On the last Sunday of October the clocks went back to winter time, and until the end of December the days will only get shorter. Many people find it harder at this time to get up in the morning and fall asleep on time in the evening. Here is what is actually known about popular evening supplements – melatonin, glycine, valerian, GABA and tryptophan – and which habits come first on the list.
Contents
- The dark season in numbers
- Where to start: habits before jars
- Melatonin: the only EU claim about falling asleep
- Glycine and glycine forte: how they differ
- Magnesium: about the nervous system, not sleep
- Valerian, lemon balm, hops and chamomile
- GABA, tryptophan and 5-HTP
- Safety and when to see a doctor
- What is in the Vitateka catalogue
- Frequently asked questions
The dark season in numbers
The body's internal clock is set above all by light. This is how much of it there will be on 21 December (astronomical calculation, local time):
| City | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helsinki | 9:20 | 15:16 | ≈ 5 h 56 min |
| Tallinn | 9:14 | 15:23 | ≈ 6 h 09 min |
| Riga | 8:57 | 15:46 | ≈ 6 h 49 min |
| Vilnius | 8:37 | 15:56 | ≈ 7 h 19 min |
| Warsaw | 7:40 | 15:27 | ≈ 7 h 47 min |
For comparison: on 21 June Tallinn has about 18 h 46 min of daylight. In December many people leave home in the dark and come back in the dark, so they see almost no daylight all day.
Where to start: habits before jars
- Morning light. Go outside in the first hours after sunrise for at least 15–30 minutes: even on a cloudy day it is much brighter outdoors than in a room.
- One wake-up time – on weekdays and at weekends. Your bedtime will gradually follow it.
- Caffeine before lunch. Coffee, strong tea, energy drinks and cola keep acting for several hours after you drink them.
- An hour before bed, dim the lights and put the screens away. Bright light in the evening tells the internal clock "it is still day".
- A cool, dark and quiet bedroom. Heavy curtains or a sleep mask come in handy if there are street lamps outside the window.
- Alcohol and a heavy dinner – no later than 2–3 hours before bed; daytime naps – up to 20–30 minutes and no later than the middle of the day.
- Vitamin D. Many people think of it in the dark season – how to read the label and count the dose is covered in our guide to vitamins C, D and zinc.
Melatonin: the only EU claim about falling asleep
Melatonin is a hormone the body produces in the dark. Two claims are authorised for it in the EU (Regulation 432/2012):
- Melatonin contributes to the reduction of time taken to fall asleep.
- Melatonin contributes to the alleviation of subjective feelings of jet lag.
Conditions: the first claim refers to 1 mg of melatonin taken close to bedtime; the second to 0.5 mg taken close to bedtime on the first day of travel and on the following few days after arrival.
The melatonin in our selection is 1 mg per dose: "Melatonin 1 mg", 30 tablets, OstroVit Keep Sleep, 300 tablets, Swanson Melatonin 1 mg, 120 capsules and the VITATEKA NIGHT RELAX spray (1 mg in the daily dose; it also contains sugar and extracts of griffonia and California poppy). How to compare melatonin by price per day and composition is in the guide to magnesium, B vitamins and melatonin.
Glycine and glycine forte: how they differ
Glycine is an amino acid found in food proteins; the body also makes it itself. There are no EU-authorised claims for glycine, so we do not write about its effects – only about the composition.
| Product | Glycine | B vitamins | Daily dose on the label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evalar "Glycine Forte", 120 tablets | 300 mg per tablet | B1 2.2 mg, B6 2.4 mg, B12 3 µg per tablet | 2 tablets |
| Evalar "Glycine Forte", 60 + 20 tablets | 300 mg per tablet | B1 5 mg, B6 6 mg, B12 9 µg in 2 tablets | 2 tablets |
| FarmGroup "Glycine Active" 100 mg, 50 tablets | 100 mg per tablet | none | 6 tablets (2 three times a day) |
The main difference of "forte" is the B vitamins. There are authorised EU claims for them, and the daily dose of both "Glycine Forte" products contains enough of them (at least 15% NRV):
- Thiamine contributes to normal psychological function.
- Vitamin B6 contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
- Vitamin B12 contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
Add up vitamin B6. Two tablets of "Glycine Forte" 60 + 20 contain 6 mg of B6, while the upper level for adults is 12 mg a day from all sources (EFSA, 2023). If you also take a "magnesium + B6" product or a B complex, add up the total. All glycine products are in the Glycine section.
Magnesium: about the nervous system, not sleep
In the EU magnesium may be described like this:
- Magnesium contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
- Magnesium contributes to normal psychological function.
Magnesium has no claims about sleep. Compare the amount of magnesium itself, not the weight of the compound: in a capsule of VitalHarmony "Magnesium Bisglycinate" 665 mg of bisglycinate give 133 mg of magnesium. More in the magnesium guide, all products in the Magnesium section.
Valerian, lemon balm, hops and chamomile
These are traditional plants for an evening tea. Claims about plants have not yet been finally reviewed in the EU, and there is no authorised wording about their effects – so we give only the composition and the preparation from the pack.
