Best Natural Sleep Supplements in Australia: Ingredients and Doses Compared
Some of the most useful research on natural sleep ingredients has been done in Australia. Passionflower was tested in a placebo controlled sleep trial at Monash University in Melbourne, and a water based kava root extract, the form permitted in Australian medicines, was tested by researchers at the University of Melbourne. Reishi mushroom brings centuries of traditional use for calming the mind. Magnesium, glycine, L-theanine and chamomile are other ingredients you will see, and melatonin is not sold as a supplement here at all. To compare products, check the dose per night against the dose that was studied, whether the product is AUST L listed, and the warnings on the label.
As a food scientist who has developed more than 250 supplement formulations, I think sleep is the category where it pays most to read the label closely. This guide lines up the study doses for the common ingredients, including for our own formula, so you can check a label quickly. It is a buying guide built on published research, not a health claim.
In this article
How to compare a sleep supplement label
Four quick checks tell you whether a product lines up with the research and the rules.
- Compare the extract amount, and know what it came from. Australian labels often show two numbers, such as "extract 75 mg, from 1.5 g dry herb". The first is the extract in the capsule; the second is how much dried herb went into it. Some trials report extract, others report dried herb, so check which one you are comparing against.
- Work out the amount per night. Most labels list amounts per capsule. Multiply by the number of capsules in the directions. Two capsules of 75 mg is 150 mg a night.
- For kava, find the kavalactones. Kavalactones are the active compounds in kava, and they are what the TGA limits. A good kava label states them in milligrams.
- Check the AUST L number and the warnings. An AUST L number means the product is entered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. Kava products must also carry specific warnings, covered below. For the full walkthrough, see how to read a supplement label.
Ingredients and study doses compared
These are the doses used in the human studies, with who was studied. Every study is listed in the sources at the end.
| Ingredient | Dose used in studies | Who was studied | What was measured |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passionflower | Tea from 2 g dried herb nightly, 1 week | 41 healthy adults aged 18 to 35, Monash University, Melbourne | Sleep diary ratings, including sleep quality |
| Kava (water based root extract) | 120 to 240 mg kavalactones a day, 6 weeks | Adults in a clinical trial at the University of Melbourne | Anxiety rating scores |
| Reishi polysaccharide extract | 5.4 g a day for 8 weeks | 132 adults experiencing ongoing fatigue | Overall improvement, fatigue and sense of wellbeing |
| Magnesium | 320 to 729 mg elemental a day | Older adults, three trials | Time taken to fall asleep |
| Glycine | 3 g before bed | Adults with unsatisfying sleep | Sleep quality and time taken to fall asleep |
| L-theanine | 200 mg a day, 4 weeks | 30 healthy adults | Sleep quality scores |
| Chamomile extract | 400 mg a day, 4 weeks | 60 adults aged 60 and over | Sleep quality scores |
Passionflower and the Monash trial
Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) is traditionally used in Western herbal medicine to calm the mind and relieve disturbed sleep. It is also one of the few sleep herbs with a placebo controlled trial run in Australia.
In a double blind, placebo controlled study published in Phytotherapy Research, researchers at Monash University gave 41 healthy adults aged 18 to 35 a cup of tea made from 2 g of dried passionflower before bed for a week, and a placebo tea for another week. Participants kept sleep diaries, and some also had overnight sleep studies.
In healthy Australian adults, a week of passionflower tea from 2 g of dried herb gave significantly better sleep quality ratings than placebo.
Sleep quality was the measure that changed out of the six diary measures, and the authors described the benefit as short term. It is a small study, but for an Australian brand it is good to see a sleep herb tested in people who live and work much like our customers do. The reference point for a label is around 2 g of dried passionflower a night.
Kava: the Australian research and the rules
Kava (Piper methysticum) is traditionally used in Pacific Islander medicine to induce sleep and aid mind and body relaxation. Australian researchers have led much of the modern work on it. At the University of Melbourne, a six week, double blind, placebo controlled trial in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology tested a water based kava root extract at 120 to 240 mg of kavalactones a day, and found a significant reduction in anxiety scores compared with placebo. A longer 16 week follow up study by the same group did not find a difference from placebo at 240 mg a day, so the research picture is still developing.
Kava is fast acting. Unlike herbs that are typically taken daily for weeks before their effects are studied, kava is traditionally taken on the night. In a 2022 study in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, the first clinical study of kavalactone absorption in healthy volunteers, kavalactones were absorbed fast and reached their peak levels in the blood within 1 to 3 hours of a dose. That is why kava is taken in the evening, shortly before bed. The same study found food reduced absorption, so taking it with water rather than straight after a large meal makes sense.
