We’ve personally tested and researched the top clean supplement brands for pregnant folks. These are our favorite sleep aids with safe, gentle formulations to help you get the Zzzs you need.

You can expect sleepless nights to come along with a newborn — the crying, the fussiness, the waking to feed — but what about before the baby comes? Insomnia is a common pregnancy symptom, exacerbated by aches, heartburn, and the more frequent urge to pee. Up to 80% of pregnant people report some sort of insomnia at some time during pregnancy. 

While it might be good practice for having an infant around, sleeplessness can cause complications. Gestational diabetes, longer labor, preeclampsia (high blood pressure), anxiety, and depression can all worsen with a lack of quality sleep.

But fear not — sometimes lifestyle changes are all you need to combat insomnia, like avoiding electronic screens before bed or writing down the next day’s to-do list before the lights go off. And when you need a little extra help, we’re a big fan of sleep-supporting supplements like magnesium.

What should you look for in a pregnancy-safe sleep aid?

While melatonin is a safe, popular supplement for supporting sleep, little is known about its effects on pregnancy and lactation because of a lack of randomized, controlled studies. GABA is another common one pregnant people should avoid. But one supplement that’s been proven safe and effective at supporting relaxation and sleep? Magnesium — maybe this is one of the reasons it’s been getting so much air time in the wellness space lately.

Magnesium supports tons of essential bodily functions, including digestion, muscle recovery, bone health, circulatory health, blood sugar levels, and anxiety levels. It also has promising results in sleep studies, showing positive associations with increased sleep quality, increased sleep time, and decreased sleep onset latency.

According to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, adults should intake between 300mg and 420mg of magnesium daily — and while foods like seeds, nuts, greens, and beans have naturally occurring magnesium, it’s hard to get enough of the mineral from your diet alone. 

So below, you’ll find a roundup of magnesium supplements for sleep, all of which are formulated with pregnancy- and lactation-safe ingredients — and without additions like melatonin or GABA. 

Our criteria:

The editors (and moms!) on our team have researched and personally tried the top clean supplement brands, including prenatals and other pregnancy-safe options. For this guide, we’ve compiled melatonin-free sleep aids for pregnant folks that are safe, made with high-quality ingredients, and come from trusted brands. We’ve also vetted customer reviews to make sure these options are generally tolerated during pregnancy. We update this list regularly with our emerging favorites that meet the following criteria:

  • HIGH-QUALITY INGREDIENTS | The brands below all use high-quality magnesium without any unnecessary fillers. Most use highly bioavailable forms of magnesium (or multiple forms) from natural sources — and they’re vegetarian, vegan, non-GMO, and mostly sugar-free.
  • TRUSTED BRANDS | The brands below are highly reputable, leverage clinical research to inform their practices, and test formulas via third parties for efficacy and safety.
  • GI COMFORT | We’ve included magnesium citrate options which might cause fewer gastro issues, if that’s a concern for you. 

If you’re curious about more of our favorite supplements for pregnancy, check out our guide to organic prenatals.


1. Needed

1% for the planet
B corp
Climate neutral
Dairy free
Gluten free
Vegan
Woman owned

Best For | L-theanine
Ingredients | Magnesium, L-theanine, chamomile, L-glycin
Form | Powder
Price | $50/30 days ($1.67/day)

Needed is closing nutritional gaps for fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum with radically better supplements backed by 6,000+ women’s health practitioners. All of their supplements are non-GMO and third-party tested for heavy metals. Their pregnancy-safe, melatonin-free Sleep + Relaxation Support powder is a must-have. It contains three forms of magnesium, L-theanine, L-glycine, and chamomile to support optimal sleep quality (both how long it takes you to fall asleep and staying asleep!), relaxation, and overall cognitive health. The L-theanine helps reduce stress and increase sleep duration — just check with your doctor before consuming L-theanine while pregnant because of limited research on the compound. Plus, it tastes like a lightly sweet and delicious chamomile tea. The brand recommends mixing a serving into 1–2 cups of water (hot, cold, or room temp), and you’re on your way to better sleep.

Customer Review | “Pregnancy has brought on insomnia where I’m up for 4-5 hours a night! Since starting the Needed Sleep + Relaxation Support I’m sleeping so much better! Still waking to pee, but not losing precious hours of rest.” – Ashley G. (Read more reviews.)

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2. Perelel

Dairy free
Doctor approved
Gluten free
Soy free
Third party tested
Woman owned

Best For | Just magnesium — nothing else
Ingredients | Magnesium Tri-Blend, lemon balm
Form | Powder
Price | $38.24/30 days ($1.27/day) 

Co-founded by a doctor, gynecologist Dr. Banafsheh Bayati, Perelel also focuses on pregnancy-specific supplements, offering vitamins for folks at all stages of fertility — including those going through IVF or perimenopause. The brand is led by a panel of women’s health experts so you know they’re the real deal, and that they’re always using doctor-recommended, clinically-tested doses. Their sleep support powder, while safe for pregnancy and breastfeeding, can be used by anyone who wants to promote relaxation and sleep with a third-party tested magnesium powder with no colorants or synthetic fillers. The powder’s Magnesium Tri-Blend includes three types of elemental magnesium in meticulously selected bioavailable formats, along with lemon balm extract for extra sleep support and a delicious taste. 

Customer Review | “Totally recommend. I still have to get up sometimes with one (or all ) of my kids in the night and this doesn’t make me groggy at all in the night but it helps me sleep soundly when I actually get to sleep. Love it. I mix it with sparkling water in the evening as a mocktail.” – Katherine W. (Read more reviews.)


3. Moon Juice

Gives back
Natural materials
Third party tested
Woman owned

Best For | Cute flavors and packaging
Ingredients | Magnesium, L-theanine, natural coloring
Form | Powder
Price | $44/30 days ($1.47/day) 

Moon Juice has been a TGT fave for years — and our editor wrote a detailed first-hand review of their best-selling Magnesi-Om supplement earlier this year. While the brand recently released a new Sleepy Magnesi-Om supplement that also incorporates melatonin for even deeper sleep, those looking to avoid the hormone can stick with the original powder, which has a total of 309 mg of magnesium in three different bioavailable forms. It also has L-theanine to promote calmness and relaxation, and it comes in four different flavors — berry, blue lemon, green grape, and guava. Like all Moon Juice products, it’s made with 100% traceable ingredients and is third-party tested. It comes in an unflavored option, too, along with two packaging options — glass bottles or packets that are easy to travel with.

Customer Review | “It is so easy to take and it tastes great! I hate swallowing pills, so this was an easy option. It comes in a jar at first then your refills come in this pouch. It aids in regularity and sleep. I take it every night after dinner.” – Sharon A. (Read more reviews.)


4. Thorne

Dairy free
Gluten free
Natural materials
Science backed
Soy free
Vegan

Best For | Magnesium glycinate
Ingredients | Magnesium, monk fruit concentrate
Form | Powder
Price | $48/60 days ($0.80/day) 

While Thorne makes a few different supplements that support sleep, their magnesium glycinate is the one that’s pregnancy-safe. Known for creating clinically backed supplements geared toward athletes, Thorne is all about empowering you to optimize your health. According to reviewers, their magnesium powder helps you reduce muscle soreness after a workout since it encourages better sleep. The powder contains 200mg of the glycinate form of magnesium that has two glycine molecules attached, giving it superior absorption qualities so you get all those good magnesium benefits like muscle relaxation and supported circulatory functions. The powder is lightly sweetened with monk fruit concentrate, and of all the supplements on this list, it comes in one of the largest containers.

Customer Review | “Love this supplement! My husband and I started taking it 2 months ago. We take it right before bed, get the best sleep, and it helps with muscle recovery after a good workout.” – Alexi B. (Read more reviews.)