- Valerian tablets: VITATEKA "Valerian Extra", 150 tablets – 200 mg of dry valerian root extract per tablet; according to the label, 1–3 tablets 3 times a day with meals, as a 3–4-week course.
- Evening dragées: Biokor "Evening dragées" with valerian and motherwort – 3 dragées 3 times a day in the second half of the day; contain lactose; for adults and children over 14.
- Tincture: VITATEKA valerian tincture, 25 ml – 1 ml (32 drops) in 50 ml of water a day; contains ethanol.
- Herbs for tea: Lekraset lemon balm, 50 g – 1 teaspoon (2 g) per 200 ml of boiling water, 15 minutes; Lekraset hop cones, 30 g – 1 teaspoon (1.5 g) per 200 ml, 15 minutes; Norden Natur valerian root, 50 g – 1–2 teaspoons per cup, 10 minutes; Lekraset chamomile flowers, 25 g – 1 tablespoon per glass of water, 15 minutes in a water bath.
A warm caffeine-free herbal tea is a good part of an evening ritual in itself. All herbs and blends are in the Herbs section.
GABA, tryptophan and 5-HTP
These substances often appear in "evening" formulas. There are no EU-authorised claims for them, so we only give what is stated on the labels:
- GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid): Swanson GABA – 750 mg per capsule, 1 capsule before bed; VitalHarmony GABA – 700 mg, 1 capsule a day, not recommended during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
- L-tryptophan – an amino acid from food proteins: VitalHarmony Tryptophan – 300 mg per capsule, 1 capsule a day; Swanson's has 500 mg per capsule.
- 5-HTP: OstroVit 5-HTP – 65 mg of 5-HTP from griffonia seed extract, 100 mg of L-tryptophan and 1.4 mg of vitamin B6 in the daily dose.
Before you start tryptophan or 5-HTP, read the safety section below.
Safety and when to see a doctor
- Tryptophan, 5-HTP and antidepressants. If you take antidepressants or other medicines that act on serotonin, do not start tryptophan or 5-HTP without a doctor. Griffonia extract, a source of 5-HTP, is also in the NIGHT RELAX spray.
- Sleeping pills and sedatives. If you already take sleeping pills or sedatives, use any "evening" supplements only after talking to a doctor.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding. Melatonin, GABA, herbs and amino acids – only after consulting a doctor; the labels of some of our products state directly that they are not recommended at this time.
- Ashwagandha. It is often added to "evening" formulas, but in Europe its safety is now under review: Denmark and France have banned it in food supplements, Poland has limited the dose (up to 3 g of root powder and up to 10 mg of withanolides a day), and at EU level a safety assessment has been recommended. That is why we do not suggest it in this article; in pregnancy, with thyroid disease or when taking medicines – only with a doctor.
- When to see a doctor. If sleep problems last longer than three weeks and get in the way during the day, if you snore loudly and wake up short of breath, or if you fall asleep during the day at the wrong moment – discuss it with a doctor instead of choosing supplements yourself.
What is in the Vitateka catalogue
All products mentioned in the article are in stock as of the end of October 2026; doses are taken from the labels on our website. More options are in the Nervous system and sleep category (with a "How to choose" panel) and in the Amino acids and Herbal teas sections. For an evening ritual there is the "Evening set": capsules and melatonin spray.
In short
- On 21 December Tallinn and Helsinki have about 6 hours of daylight: morning light and one wake-up time are the first steps.
- Melatonin is the only substance with an EU-authorised claim about falling asleep: 1 mg close to bedtime.
- "Glycine Forte" differs from glycine by vitamins B1, B6 and B12; add up vitamin B6 from all products – the upper level is 12 mg a day.
- Valerian, lemon balm, hops, GABA, tryptophan and 5-HTP have no authorised claims – go by the composition and the dose on the label.
- In pregnancy, while breastfeeding and when taking medicines – see a doctor first.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between glycine and glycine forte?
Evalar's "Glycine Forte" is 300 mg of glycine per tablet plus vitamins B1, B6 and B12; FarmGroup's "Glycine Active" is 100 mg of glycine without vitamins. Only the B vitamins have EU-authorised claims; glycine itself has none.
How to take glycine forte?
According to Evalar's label, 1 tablet 2 times a day, letting it dissolve in the mouth; the course is at least a month and can be repeated after a break. Do not exceed the daily dose.
How much melatonin?
The claim about falling asleep refers to 1 mg of melatonin close to bedtime. Do not take more than the dose on the label; for children – only as prescribed by a doctor.
Can I take valerian every day?
Follow the scheme on the pack: for VITATEKA "Valerian Extra" it is a 3–4-week course. In pregnancy and while breastfeeding – only after consulting a doctor, as stated on the label.
Which is better: GABA, tryptophan or melatonin?
They cannot be compared directly: there are no EU-authorised claims for GABA and tryptophan, while melatonin has one – about the time taken to fall asleep with 1 mg before bed.
What about ashwagandha?
In Europe its safety is now under review, and Denmark and France have banned it in food supplements. We do not suggest ashwagandha for evening use; if you are still considering it, talk to a doctor first.
Important information
A food supplement is not a medicine and does not replace a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Do not exceed the recommended daily dose. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medicines or under medical supervision, consult a doctor before use. Keep out of reach of children.
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