According to the Centers for Disease Control, 30.5% of U.S. adults reported sleeping less than seven hours per night in 2024. This focus on sleep is also reflected in consumer priorities. According to a SPINS consumer survey conducted in August 2026, 21.4% of respondents identified improving sleep quality as a top health goal when choosing a supplement, rising to 24.7% among consumers ages 35–49.
Despite its importance as a health priority, recent growth in sleep supplements has been more moderate. According to SPINS market measurement data for the 52 weeks ending Oct. 4, 2026, sleep supplements reached $1.01 billion in sales, growing 1.1% in dollars, with a two-year dollar CAGR of 3.7%. The adjacent calmative & mood support supplements category reached $417.7 million, declining 4.8% over the past year, despite maintaining a two-year dollar CAGR of 16.4%. While growth has slowed across both categories, ingredient-level performance shows a changing landscape as consumers explore different solutions for relaxation, stress management and sleep support.
Melatonin remains the largest ingredient within the combined sleep and calmative & mood support categories, reaching $769.7 million, although dollar sales declined 2.7%. Ashwagandha, another established ingredient associated with stress and relaxation, decreased 8.5% to $220.5 million. In contrast, magnesium increased 22.8% to $91.5 million, while GABA grew 10.8% to $46.7 million. L-theanine also continued to gain traction, reaching $45.0 million, growing 4.7%. This shift in ingredient performance suggests consumers are looking beyond traditional sleep aids toward more targeted relaxation and sleep support solutions.
Consumer survey data provides another perspective on these ingredients and where future demand may develop. According to SPINS survey data, 11.1% of respondents identified melatonin as an ingredient they take most consistently, while 14.9% expressed interest in trying or repurchasing it in the future. L-theanine remains less widely used, with 2.9% reporting consistent usage compared to 6.0% expressing future interest. Magnesium shows broader consumer familiarity, with 16.6% reporting consistent usage and 18.9% interested in future purchase or repurchase. While these ingredients serve multiple health needs beyond sleep, the gap between current usage and future interest points to opportunities for further consumer education and adoption.
Beyond these established ingredients, we’re also seeing growth from emerging botanicals and amino acids. Reishi mushroom sales within sleep and calmative & mood support increased 53.7% to $12.3 million, while saffron grew 42.3% to $3.9 million. Glycine, although smaller at $1.6 million, increased by 121.4%. These ingredients are gaining attention as brands expand beyond traditional sleep aids into formulations focused on relaxation, stress management and sleep quality.
Sleep is also becoming more connected to other areas of wellness, particularly stress and mood support. According to SPINS survey data, 28.0% of respondents identified stress, anxiety & mood balance as a top health goal when choosing a supplement, with interest highest among consumers ages 18–24 at 33.5%. Beyond stress management, cognitive health, healthy aging, women’s health and active nutrition offer additional areas of interest. Within performance nutrition, sleep and recovery are becoming increasingly relevant alongside strength, hydration and other everyday wellness goals, expanding the role of sleep support beyond traditional nighttime routines.
Innovation is also extending beyond traditional delivery formats. Capsules remain an important part of the category, growing 14.8% to $131.0 million across sleep and calmative & mood support, while more convenient formats are gaining traction. Liquid RTD products increased 67.1% to $13.0 million, while soft chews grew 11.5% to $22.5 million. Sleep patches are another format to watch, reaching $8.2 million in sales, growing 8.7% over the past year, with a two-year dollar CAGR of 16.9%. These formats give consumers more ways to incorporate sleep and relaxation support into their everyday routines.
As ingredient options and delivery formats expand, quality and transparency are becoming increasingly important. While clinical research continues to develop around ingredients such as L-theanine, saffron and magnesium, the strength of evidence varies by ingredient and formulation. Clear labeling, clinically supported dosages and substantiated product claims will be important as brands look to differentiate themselves and build consumer trust.
Overall, sleep supplements are moving beyond traditional melatonin-based products toward more targeted solutions addressing sleep quality, relaxation, stress management and recovery. While category growth has moderated, strong performance from select ingredients, growing consumer interest and innovation in delivery formats point to opportunities for continued development. As sleep becomes more closely connected to broader health and wellness needs, brands that combine differentiated formulations with credible research and clear product benefits will be better positioned for future growth.
1: VMS Attitude & Usage Survey, N = 1,000 VMS Consumers; Fielded Aug. 11, 2026, Survey runs independent from sales data; trending ingredients, *Question: What are your top health goals when choosing a supplement?, *Question: Which of the following supplements or functional ingredients have you purchased in the past 12 months? *Question: Which of the following ingredients are you interested in trying, or open to purchasing or re-purchasing in the future?
