Best Lemon Balm for Sleep
Top 5 products ranked
Last reviewed May 2026
Clinical dose: 300–600 mg
Why Lemon Balm for Sleep
Lemon Balm plays a supporting role in sleep. Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a traditional herb with mild anxiolytic and sedative properties. A few small RCTs suggest it may improve sleep quality, primarily via anxiolysis and GABA-transaminase inhibition. In clinical studies, lemon balm limited evidence for mild sleep quality improvement.
What dose to look for
Clinical studies typically use 300–600 mg of lemon balm. Standardized extract; most sleep studies used 300-600 mg. Products below this range may not deliver meaningful results.
What the research says
Lemon Balm has limited clinical evidence for sleep benefits. A few small clinical trials suggest mild anxiolytic and sleep benefits; effect sizes are small Learn more
Clinical research on Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
LOW — A few small RCTs, primarily anxiolytic · 300–600 mg extract
- •A small RCT (20 volunteers) of 600 mg lemon balm extract found reduced anxiety and improved sleep quality measures compared to placebo.
- •Mechanism involves inhibition of GABA-transaminase, increasing GABA availability. Sleep benefits appear secondary to anxiolytic effects.
- •Most commonly studied in combination with valerian — positive combination trials cannot attribute effects to lemon balm alone.
OLLY
Sleep Blackberry Zen
16 mg
Life Extension
Enhanced Stress Relief, 30 Vegetarian Capsules
300 mg
Source Naturals
Sleep Science®, NightRest™ With Melatonin
60 mg
LifeSeasons
Anxie-T Gummies, Stress Support, 90 Gummies
15 mg
Buried Treasure
Liquid Advantage®, Added Attention, 16.54 fl oz (496 ml)
200 mg