The Australian rules. Under the TGA's Permissible Ingredients Determination, kava in a listed medicine must come from the root or rhizome, as dried root or a water based extract. The daily dose is capped at 250 mg of kavalactones, with no more than 125 mg in any one capsule or tablet.
Any oral kava product providing more than 25 mg of kavalactones per dose must carry this statement, or words to that effect: Not for prolonged use. If symptoms persist, seek advice from a healthcare practitioner. Not recommended for pregnant or lactating women. May harm the liver.
The TGA's consumer advice on kava says people with existing liver disease should avoid kava medicines, and lists signs to stop and see a doctor about, including loss of appetite, unusual tiredness, nausea and yellowing of the skin or eyes. Kava is designed for occasional, short term use rather than every night for months, and any product you buy should make that clear.
Reishi mushroom
Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) is one of the most valued mushrooms in traditional Chinese medicine, where it has long been used to calm the mind and relieve sleeplessness. It is less common in sleep products than the classic herbs, which is part of why we chose it.
In a randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial in the Journal of Medicinal Food, 132 adults experiencing ongoing fatigue took a reishi polysaccharide extract, 5.4 g a day, or a placebo for eight weeks. Overall, 51.6 per cent of the reishi group were rated as more than minimally improved, compared with 24.6 per cent on placebo, and the extract was well tolerated. That trial measured wellbeing rather than sleep and used a concentrated preparation at a higher dose than a capsule, so it is best read as background on why reishi is valued.
Other ingredients you will see
Magnesium. A 2021 meta-analysis of three trials in 151 older adults, using 320 to 729 mg of elemental magnesium a day, found people fell asleep about 17 minutes faster. When comparing magnesium products, check the elemental magnesium per serve rather than the compound weight. The Australian and New Zealand Nutrient Reference Values set an upper level of 350 mg a day for supplemental magnesium. We cover form and dose in our magnesium for sleep buyer's guide.
Glycine, an amino acid, was studied at 3 g before bed. In a Sleep and Biological Rhythms trial, people with ongoing unsatisfying sleep reported better sleep quality and fell asleep faster.
L-theanine, an amino acid from tea, was studied at 200 mg a day for four weeks in 30 healthy adults in a crossover trial in Nutrients, with improved sleep quality scores.
Chamomile and valerian are traditional sleep herbs. Chamomile extract was tested at 400 mg a day in a trial of 60 adults aged 60 and over, with improved sleep quality scores. Valerian has been studied widely, and a 2020 systematic review found results varied a great deal between trials and preparations.
Why melatonin is not on the supplement shelf
If you are comparing Australian sleep products with overseas lists, melatonin is the obvious gap. Under the current Poisons Standard, melatonin is a pharmacist only medicine in two narrow cases: modified release tablets of 2 mg or less for adults aged 55 and over with poor quality sleep, and immediate release doses of 5 mg or less for jet lag in adults, in small packs. Every other melatonin product for people is prescription only. It is not a permitted ingredient in listed medicines, so any natural sleep supplement on an Australian shelf will not contain it.
Where Ritua Sleep sits
Here is how our own formula compares. Ritua Sleep is an AUST L listed medicine (AUST L 407659), and its ingredients are recorded on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. The label lists amounts per capsule, and the directions are two capsules with water before bed, so the nightly amounts below are double the per capsule amounts.
| Ingredient | Per capsule | Per night (2 capsules) | How it compares |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passionflower extract 20:1, from 1.5 g dry herb top flowering per capsule | 75 mg | 150 mg, from 3 g dried herb | From more dried herb than the 2 g used in the Monash trial |
| Kava root extract 3:1, from 750 mg dry root per capsule | 250 mg (25 mg kavalactones) | 500 mg (50 mg kavalactones) | One fifth of the TGA's 250 mg daily kavalactone maximum |
| Reishi mushroom extract 20:1, from 3 g dry fruiting body per capsule | 150 mg | 300 mg, from 6 g dried reishi | Included for its traditional use calming the mind and relieving sleeplessness |
Ritua Sleep combines passionflower from more dried herb than the Australian sleep trial used, a kava root extract well inside the TGA's limits, and reishi, which you will not find in most sleep products. It is traditionally used in Western herbal medicine to relieve sleeplessness and disturbed or restless sleep, traditionally used in Chinese medicine to calm the mind, and traditionally used in Pacific Islander medicine to induce sleep and aid mind and body relaxation. The studies above tested individual ingredients, not Ritua Sleep, and they are not the basis of its listing.
Because it contains kava, Ritua Sleep is not for prolonged use. Keep it on hand for nights of restlessness rather than taking it every night for months.
Label warnings
Ritua Sleep, AUST L 407659. Not for prolonged use. If symptoms persist, talk to your health professional. Not recommended for pregnant or lactating women. May harm the liver. Always read the label and follow the directions for use.
The bottom line
If you are comparing natural sleep supplements in Australia, look for ingredients with research behind them and doses you can check. Passionflower has been tested in a sleep trial at Monash University at around 2 g of dried herb a night, and water based kava root extract has been studied by University of Melbourne researchers. Reishi brings centuries of traditional use, and magnesium, glycine, L-theanine and chamomile each have their own trial doses.
Kava deserves a separate check every time: a root extract, kavalactones stated and within the TGA limit, the liver warning on the pack, and occasional rather than ongoing use.
If you want to run that check on ours, the full formula and warnings are on the Ritua Sleep product page, and the 7 night trial pack suits the occasional use it is designed for. For the daytime side of the same question, see natural stress ingredients and doses compared.
This article is general information, not medical advice, and is not a substitute for guidance from your doctor, particularly if you have a liver condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, drink alcohol regularly, or are taking medication. Talk to your doctor if poor sleep persists.
Jasmine Meagher
BSc Food Science and Nutrition · Founder, Ritua
Jasmine founded Ritua to bring evidence-based, TGA-compliant supplements to Australian women. She writes about the research behind every ingredient Ritua sells.
Frequently asked questions
Has passionflower been studied in Australia?
Yes. A double blind, placebo controlled trial at Monash University gave 41 healthy adults a nightly tea made from 2 g of dried passionflower for a week. Sleep quality ratings were significantly better than on placebo.
Is kava safe to take every night?
Kava medicines in Australia must carry the statements "Not for prolonged use" and "May harm the liver". The TGA advises anyone with existing liver disease to avoid kava, and to stop and see a doctor if symptoms such as unusual tiredness, nausea or yellowing of the skin or eyes appear. It is designed for occasional, short term use.
How much kava is allowed in an Australian supplement?
Listed medicines can provide no more than 250 mg of kavalactones a day and no more than 125 mg per capsule or tablet, and the kava must be dried root or rhizome or a water based extract of it. Ritua Sleep provides 50 mg of kavalactones a night.
Can I buy melatonin as a supplement in Australia?
No. Melatonin is pharmacist only in two narrow cases, adults 55 and over with poor quality sleep and short term jet lag, and prescription only otherwise. It is not a permitted ingredient in listed medicines.
What is reishi traditionally used for?
Reishi has a long history in traditional Chinese medicine to calm the mind and relieve sleeplessness. It is less common in sleep products than herbs like valerian or chamomile.
What is in Ritua Sleep?
Each capsule contains reishi extract 150 mg, passionflower extract 75 mg and kava root extract 250 mg (25 mg kavalactones). The nightly serve is two capsules. It contains no melatonin, is AUST L listed (AUST L 407659) and is not for prolonged use.
Sources
- A double blind, placebo controlled investigation of the effects of Passiflora incarnata (passionflower) herbal tea on subjective sleep quality. Phytotherapy Research, 2011.
- Kava in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: a double blind, randomized, placebo controlled study. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2013.
- Kava for generalised anxiety disorder: a 16 week double blind, randomised, placebo controlled study. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 2020.
- Clinical pharmacokinetics of kavalactones after oral dosing of standardized kava extract in healthy volunteers. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2022.
- Therapeutic Goods (Permissible Ingredients) Determination (No. 2) 2026, item Piper methysticum. Federal Register of Legislation, 2026.
- Consumer advice: kava. Therapeutic Goods Administration.
- Randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial of a reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) polysaccharide extract over 8 weeks. Journal of Medicinal Food, 2005.
- Oral magnesium supplementation for insomnia in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 2021.
- Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand: Magnesium. NHMRC.
- Glycine ingestion improves subjective sleep quality in human volunteers, correlating with polysomnographic changes. Sleep and Biological Rhythms, 2007.
- Effects of L-theanine administration on stress related symptoms and cognitive functions in healthy adults: a randomized controlled trial. Nutrients, 2019.
- The effects of chamomile extract on sleep quality among elderly people: a clinical trial. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2017.
- Valerian root in treating sleep problems and associated disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Evidence Based Integrative Medicine, 2020.
- Therapeutic Goods (Poisons Standard, June 2026) Instrument 2026, entries for melatonin. Federal Register of Legislation, 2026.
- ARTG entry 407659 (Sleep). Therapeutic Goods Administration.