GABA vs Melatonin for sleep
Short answer: For sleep, users rate them about the same: 80% report improvement with GABA (104 reports) and 78% with Melatonin (915 reports).
GABA has 8 meta-analyses and 26 randomized trials on PubMed; Melatonin has 688 and 1,128.
Based on 470 reports about GABA and 1,370 about Melatonin. Not medical advice.
| GABA Supplement | Melatonin Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 40%helped226 reports · high confidence | 42%helped726 reports · high confidence |
| Verdict | Mixed | Mixed |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 8 / 26 | 688 / 1,128 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Sleep % reporting improvement | 80% (104) | 78% (915) |
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | 80% (122) | 44% (16) |
| Mood % reporting improvement | 67% (21) | 32% (37) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 33% (6) | 32% (25) |
| Focus % reporting improvement | 100% (4) | 38% (8) |
| Common side effects | drowsiness, vivid dreams, fatigue, shortness of | drowsiness, vivid dreams, fatigue, depression |
| Typical dose reported | 1500 mg / nightly | 0.5 mg / bedtime |
The results provide plausible evidence for the positive role of zinc in the treatment of patients afflicted with anxiety, albeit with some limitations.
Nutr Rev, 2024 ↗“I take 1.5mgs with 1500mg GABA-A Acid I have insane dreams every night and sleep like a baby.”
Overall, eszopiclone and lemborexant had a favorable profile, but eszopiclone might cause substantial adverse events and safety data on lemborexant were inconclusive. Doxepin, seltorexant, and zaleplon were well tolerated, but data on efficacy and other important outcomes were scarce and do not allow firm conclusions. Many licensed drugs (including benzodiazepines, daridorexant, suvorexant, and trazodone) can be effective in the acute treatment of insomnia but are associated with poor tolerability, or information about long-term effects is not available. Melatonin, ramelteon, and non-licensed
Lancet, 2022 ↗“I have taken it nightly for 19 years. Doses ranging from .1 to 10mg. Right now I take 3mg per night. It helps me sleep.”
Related comparisons
Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate