Key Takeaways
✓ This table lists the amounts, timing and trial design behind the most-cited human trials of twelve sleep-related ingredients, each with a PubMed link so the number can be checked at source.
✓ The amounts vary by more than a thousandfold: melatonin was compared at 0.1 mg to 3 mg, while glycine was given at 3 g. The unit next to the number matters as much as the number.
✓ Most of the individual trials were small (7 to 110 people) and short (3 nights to 12 weeks). The exceptions are a 405-person valerian trial and the pooled analyses of melatonin (26 trials) and valerian (60 studies).
✓ Trial amounts are what researchers tested, not a recommendation. They are reported here so that writers, clinicians and shoppers can compare a label against the published evidence.
When a label says 300 mg of valerian or 3 mg of melatonin, the natural question is where that number came from. Usually it traces back to a handful of human trials. This page collects those trials in one table: the ingredient, the amount actually given, when it was taken, who took it and for how long, and the PubMed record so you can read the abstract yourself. We built it because we kept needing it, and because the same numbers are quoted across the internet without the source attached.
Every figure below was taken from the trial abstract, or from the open-access full text on PubMed Central where the abstract omitted the dose or timing. Where an abstract did not state an amount, the table says so rather than filling the gap from secondary sources.
How to read this table
- These are trial amounts, not advice. A figure here means a research group tested it in the population described, not that it is the right amount for you. Talk to your doctor before starting any supplement.
- Ingredient research is not product research. Each row describes a single ingredient, often a specific standardised extract. None of these trials tested a Veluna product or any other finished multi-ingredient product.
- Extracts are not interchangeable. 300 mg of one valerian extract and 300 mg of another can contain different amounts of the active constituents. The 2020 valerian review attributes much of the inconsistency between trials to variable extract quality.
- Check the unit and the form. Magnesium amounts in trials are elemental magnesium; a label's compound weight is larger. Melatonin is sometimes labelled in micrograms (300 mcg is 0.3 mg). Our guide to elemental versus compound amounts walks through the arithmetic.
- Trial size and design are in the fourth column. A 7-person crossover and a 405-person randomized trial are not equally strong evidence, and an open-label pilot without a placebo group cannot separate an ingredient's effect from expectation.
Doses used in clinical trials, by ingredient
| Ingredient | Amount used in trials | Timing used | Trial type and size | Source (PubMed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melatonin | 0.1 mg, 0.3 mg and 3 mg compared head to head; pooled dose-response peaked at 4 mg a day | 30 minutes before bedtime in the three-dose comparison. The schedule most used in clinical practice is 2 mg 30 minutes before bedtime; the 2024 meta-analysis suggests about 3 hours before the desired bedtime | Double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover, 30 adults over 50, one week per dose. Dose-response meta-analysis of 26 double-blind randomized controlled trials, 1,689 observations | PMID: 11600532; PMID: 38888087 |
| Magnesium (elemental) | 500 mg a day (given as magnesium oxide, 414 mg twice a day); across three trials, 320 mg to 729 mg a day as magnesium oxide or magnesium citrate | Split into two or three doses across the day; one trial gave two tablets morning and evening and one at noon | Double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial, 46 older adults, 8 weeks. Systematic review of 3 randomized controlled trials, 151 older adults, 20 days to 8 weeks | PMID: 23853635; PMID: 33865376 |
| Glycine | 3 g | Before bedtime, on three consecutive nights of restricted sleep | Randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled crossover in healthy volunteers; 10 enrolled, 7 analysed | PMID: 22529837 |
| L-theanine | 200 mg a day for four weeks | Daily; the trial abstract does not state a time of day. A 2015 review summarised sleep work using 200 mg before bed | Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover, 30 healthy adults | PMID: 31623400; PMID: 25759004 |
| Valerian (root extract) | 300 mg to 600 mg a day of extract in the trials most often cited; NCCIH notes apparent safety at 300 mg to 600 mg daily for up to 6 weeks | 600 mg one hour before bedtime for 14 days in a 405-person web-based trial; 300 mg 30 minutes before bedtime for 2 weeks in a 16-person crossover trial (both as tabulated in the 2020 review) | 2006 meta-analysis: 16 randomized placebo-controlled trials, 1,093 people, doses and preparations varied considerably. 2020 systematic review: 60 studies, 6,894 people | PMID: 17145239; PMID: 33086877; NCCIH |
| Chamomile (extract) | 270 mg twice a day for 28 days; 200 mg twice a day for 28 days | One capsule between lunch and dinner and the second about one hour before bed (270 mg trial) | Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot, 34 adults aged 18 to 65. Single-blind randomized controlled trial, 60 adults aged 60 and over | PMID: 21939549; PMID: 29154054 |
| Ashwagandha (root extract) | 300 mg twice a day for 10 weeks; a meta-analysis found larger effects in the subgroup using 600 mg a day or more for 8 weeks or longer | Twice daily with milk or water | Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 60 adults. Meta-analysis of 5 randomized controlled trials, 400 people | PMID: 31728244; PMID: 34559859 |
| Tart cherry (juice) | 240 mL of juice twice a day for 14 days; a juice concentrate for 7 days (amount not stated in the abstract); a proprietary juice blend for 2 weeks (amount not stated in the abstract) | Morning and 1 to 2 hours before bedtime (240 mL trial) | Placebo-controlled crossover, 8 completers over 50. Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover, 20 healthy adults. Randomized, double-blind crossover pilot, 15 older adults | PMID: 28901958; PMID: 22038497; PMID: 20438325 |
| GABA (from fermented rice germ) | 300 mg a day for 4 weeks | One tablet one hour before bed | Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 40 adults with sleep complaints (30 GABA, 10 placebo) | PMID: 29856155 |
| Lemon balm (leaf extract) | 600 mg a day of a standardised extract, as 300 mg twice a day, for 15 days; single doses of 300 mg and 600 mg in a laboratory stress model | One dose in the morning and one in the evening before falling asleep (15-day trial) | Open-label pilot with no placebo group, 20 adults. Double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover, 18 healthy volunteers | PMID: 22207903; PMID: 15272110 |
| Passionflower | One cup of passionflower herbal tea nightly for 7 days (amount of herb per cup not stated in the abstract); an extract for 2 weeks (dose not stated in the abstract) | One cup a day for 7 days alongside a daily sleep diary; the abstract does not state the time of day | Double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover, 41 adults aged 18 to 35. Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, 110 adults | PMID: 21294203; PMID: 31714321 |
| 5-HTP | 100 mg a day for 12 weeks | Daily; the abstract does not state a time of day | Single-blinded randomized controlled trial with a no-supplement control group rather than a placebo, 30 adults aged about 66 | PMID: 38309227 |
Research discussed here relates to individual ingredients and does not establish that the finished Veluna product has been clinically studied or will produce the same results.
Notes on the numbers that get misquoted
Melatonin. The often-repeated idea that less is more comes from the MIT three-dose comparison, in which 0.3 mg restored sleep efficiency in adults over 50 while 3 mg left blood melatonin elevated into the daylight hours (PMID: 11600532). The pooled picture is different: across 26 double-blind trials, the effect on time to fall asleep and total sleep time rose gradually with dose and peaked at 4 mg a day, and taking it earlier (about three hours before the desired bedtime) predicted a larger effect than the usual 30 minutes (PMID: 38888087). An earlier meta-analysis of 19 placebo-controlled trials in 1,683 people put the average effect at about 7 minutes faster to fall asleep and about 8 minutes more total sleep (PMID: 23691095).
