Best Sleep Aids for Anxiety (2025) – Tested By Our Experts

Sleep is critical for our energy, mood, mental focus, and recovery from physical activities, and Transparent Labs Sleep & Recover is an excellent formulation designed to promote sleep, reduce stress, and enhance physical recovery. 

While Transparent Labs supplements tend to be designed for active individuals, anyone can benefit from the clinically dosed ingredients in this formula. In addition to using high-quality ingredients, this product contains no artificial sweeteners, coloring, or preservatives, and is both gluten-free and non-GMO. 

Sydney Lappe, a registered dietitian, also approved of this supplement and gave it 4 out of 5 stars for the formulation. 

“Sleep Aid & Recovery includes a variety of well-researched ingredients that support both restful sleep and muscle recovery, such as melatonin, magnesium, L-theanine, glycine, tart cherry powder, vitamin B6, and zinc,” Sydney said. “The combination may help ease you into sleep while supporting overnight muscle repair, making it especially appealing to active individuals. It’s free from proprietary blends, with fully disclosed dosages.”

In addition to its top-notch formulation, the product is tested by Informed Choice, one of the leading third-party testing organizations, and recent product purity reports and Certificates of Analysis are available on the Transparent Labs website. We give this a strong 5 out of 5 for third-party testing. 

Our only real callout is the four-capsule serving size, which can be a little intimidating. 

Sosha Lewis, a certified sleep science coach and Sleepopolis senior staff writer, gave this 3 out of 5 stars for swallowability. She said, “The capsules are somewhat large, and you take four capsules at a time. Those who are pill-averse may not like the size of these capsules.”

We love this formulation, but if you’re looking for something that doesn’t require you to take four capsules per night, Garden of Life Sleep Well Rest & Refresh comes in a convenient one-tablet serving size.

For those who want to take a completely natural approach to stress and anxiety relief, Garden of Life Sleep Well Rest & Refresh is an excellent choice. Formulated with organic ingredients, each tablet is vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO. 

While many sleep aids include ingredients like melatonin that are directly intended to promote sleep, Garden of Life focuses on the stress-relief aspect, making this a good choice for those who struggle with racing thoughts. 

In addition to organic valerian root, passionflower, and chamomile flower extracts, which are meant to promote relaxation, the formulation includes l-theanine, an amino acid that’s been shown to relieve stress-related symptoms and improve sleep quality. (1) 

Overall, we gave the formulation 4 out of 5 stars. We liked the ingredients and the fact that Garden of Life includes probiotics. However, the probiotics are included in a proprietary blend, so it’s not clear how much you’re actually getting. 

Sydney Lappe, R.D., said, “While the ingredients are solid, the probiotic blend is a bit vague — there’s no information on how much is included in colony forming units (CFUs), which makes it tough to know if it could have any real impact.”

Matt Shickling, head of content and expert product tester, gave this formulation 4 out of 5 stars for the effects. 

“About a half hour after taking the pill, I usually feel calm, relaxed, and a little drowsy,” Matt said. “I usually sleep decently well, and I would say that this helps me wind down faster. I would say it’s probably better for ‘calming’ than for sleep itself. It has a similar effect to sleep-focused drinking tea for me. Calm, but not necessarily knocked out.”

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This is what we’d expect from the formulation, given that it focuses more on mental stress than physical sedation, so we think this is a great choice for those who struggle with anxiety. 

While the serving size is only one tablet, Matt only gave this 2.5 out of 5 for the swallowability. 

“This pill is pretty large,” Matt explained. “You definitely need a glass of water with this bad boy. Multiple customer reviews mentioned this, so it should be included in the review. If you struggle with bigger pills, this is probably not the product for you.”

He added that while the tablet is large, it’s mostly flavorless, and even when he left it in his mouth for 30 seconds to test the flavor, it had a mild earthy taste with hints of lemon and green tea, which he described as “a super mild taste — bordering pleasant.”

Overall, we love this product as a natural approach to stress relief. That said, if you’re looking for something that includes more sleep-promoting ingredients like melatonin, you may want to try Transparent Labs Sleep & Recover instead.

If you’re looking for something to quiet your mind and help you fall asleep at night without spending a small fortune on a supplement, look no further than Nutricost Sleep Aid Complex. This costs about $0.43 per serving when you order from Amazon, earning 5 out of 5 stars from our testers for the price per serving.

However, don’t let the affordable cost scare you away; this is still a very potent and effective evening sleep aid. In addition to melatonin, which sends signals to the receptors in your brain that it’s time for sleep, Sleep Aid Complex contains magnesium, zinc, valerian extract, GABA, and other sleep-promoting ingredients. 

Kate Meier, a certified personal trainer and weightlifting coach, gave this formulation 4 out of 5 stars for the effects. 

“My partner, son, and I had a great experience with this product and experienced no side effects,” Kate said. “However, there are some reports on Nutricost’s site of people getting headaches from it, or some people saying it didn’t work.”

Sydney Lappe, R.D., also praised this formulation, saying, “It’s reassuring to see each ingredient dose listed — no mystery blends here. The combination of melatonin with other supportive nutrients makes this a solid option for anyone looking for something more comprehensive than a basic melatonin tablet, especially given the price.”

