupt proper secretion of melatonin, resulting in an inconsistent circadian rhythm and consistently poor sleep quality. These factors include the increasing prevalence of electronic screens, caffeinated drinks, work-related stress, and the natural aging process.

When natural melatonin activity diminishes, so does our overall sleep quality. Taking a natural melatonin supplement, like Montmorency tart cherry extract, can help.

Given melatonin’s integral role in triggering sleep onset, supplementary melatonin is one of the most effective OTC sleep aids you can buy.

However, it’s important to distinguish natural melatonin from the usual synthetic melatonin supplied by the average OTC sleeping pill. Whereas synthetic melatonin tends to come at unreliable, unpredictable potencies, natural melatonin supplements tend to supply a modest, standardized concentration.

Not to mention that synthetic melatonin sources tend to come overdosed, supplying upwards of 3 mg melatonin, when the optimal amount of melatonin is closer to 0.3 mg. A modest amount of melatonin naturally supplied as Montmorency tart cherry extract can go a long way in promoting sleep quality, overnight recovery, and daytime vitality.

Best Melatonin Supplement for Sleep

With more than plenty melatonin supplements available over-the-counter, identifying the best melatonin supplement for sleep is a bit of a task. And, yet, easily the cream-of-the-cream melatonin supplement is CherryPURE®, a Montmorency tart cherry extract that supplies a 50:1 concentrate of natural melatonin.

Providing both a reliably potent extract of melatonin and fruit antioxidants, CherryPURE® is a particularly great melatonin supplement for athletes and exercisers, given the antioxidants’ protection against exercise-related oxidative stress (free radicals). High levels of daytime activity must be balanced by high levels of overnight recovery, and CherryPURE® certainly helps on that front.

• CherryPURE®’s benefits extend beyond simple sleep enhancement, as clinical research has revealed that “short-term supplementation of [480mg CherryPURE®] surrounding an endurance challenge attenuated markers of muscle catabolism, reduced immune and inflammatory stress, better maintained redox balance, and increased performance in aerobically trained individuals.”^[8]

L-Tryptophan

One of the best natural OTC sleeping aids, L-tryptophan is an amino acid that converts to mood-boosting serotonin and sleep-supportive melatonin.

As a standalone ingredient, melatonin is sufficient to help you fall asleep, which is why many people buy standalone melatonin over the counter to get better sleep. However, when paired with L-tryptophan, an amino acid involved in the serotonergic bio-pathway, melatonin works even better at promoting both sleep and daytime cognition.

This is thanks in large part to L-tryptophan’s promotion of:

• Serotonin: one of the most well-known neurotransmitters associated with mood and emotional stability, in addition to deep “slow wave” sleep.
• Melatonin: in both the gut and the pineal gland, L-tryptophan converts to melatonin, further assisting with supplementary melatonin’s sleep boosting benefits.

The mood-boosting benefits of L-tryptophan make it a particularly effective nootropic for disrupting the stress-sleep cycle.

No doubt, one of the most common disruptors of sleep is stress.

Under conditions of heightened stress and anxiety, sleep feels like a near impossibility.

However, by promoting serotonin and melatonin activity, L-tryptophan may help improve sleep quality and morning mood. Research has consistently demonstrated that “[L-tryptophan] appears to be most effective for improving mood in vulnerable subjects, and improves sleep in adults with some sleep disturbances.”^[9]

Best L-Tryptophan Supplement for Sleep

No need to load up on turkey meats to get your L-tryptophan fix. The most effective form of L-tryptophan for sleep is TryptoPure®, a plant-based L-tryptophan processed via non-GMO, gluten-free, patented Ferment-A-Pure™ technology.

Compared to inferior L-tryptophan supplements, TryptoPure® is 99% pure, potent, and highly effective. What’s more, combined with CherryPURE®’s natural supply of melatonin, TryptoPure® further supports the syntheses and bioactivities of melatonin and other sleep-supportive neurotransmitters.

Magnesium

Essential to hundreds of physiological pathways in the brain and body, magnesium plays a particularly important role in calming overexcited neural activity.

To fall asleep and stay asleep, we need Magnesium, an essential mineral cofactor involved in over 300 biochemical reaction, especially those pertaining to energy metabolism and neurotransmitter synthesis.^[10]

While aging is a significant risk factor in magnesium deficiency, many of us are failing to achieve adequate magnesium levels, both due to dietary magnesium deficiencies and to magnesium loss through sweating.

As a nighttime aid, magnesium supports sleep quality in several ways, including:^[11]

• Inhibiting excitable nerve impulses at the neuromuscular junction, thereby impairing sleep-disruptive muscle twitches.
• Promoting the relaxation of muscle tissue that precedes sleep onset, allowing the body to fully rest for better recovery.
• Lowering pre-sleep blood pressure by relaxing vascular smooth muscle tissue.

Magnesium is an especially useful sleep aid for athletes and exercisers, who are prone to mineral loss via sweating.

