MidNite Sleep Aid Review

photo of the midnite dietary supplement sleep aid gummies with melatonin, chamomile and lavender

I recently tried MidNite sleep aid for a week. There are actually a few different versions, but the one I took contains melatonin, chamomile, and lavender.

MidNite isn’t a prescription sleep aid, and like many over the counter sleep aids in the United States, it’s sold as a dietary supplement.

I’ve previously had good results from other sleep aids that combine melatonin with plant ingredients, such as ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs and Vitafusion SleepWell.

The ingredients aren’t exactly the same, but I should still admit that I probably had some expectations that it would help me sleep better.

The short summary is that I slept fairly well during the week I took MidNite. I did have some vivid dreams though, which often seems to happen when I take melatonin. I had no other side effects that I could tell, and no morning grogginess.

My main criticism is the sugar content of the gummies. I already have enough sugar in my diet without adding 2 mg more just before bed. And my personal view is that it would be better not to make sleep aids that might appeal to the sweet tooth of young children.

In this review, I’ll first describe my experience of taking MidNite in more detail. And I’ll then cover some additional information which I personally think is useful to consider if you’re thinking of trying it too.


My experience


Cost and what you get

I paid $10.99 for a small plastic bottle of 36 gummies in my local Target. Since the dosage is one per night, that works out at around 30 cents per night. There’s no other packaging, and it looks like the PETE bottle can be recycled.

There isn’t an information leaflet, which is rarely included with non-prescription sleep aid ‘supplements’. But it does mean that the only information you get is what they can squeeze onto the label around the bottle.

The first night

midnite sleep aid gummmies

The bottle tells you to take one gummy, but doesn’t tell you when to take it. So I decided to chew one 30 minutes before my ideal time of falling asleep.

The gummy had a cherry flavor, and the 2 mg sugar content was noticeable. It was sweet, tasted pretty good and was easy to chew. I personally don’t have a problem swallowing pills or capsules. If you do though, I imagine these gummies could be a much easier option.

I read in bed for a while, didn’t feel particularly drowsy after 30 minutes, but turned the light out to go to sleep anyway. I know from experience that this type of sleep aid doesn’t tend to knock me out, and that the effect is more subtle. But I still like to keep an eye out just in case one comes along that somehow does have a more powerful effect.

I do wonder sometimes if trying to stay alert to see if I start to feel less alert is counterproductive and a bit silly! But it’s not like I put up resistance as a stubborn challenge to the sleep aid; I just let my brain casually take mental notes if I feel different to any other night.

I believe I fell asleep soon after switching off the light the first night I tried MidNite. I woke once around 3 a.m. but soon fell asleep again and got around seven and a half hours’ sleep, which is a good amount for me.

I woke up feeling relatively refreshed, which is key to how well a sleep aid works for me. I didn’t have any side effects that I could tell, and no morning grogginess. I was able to get up and walk the dog without feeling like I needed a strong coffee first.

I often take longer than five minutes to fall asleep, and often wake up more than once. And I can’t deny that I feel the need for that strong coffee before stepping out the front door sometimes! So all in all, I was fairly pleased with the first night.

The following nights

I took MidNite for a total of seven nights in the end. If there had been a lot of variety in the effect each night, I would have split each night into different sections. But in this case, I think I can summarize what happened without breaking it up into seven parts.

Essentially, I think I slept fairly well all week. My total sleep was between seven and eight hours every night. It’s not unusual that I have at least one really bad night in any given week. So when I sleep well for an entire week, I’m happy about it.

I also feel that I fell asleep in a decent amount of time every night, with no recollection of any night where I just couldn’t drop off. And I only had an extended middle of the night waking on one night, which isn’t a problem for me as long as I get enough sleep either side of that time awake.

No serious side effects (for me)

I didn’t have any grogginess in the mornings, which is great. Many sleep aids, even some over the counter ones, can give you a ‘hangover’ effect in the morning. For me, that usually entails a fuzzy head, maybe a headache, and an annoying feeling that I’m just ‘not quite with it’. And it makes it less likely I’ll choose that particular sleep aid again in times of need.

Vivid dreams

Although I was happy there was no next morning brain fog, there was some vivid dream action throughout the week. I didn’t recall any on the first night, but definitely did on a few other nights.

Personally, I love remembering my dreams and find vivid dreams interesting to reflect on the next day – as long as they aren’t disturbing ones. But I know some people don’t appreciate an increase in vivid dreams, especially if they suffer from nightmares. So if you’re worried about that, I’d be cautious with melatonin sleep aids generally.

For me personally though, I was content with the lack of serious side effects during the week I took MidNite.

Would I take it again?

Potentially, yes. If I had no similar sleep aid with less sugar available, I’d feel okay about taking MidNite again. It seemed to work reasonably well for me (even if it was the placebo effect or just coincidence that I slept well that week). And the lack of nuisance side effects is always a plus.

But I’d probably prefer a small tasteless pill I could still take after brushing my teeth if I’d forgotten to take it beforehand. It might sound like a minor or silly detail, but it happens sometimes and is just kind of annoying feeling like I need to brush my teeth twice.

I don’t have kids, but if I did, I don’t think I’d choose to keep a sleep aid in the house that looks, smells and tastes like candy – even if it does have a childproof lock and I could hide it.

Just my experience

Please bear in mind that the experience I had was just that – my experience only. There’s no guarantee that it will help you sleep, or that you won’t get any other side effects, or that you’ll have vivid dreams like me. It’s always worth reading other reviews too if you’re unsure about taking it.

What others say about MidNite

At the time of writing, this version of MidNite has a score of 4.4 out of 5 stars on Amazon, from 120 total customer ratings.

Many people seem to say they work well for them, with no grogginess. There are a couple of comments about having vivid dreams. And unsurprisingly, I saw several comments from people about the taste. Like me, one also advised parents to keep them locked away because they taste so good.

Interestingly, the version of MidNite that also has lemon balm has a combined rating of 4.6 from over 1000 people.


Additional information


Ingredients

According to the bottle I bought, the supplement facts are:

  • Calories 10
  • Total carbohydrates 2 g
  • Total sugars 2 g – includes 1 g added sugars

The active ingredients intended to help with sleep are:

  • Melatonin 3 mg
  • Propriety blend 10 mg – consisting of chamomile flower and lavender flower.

Note that propriety blend means they don’t tell you the exact quantity of chamomile or lavender included. Personally, I’d prefer it if they did specify the exact amount used.

Other ingredients listed:

  • Sugar
  • Corn syrup
  • Water
  • Pectin
  • Citric acid
  • Natural flavor
  • Trisodium citrate dihydrate
  • Malic acid
  • Vegetable juice (color)
photo of the label showing the supplement facts and ingredients of midnite sleep aid

Directions

The bottle has the following advice:

  • For adults 18 years and older.
  • Chew one gummy.
  • No water necessary.
  • Avoid at least three hours of sleep after last dose to avoid morning grogginess.
  • Do not exceed two gummies in a 24 hour period.

Warnings

The label has these important warnings:

  • Keep out of reach of children and pets.
  • Not to be used by pregnant or nursing women.
  • Talk to your healthcare provider before use if you have any medical condition or are taking any medication.
  • Do not use when consuming alcohol, sedatives, or other products which may cause drowsiness.
  • After using this product, do not drive, operate machinery, or engage in other activities that require complete mental alertness until you feel fully awake.
  • Talk to your healthcare provider if sleeplessness persists for more than four weeks.
  • This product is not for long-term, continuous use.

It’s good to see all these safety warnings on the bottle – they don’t all go into this much detail. One thing missing is potential side effects, which they don’t legally have to list because it’s a supplement and not a drug.

It also hasn’t undergone clinical trials or the inspection of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

So like many supplements, the statements ‘For occasional sleeplessness’ and ‘Fall asleep faster without any grogginess’ have an asterisk that corresponds to the disclaimer line of ‘These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration’.

Possible side effects

As I’ve already mentioned, dietary supplements don’t need to provide lists of potential side effects. But that doesn’t mean there’s zero risk of side effects.

I’m not going to list all the possible side effects of melatonin, chamomile and lavender. But I do recommend checking out medical websites that discuss them if you’d like to know more.

As a starting point, Drugs.com, WebMD.com, and Healthline.com all have sections about the active ingredients if you search on those websites.

What I would say though is that if you notice any new symptoms, it’s a good idea to not take any more until you speak to your healthcare provider. I’d look out for key signs something isn’t right, such as stomach problems, headaches, dry mouth, cognitive changes, mood changes, and appetite changes, for example.

Your experience

Have you taken MidNite before? Are you thinking of trying it?

Please let me know your experience in the comments below.

4 Comments

  1. Hi Julie,
    What is the price for Midnight and how long does it take to receive it once an order has been placed? Thank you so very much!
    Crystal

    • Hi Crystal
      If you live in the US, you can find it in several supermarkets, so you could compare prices. It’s also available on amazon, walmart, walgreens online.
      Regards
      Ethan

  2. Hello. Didn’t MidNite use to be more like the sleep aids with drugs? Haven’t used any in a while but notice now it’s “drug free”. Do they still offer the original? I had good luck with it, mainly because it was one of the only products that didn’t make me feel hungover. To a fellow insomniac, I’m sure you understand my “desperation “:)

    • Hi Julie

      I don’t actually know to be honest. But the one I reviewed here was exactly as I’ve described it. Do you remember what the previous ingredients were?

      Regards
      Ethan

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