While we love most things about this product, there are a few minor callouts from Sydney. She pointed out that the three-capsule serving size is a bit large, and the zinc is dosed at 30mg. Sydney clarified that while this is below the upper limit of 40mg, it’s more than most people need from a supplement. Excess zinc intake can lead to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, which can also be caused by taking zinc on an empty stomach.

Our other callout is the third-party testing, which earns 3 out of 5. Nutricost claims the product is tested, but it’s not clear who’s doing the testing, and there’s nothing about testing anywhere on the bottle. Our team trusts this formula and the company, but this is worth pointing out. 

If you’re looking for something that does have rigorous third-party testing, you can’t go wrong with Transparent Labs Sleep & Recover. 

If you don’t like taking pills or simply want a little sweet treat in the evenings, Goli Ashwagandha Gummies are a delicious way to unwind in the evening. Each gummy contains 150mg of ashwagandha, an herb that’s been shown to improve memory and focus, support psychological well-being, improve sleep quality, and reduce stress levels. (2)

While ashwagandha is the primary ingredient, the gummies also contain vitamin D, along with added sugar and flavors. If you like sweets, the added sugar is well worth it, as these gummies earned 5 out of 5 for taste from our tester, Kate Meier, NASM-CPT, USAW-L1, CF-L1. 

“HOLY MOLY, I cannot say enough good things about how delicious these are,” said Kate. “My family and I crushed the entire bottle. They are like delicious fruit snacks. If you did a blind taste test with these and your favorite fruit snacks, you wouldn’t be able to tell a difference in taste.”

While these gummies may taste like fruit snacks, the formulation is good but not great and only earns 3 out of 5 stars from Sydney Lappe, R.D. 

“The ingredient dosages aren’t fully detailed on the product’s Amazon page, and there’s no indication of the ashwagandha withanolide concentration — an important factor in understanding potency,” Sydney said. “It also contains added sugars, and there’s no mention of third-party testing for safety and purity.”

These gummies also cost about $0.50 per gummy, and with a recommended serving size of two gummies, you’re looking at $1 per serving. This isn’t the most expensive sleep aid we’ve seen, but it’s not cheap. For a more affordable stress relief supplement, we recommend Nutricost Sleep Aid Complex.

As someone who doesn’t always enjoy the taste of tablets, especially those with particularly strong flavors, I understand the appeal of taking  supplements in capsule form. If you too prefer capsules, Pure Encapsulations Cortisol Calm is an excellent choice to relieve anxiety.

While we like to use this formula as a sleep aid, it’s really designed to support stress relief all day long by lowering your level of cortisol, also known as the stress hormone. The simple, effective formulation contains ashwagandha, Rhodiola extract, magnolia extract, and l-theanine to combat anxiety and promote relaxation. (3) (4)

Sydney Lappe, R.D., approved of this formulation, which earned 4 out of 5 stars in our testing. 

“The ingredient list checks many boxes for people dealing with stress-related sleep issues,” she said. “Adaptogens like ashwagandha and rhodiola are often used to support resilience under stress, while L-theanine and magnolia may promote calm and relaxation. The added vitamin D3 is a thoughtful inclusion, especially since low vitamin D levels have been linked to poor sleep.”

Sleepopolis staff writer Livvi DiCicco, CSSC, reported that the pills are a bit large, so those with pill anxiety may have difficulty swallowing them. She also pointed out that at $0.87 per serving, these pills are a little expensive, and she gave them 3.5 out of 5 for the price. 

“Some folks might take this supplement two times a day (in the morning and evening), which means this bottle might only last a month,” Livvi added. “However, it’s not the most egregious price I’ve ever seen in the supplement market.”

If you’re looking for a supplement designed to reduce stress and cortisol levels, this is an excellent choice. If you want something a little more sleep-focused, we recommend Transparent Labs Sleep & Recover.

While the best melatonin supplements can be powerful sleep aids, melatonin can cause side effects like fatigue, grogginess, headaches, nausea, and more. If you’re looking for a stress-relieving sleep aid that doesn’t contain any melatonin, Olly Ultra Strength Goodbye Stress is a great choice.

Each serving contains a simple blend of effective, stress-relieving ingredients, including ashwagandha, GABA, l-theanine, and lemon balm extract. Nothing in here should make you groggy, and the bottle even says “non-drowsy calm,” but don’t be surprised if a drop in your stress levels makes you feel sleepy. 

Sydney Lappe, R.D., gave the formulation 4 out of 5 stars. She said, “The doses are clearly labeled, which is a major benefit compared to brands that use proprietary blends. The combination of ingredients provides a well-rounded approach to managing stress.”

For the effects, we gave this 3 out of 5 stars. I’ve been using these myself for the past couple of weeks, and I feel more relaxed when I use them throughout the day,  but they don’t feel quite as strong as other formulas I’ve tested. They seem to work well, but it could easily be a placebo effect. Other stress relief supplements I’ve tried have almost had a sedative effect, but these feel more gentle.

However, I do like that the capsules are small and very easy to swallow, with no flavor or aftertaste. 

Our biggest callout is the price per serving, which only earns 2 out of 5 stars. It costs about $20 for 30 servings, which means you’re paying $0.66 per serving. If you’re looking for a more affordable alternative, Nutricost Sleep Aid Complex is our pick for the best budget sleep aid for anxiety.