The $8 Sleep Gummies (Because Court Filings Keep Me Up)
“I take 5mg melatonin gummies that taste like candy. Research says 3mg time-release is better. But the gummies are $8 and I'm already asleep before I can research further.”
Amazon Basics Melatonin Gummies (5mg, 120 Count, Strawberry)
28,765 reviews
Pros
- +120 gummies for $8 — that's 6 cents per night of sleep
- +Strawberry flavor is actually decent
- +5mg is the standard dose
- +Amazon Basics — at least the brand exists
Cons
- -5mg might be too much (studies suggest 0.5-3mg is optimal)
- -Gummy format has added sugar
- -You're taking melatonin because you can't stop reading court filings at midnight
Natrol Melatonin Time Release (3mg, 100 Tablets)
52,345 reviews
Pros
- +Time-release formula — stays working all night
- +3mg dose (closer to what studies recommend)
- +No sugar (it's a tablet, not candy)
- +52,000 reviews
- +Vitamin B-6 included for absorption
Cons
- -$2.50 more
- -Tablets aren't as fun as gummies
- -You'll still check Twitter at midnight
The Story
Here's my nighttime routine: check court filings, read Twitter discourse about the Net Worth Sweep, get angry, realize it's midnight, take two melatonin gummies, question my life choices, fall asleep.
The Amazon Basics gummies work. They're cheap. They taste like strawberry candy. The problem is that 5mg of melatonin is actually more than most sleep researchers recommend — studies suggest 0.5-3mg is the sweet spot. More isn't necessarily better with melatonin. The Natrol time-release at 3mg is closer to what the science says and the time-release formula means it works throughout the night instead of hitting you all at once and wearing off at 3am.
But the gummies are $8 for 120 and they taste good and I'm too tired from reading court filings to research melatonin properly. The irony of not researching my sleep supplement while obsessively researching GSE conservatorship litigation is not lost on me.
The Lesson
Less melatonin (3mg), time-released, is probably better than more melatonin (5mg) in candy form. But I'll keep eating the gummies because they taste like strawberry.
Affiliate Disclosure: Links on this page go to Amazon and include an affiliate tag. If you buy something, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This is an honest comparison of products I've actually used. Product details, prices, ratings, and review counts are approximate and may be outdated. This page was created with AI assistance. Not professional product advice — just one guy's experience.
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Glen's Musings — AI, investing, and building things. Occasional. Free.
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