Magnesium. The trial most often cited for sleep gave 500 mg of elemental magnesium a day, as magnesium oxide, to 46 older adults for 8 weeks (PMID: 23853635). The systematic review that pooled it with two other trials reports elemental intakes of 320 mg to 729 mg a day, split into two or three doses, and rates the overall evidence as low to very low quality (PMID: 33865376). All three trials used oxide or citrate; none used glycinate.
Ashwagandha. The 300 mg figure is per dose, taken twice a day, so the daily amount in that trial was 600 mg of root extract (PMID: 31728244). The meta-analysis subgroup with the larger effect used 600 mg a day or more for at least 8 weeks (PMID: 34559859).
Lemon balm and passionflower. The lemon balm trial most quoted for sleep was open-label with no placebo group, which limits what it can show (PMID: 22207903). The passionflower tea trial used one cup a night and reported a better subjective sleep-quality rating than placebo tea; the abstract does not state how much herb each cup contained (PMID: 21294203).
Where Veluna fits. If you are checking a Veluna label against this table, the two melatonin products sit at the low end of the range above: Sleep Formula provides 2 mg of melatonin per two-capsule serving and Sleep Strips provide 1 mg per strip. Each ingredient amount is printed on the Supplement Facts panel, which is the number to compare.
Common questions
Are the amounts in this table recommendations?
No. They are the amounts tested in the trials cited, in the populations described. Several trials used amounts that exceed what a typical label suggests, and some found no benefit over placebo. Use the table to understand where label numbers come from, and talk to your doctor about what suits you.
Why do trial doses differ so much between ingredients?
Because the ingredients work by different routes and have different potencies. Melatonin is a hormone that the body makes in microgram quantities, so trial amounts are in the fraction-of-a-milligram to low-milligram range (PMID: 11600532). Glycine is an amino acid consumed in grams through food, so 3 g is an ordinary quantity (PMID: 22529837). Herbal extracts are mixtures whose strength depends on the extraction ratio, so a milligram figure for valerian or chamomile only means something alongside the extract specification.
Is the dose on a supplement label the same thing as the dose in a trial?
Often not. A magnesium label may show the compound weight (for example, 2,500 mg of magnesium glycinate) and the elemental amount (275 mg of magnesium); the trials report elemental magnesium. Herbal labels may list a dried herb weight rather than an extract weight. Match the label's elemental or extract figure to the trial's, not the headline number on the front of the bottle.
How do I check a trial myself?
Open the PubMed link in the table. The abstract usually states the amount, duration and number of people. If it does not, look for the open-access full text link to PubMed Central on the right of the PubMed page, where the methods section will have the details. Be wary of secondary sources that quote a dose without a PMID; some widely repeated figures are hard to trace back to any trial.
References
- Zhdanova IV, Wurtman RJ, Regan MM, Taylor JA, Shi JP, Leclair OU. Melatonin treatment for age-related insomnia. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2001;86(10):4727-4730. PMID: 11600532
- Cruz-Sanabria F, Bruno S, Crippa A, et al. Optimizing the time and dose of melatonin as a sleep-promoting drug: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials and dose-response meta-analysis. J Pineal Res. 2024;76(5):e12985. PMID: 38888087
- Ferracioli-Oda E, Qawasmi A, Bloch MH. Meta-analysis: melatonin for the treatment of primary sleep disorders. PLoS One. 2013;8(5):e63773. PMID: 23691095
- Abbasi B, Kimiagar M, Sadeghniiat K, Shirazi MM, Hedayati M, Rashidkhani B. The effect of magnesium supplementation on primary insomnia in elderly: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Res Med Sci. 2012;17(12):1161-1169. PMID: 23853635
- Mah J, Pitre T. Oral magnesium supplementation for insomnia in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2021;21(1):125. PMID: 33865376
- Bannai M, Kawai N, Ono K, Nakahara K, Murakami N. The effects of glycine on subjective daytime performance in partially sleep-restricted healthy volunteers. Front Neurol. 2012;3:61. PMID: 22529837
- Hidese S, Ogawa S, Ota M, et al. Effects of L-theanine administration on stress-related symptoms and cognitive functions in healthy adults: a randomized controlled trial. Nutrients. 2019;11(10):2362. PMID: 31623400
- Rao TP, Ozeki M, Juneja LR. In search of a safe natural sleep aid. J Am Coll Nutr. 2015;34(5):436-447. PMID: 25759004
- Bent S, Padula A, Moore D, Patterson M, Mehling W. Valerian for sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Med. 2006;119(12):1005-1012. PMID: 17145239
- Shinjyo N, Waddell G, Green J. Valerian root in treating sleep problems and associated disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Evid Based Integr Med. 2020;25:2515690X20967323. PMID: 33086877
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Valerian. nccih.nih.gov
- Zick SM, Wright BD, Sen A, Arnedt JT. Preliminary examination of the efficacy and safety of a standardized chamomile extract for chronic primary insomnia: a randomized placebo-controlled pilot study. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2011;11:78. PMID: 21939549
- Adib-Hajbaghery M, Mousavi SN. The effects of chamomile extract on sleep quality among elderly people: a clinical trial. Complement Ther Med. 2017;35:109-114. PMID: 29154054
- Langade D, Kanchi S, Salve J, Debnath K, Ambegaokar D. Efficacy and safety of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root extract in insomnia and anxiety: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Cureus. 2019;11(9):e5797. PMID: 31728244
- Cheah KL, Norhayati MN, Husniati Yaacob L, Abdul Rahman R. Effect of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract on sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2021;16(9):e0257843. PMID: 34559859
- Losso JN, Finley JW, Karki N, et al. Pilot study of the tart cherry juice for the treatment of insomnia and investigation of mechanisms. Am J Ther. 2018;25(2):e194-e201. PMID: 28901958
- Howatson G, Bell PG, Tallent J, Middleton B, McHugh MP, Ellis J. Effect of tart cherry juice (Prunus cerasus) on melatonin levels and enhanced sleep quality. Eur J Nutr. 2012;51(8):909-916. PMID: 22038497
- Pigeon WR, Carr M, Gorman C, Perlis ML. Effects of a tart cherry juice beverage on the sleep of older adults with insomnia: a pilot study. J Med Food. 2010;13(3):579-583. PMID: 20438325
- Byun JI, Shin YY, Chung SE, Shin WC. Safety and efficacy of gamma-aminobutyric acid from fermented rice germ in patients with insomnia symptoms: a randomized, double-blind trial. J Clin Neurol. 2018;14(3):291-295. PMID: 29856155
- Cases J, Ibarra A, Feuillère N, Roller M, Sukkar SG. Pilot trial of Melissa officinalis L. leaf extract in the treatment of volunteers suffering from mild-to-moderate anxiety disorders and sleep disturbances. Med J Nutrition Metab. 2011;4(3):211-218. PMID: 22207903
- Kennedy DO, Little W, Scholey AB. Attenuation of laboratory-induced stress in humans after acute administration of Melissa officinalis (lemon balm). Psychosom Med. 2004;66(4):607-613. PMID: 15272110
- Ngan A, Conduit R. A double-blind, placebo-controlled investigation of the effects of Passiflora incarnata (passionflower) herbal tea on subjective sleep quality. Phytother Res. 2011;25(8):1153-1159. PMID: 21294203
- Lee J, Jung HY, Lee SI, Choi JH, Kim SG. Effects of Passiflora incarnata Linnaeus on polysomnographic sleep parameters in subjects with insomnia disorder: a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study. Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2020;35(1):29-35. PMID: 31714321
- Sutanto CN, Xia X, Heng CW, et al. The impact of 5-hydroxytryptophan supplementation on sleep quality and gut microbiota composition in older adults: a randomized controlled trial. Clin Nutr. 2024;43(3):593-602. PMID: 38309227
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Talk to a healthcare professional before starting any supplement, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition.