5. Natural Vitality

Gives back
Science backed

Best For | Gummies
Ingredients | Magnesium citrate, magnesium carbonate, magnesium glycinate
Form | Gummy, powder
Price | Starting at $22/56 days ($0.39/day) 

Natural Vitality’s been making mood-boosting supplements for 40 years, so you can rest assured they’re a trusted name in the space. While not all of their sleep supplements are pregnancy-safe, many of them are — and they have a huge lineup to begin with. They carry both powder and gummy forms of magnesium, both of which come in fun flavors like orange, cherry, and raspberry lemon. They have multiple different forms of magnesium, too, depending on what works best for you. Their standard products are made with basic magnesium carbonate, while they also carry supplements with magnesium citrate (which is easily absorbed and helps you raise your overall magnesium levels) and magnesium glycinate (which helps improve sleep and reduce anxiety). They make a few blends, too, like a powder with both magnesium and calcium, and options that pregnant folks might want to avoid, like those with melatonin, GABA, or phosphatidylserine.

Customer Review | “This product is my ultimate go-to! I have tried the powder in every flavor and they’re all very pleasant. Great for when I’m sore after workouts. I also enjoy a warm cup for relaxing after a long day at the office. Definitely recommend this product to friends and customers to aid in sleep and get more of that needed magnesium into the body.” – Mackenzie M. (Read more reviews.)


6. Pure Encapsulations

Dairy free
Gluten free
Science backed
Soy free
Vegan

Best For | Capsules
Ingredients | Magnesium citrate, magnesium glycinate
Form | Capsules
Price | Starting at $33.20/180 days ($0.18/day)

For a simple, no-frills magnesium supplement in capsule form, check out Pure Encapsulations’s magnesium citrate capsules. Each pill contains 150mg of the supplement, which helps improve sleep and also supports other bodily functions like heart health, metabolism, muscle function, and even mood. You can buy the supplement in bottles of 90 or 180, and they make a magnesium glycinate capsule, too, which has a slightly lower dose of the supplement. Like all of Pure Encapsulations’s supplements, their magnesium options are free of fillers, gluten, nuts, soy, and artificial colors and flavors, and the ingredients are all meticulously sourced from the brand’s trusted partners and tested by accredited laboratories.

Customer Review | “With my evening meal, I take Magnesium Citrate from Pure Encapsulations. I wanted to find a clean source, free of additives and fillers to balance the Calcium citrate that I take in the morning. I found that separating the two minerals brought my iron absorption labs up to normal range!” – Nadine F. (Read more reviews.)


7. Wooden Spoon Herbs

Gluten free
Science backed
USDA organic
Vegan
Woman owned

Best For | Electrolytes for hydration
Ingredients | Magnesium citrate, monk fruit extract, spirulina
Form | Powder
Price | Starting at $26/30 days ($0.87/day)

Known for their medicinal herb-forward supplements (and fantastic branding, might we add), Wooden Spoon Herbs was concocted by herbalist Lauren Haynes in her Tennessee kitchen. Today, they make tons of tinctures, capsules, and powers for various concerns like stress, immunity, gut health, and, you guessed it, sleep. Their Magic Magnesium powder has 200mg of magnesium citrate per serving, so while it helps support healthy sleep, it also boosts your overall magnesium levels to support other functions like gut health and all-day energy levels. Its spirulina gives it a boost of electrolytes for hydration, while its lemon powder and monk fruit extract give it a lightly sweet citrusy flavor. Note that the powder also has organic gum arabic which helps it emulsify into drinks — which is a perfectly safe ingredient, but you should check with your doc if you’re pregnant just in case, since little is known about its pregnancy or breastfeeding safety.

Customer Review | “I love the Magic Magnesium! I’ve made it part of my nightly routine, and I’ve been falling asleep easier and feeling more well rested since taking it.” – Mary P. (Read more reviews.)


Featured image is from Perelel


Natalie Gale is a Contributing Editor at The Good Trade. She is a Boston-based freelance journalist. When she’s not writing about art, food, or sustainability, you can find her biking to the farmers’ market, baking, sewing, or planning her next Halloween costume. Say hi on Instagram!