Main Ingredients in Feals Sleep Gummies
The main active ingredient in Feals sleep gummies is melatonin, which has small effects on sleep latency but limited impact on sleep maintenance and total sleep time. 1
Efficacy of Melatonin for Sleep
Melatonin has been extensively studied for insomnia treatment with the following findings:
- Reduces sleep latency by approximately 9 minutes compared to placebo (95% CI: 2 to 15 min reduction) 1
- Provides small improvement in subjective sleep quality 1
- Has little effect on wake after sleep onset (WASO) or total sleep time (TST) 1
- Functions primarily as a chronobiotic (phase-shifting agent) rather than a traditional hypnotic 1
Clinical Recommendations Regarding Melatonin
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests against using melatonin for primary insomnia treatment 1, 2. This recommendation is based on trials using 2 mg doses of melatonin, which showed:
- Limited efficacy compared to prescription sleep medications
- Benefits approximately equal to harms 1
- Majority of patients would not use this treatment over no treatment, though many would 1
Mechanism of Action
Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by the pineal gland that:
- Regulates sleep/wake cycles and other circadian rhythms 3
- Acts through membrane and nuclear receptors 3
- Functions as the "hormone of darkness" responsible for circadian rhythm regulation 4
- Can cross cellular barriers due to its amphiphilic structure 4
Other Common Ingredients in Sleep Gummies
Many over-the-counter sleep gummies also contain:
- Valerian extract - shows small but consistent effects on sleep latency with inconsistent effects on sleep continuity 1
- Hops - acts in a similar way to melatonin on sleep-wake rhythm 5
- Combination of valerian and hops (Ze91019) - binds to certain melatonin (ML1 and ML2) and serotonin receptor subtypes 6
Important Considerations
- Long-term use of non-prescription sleep treatments is not recommended 1
- Efficacy and safety data for most over-the-counter sleep medications is limited to short-term studies 1
- The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) as the primary treatment approach for chronic insomnia 2
- For those requiring pharmacological intervention, prescription medications like suvorexant, doxepin, or eszopiclone are suggested over melatonin 2
Potential Side Effects
- Melatonin is generally considered to have fewer side effects than many prescription sleep medications
- As a natural hormone, it has antioxidative properties and supports mitochondrial function 3
- However, its long-term safety profile is not well established 1
For those considering sleep aids, it's important to understand that while melatonin may provide modest benefits for sleep onset, its effects on overall sleep quality and maintenance are limited.