There’s a reason why muscle soak bath salts are high in magnesium: magnesium is great for muscle relaxation and recovery.

And it’s primarily thanks to magnesium’s relaxing effects on neuromuscular activity, as well as neuronal activity in general, that makes it such an effective natural OTC sleep aid.

Best Magnesium Supplement for Sleep

There are many various forms of magnesium—some good, some bad. However, the best magnesium supplements for sleep are:

• Magnesium Taurate – a magnesium form bound to taurine, an amino acid that promotes the relaxing bio-activities of GABA, a neurotransmitter associated with sleep.
• Magnesium Bisglycinate – a chelated form of magnesium bound with glycine, another sleep-supportive amino acid that also enhances magnesium absorption in the gut.
• NutriGenesis® Magnesium – the best magnesium supplement overall, NutriGenesis® is a probiotic-cultivated magnesium form that includes whole-food cofactors for improved absorption and bioavailability.

To better understand how Sleep works, let’s take a deeper look at its formula.

Performance Lab® Sleep Formula Analysis

The Supplement Facts for Performance Lab® Sleep include:

• Magnesium+ (Magnesium Bisglycinate, Magnesium Taurate, NutriGenesis® Magnesium), 100mg
• CherryPURE® (50:1 concentrated ratio), 500mg
• TryptoPure® L-Tryptophan, 250mg

The advantages of this formula are self-evident. These are the three most effective OTC sleep aids supplied in their most effective, bio-advanced forms: CherryPURE®, TryptoPure®, and NutriGenesis®.

However, what’s not obvious is the overall cleanliness of this formula. Avoiding all artificial additives and synthetic compounds, instead encasing its formula in vegan-friendly, eco-friendly NutriCaps® capsules, Performance Lab® Sleep is a truly all-natural sleep supplement.

Performance Lab® Sleep is 100% plant-based, vegan-friendly, eco-friendly, non-GMO, GMP certified, synthetic additive-free, gluten-free, soy-free, allergen-free, and completely safe and legal for long-term use.

Plus, this over-the-counter sleep aid is so over the counter that you don’t need to actually visit any retail counters to buy this sleek formula. Like all Performance Lab® products, Performance Lab® Sleep is exclusively sold online at www.performancelab.com.

To get the best deal on Performance Lab® Sleep, click here.

Stack Performance Lab® with Mind Lab Pro® Nootropics

With Performance Lab® Sleep addressing nighttime cognitive recovery, priming the brain for tomorrow, Mind Lab Pro®’s stim-free nootropic formula supercharges brainpower today with a smart mix of natural cognitive enhancers and brain-nourishing B-vitamins.

Compared to your run-of-the-mill nootropic stack, Mind Lab Pro® ingredients are all supplied in superior, potent forms:

• Citicoline, as Cognizin®
• Phosphatidylserine, as Sharp-PS®
• Bacopa Monnieri Extract (9 Bio-Actives)
• Lion’s Mane Mushroom (Full Spectrum)
• L-Theanine, as Suntheanine®
• L-Tyrosine, as N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine
• Rhodiola Rosea Extract (3% rosavins, 1% salidrosides)
• Maritime Pine Bark Extract (min. 95% proanthocyanidins)
• Vitamins B6, B9, and B12, as NutriGenesis®

Altogether, Mind Lab Pro®’s 11-ingredient formula optimizes all six brain bio-pathways—Brain Energy, Brain Chemicals, Brain Waves, Brain Circulation, Neuroprotection, and Neuroregeneration—required to unlock 100% Brainpower™.

To get the best deal on Mind Lab Pro®, click here.

Conclusion

Mind Lab Pro® + Performance Lab® Sleep combine the best nootropics for daytime cognition with the best over-the-counter sleeping pills, respectively.

One of the appeals of powerful stimulants and sedatives is their simplicity: there are only a few stimulants and sedatives—each typically sold under a specific brand name, each targeting a specific cognitive outcome—whereas natural supplements come with a diverse range of ingredients and effects, sold under countless brand names and categories.

Simply put, it’s difficult to identify the best supplements for cognitive health, whether we’re talking daytime productivity or nighttime recovery, due to the sheer abundance and diversity of natural nootropics and over-the-counter sleeping pills.

Fortunately, with Mind Lab Pro® and Performance Lab® Sleep, you’re totally covered, as these represent two of the best formulas for performance enhancement and recovery. No side effects or safety issues or manufacturing hang-ups—only clean, green, natural ingredients for a more natural, healthier mindset.

The Ultimate Nootropic Sleep and Recovery Stack

With Mind Lab Pro® enhancing daytime cognition and Performance Lab® Sleep boosting sleep quality, you’ll have your 24/7 day-and-night cognitive cycle completely covered. However, for more specific performance- and recovery-related aspects of cognitive health, there are several more natural supplements you can safely add to your daily stack.

To craft the Ultimate Nootropic Sleep and Recovery Stack, consider stacking Mind Lab Pro® and Performance Lab® Sleep with the following supplements: