Lemon Balm vs Melatonin for sleep
Short answer: For sleep, more users report improvement with Lemon Balm — 91% of 85 reports, versus 73% of 646 for Melatonin.
Lemon Balm has 14 meta-analyses and 28 randomized trials on PubMed; Melatonin has 688 and 1,128.
Based on 365 reports about Lemon Balm and 1,008 about Melatonin. Not medical advice.
| Lemon Balm Supplement | Melatonin Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| User score | 53 | 48 |
| Verdict | Mostly positive | Mixed |
| Positive of reports that state an outcome | 68% | 41% |
| Reports | 365 | 1,008 |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 14 / 28 | 688 / 1,128 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Focus % reporting improvement | 71% (7) | 29% (7) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 25% (4) | 26% (23) |
| Sleep % reporting improvement | 91% (85) | 73% (646) |
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | 85% (86) | 45% (11) |
| Mood % reporting improvement | 90% (10) | 32% (37) |
| Memory % reporting improvement | — | 60% (5) |
| Pain & inflammation % reporting improvement | 0% (2) | 100% (5) |
| Digestion % reporting improvement | — | 100% (3) |
| Libido % reporting improvement | 100% (2) | 33% (6) |
| Hormones % reporting improvement | — | 80% (5) |
| Blood sugar % reporting improvement | — | 100% (3) |
| Heart & lipids % reporting improvement | — | 100% (3) |
| Skin & hair % reporting improvement | — | 100% (2) |
| Immunity % reporting improvement | — | 100% (3) |
| Longevity % reporting improvement | — | 100% (5) |
| Common side effects | drowsiness, fatigue, anxiety, dizziness | drowsiness, vivid dreams, fatigue, insomnia |
| Typical dose reported | three large scoops | 0.5 mg / bedtime |
The small number of clinical trials and differences between their methods were the limitations of the present study. Further high-quality studies are needed to firmly establish the clinical efficacy of the lemon balm.
Phytother Res, 2021 ↗“drinking lemon balm tea has turned out to be a game changer for me when I’m sad or have anxiety (so I drink it every day now lol)”
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.”
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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