Here’s our recently updated Alteril review. Our team of nutritionists and fitness experts will be analyzing this sleep supplement to see if it lives up to the hype.
For starters, what is Alteril exactly?
Alteril is a PM supplement made to help you fall asleep faster, and stay asleep. It can also reportedly improve sleep quality so you can wake up refreshed. As such, Alteril is mainly used for insomnia and other sleep related problems.
This “maximum strength” sleep aid comes with 60 ct per package and claims to be all-natural. We have to call them on this right from the start as some of the ingredients in Alteril are not natural, as you’ll see below.
That said, Alteril is not a sleep medication. It’s an OTC supplement with a mixture of synthetic and natural ingredients. You can get it in any store that sells supplements and has this particular one in stock.
If you want to learn how Alteril works and whether it can help you sleep, and if it’s good value for money, keep reading as we dissect the key information.
*Please remember that PDPPro doesn’t offer advice; our posts are for entertainment and informational purposes only! Always get a go-ahead from a qualified professional before considering a new supplement.
Who Makes Alteril?
Very little is known about Alteril’s manufacturers.
When investigating their website for the purpose of this review, we weren’t able to find concrete answers on when the company was founded, or what the company that makes Alteril is even called.
The official Alteril website is simply called Alteril.com. It appears this product earned its popularity mainly through Amazon and other 3rd party sellers.
Formula Analysis
Alteril comes with a serving of 2 capsules.
Each serving contains the following ingredients:
- L-Tryptophan (666mg)
- Glycine (50mg)
- Melatonin (4mg)
- GABA (Unknown Amount)
- Skullcap Herb Extract (Unknown Amount)
- Valerian Root Extract (Unknown Amount)
- Chamomile Herb (Unknown Amount)
- Hops Extract (Unknown Amount)
- Passionflower Extract (Unknown Amount)
As you can see, only 3 ingredients show their dose on the label. The rest of Alteril’s formula is hidden in a proprietary blend, which is a mixture of ingredients shown as a single dose on the label.
This is an issue for several reasons. One is that you can’t tell if the ingredient doses are effective. Another reason is that the ingredient doses could be too high and in turn cause side effects.
Alteril also has many filler ingredients, including the potentially harmful titanium dioxide.
Here’s a closer look:
L-Tryptophan
Alteril is off to a good start.
Tryptophan is an amino acid found in some foods. You may have heard that turkey makes people sleepy. Part of the reason is that turkey contains L-Tryptophan.
L-Tryptophan converts to serotonin in your brain; serotonin later turns to melatonin – the sleep molecule. [4]
Alteril has 666mg of Tryptophan per serving too, which is plenty.
Glycine
Glycine is an amino acid. It plays numerous roles in your body, from calming racing thoughts and anxiety to helping your liver make more antioxidants such as glutathione.
Glycine can aid sleep, but only in the right amounts. Since your body already gets 2g of glycine per day from foods, you’ll need to add at least an extra gram or two to your diet to notice a difference in your sleep. [3]
Alteril only contains 50mg!
Melatonin
Melatonin is a sleep hormone naturally made by your brain. It’s also found in foods such as tart cherries.
However, melatonin in Alteril PM is synthetic, making it inferior to the melatonin found in other top-rated sleep supplements.
GABA
GABA is a neurotransmitter – a brain chemical that calms nerves and puts you in a good mood. GABA is what gives you that social buzz after drinking alcohol.
Interestingly, your brain doesn’t want any extra GABA from outside sources because it makes it on its own. This means that taking GABA as a supplement is pointless – it can’t pass your blood-brain barrier. [2]
Skullcap Herb Extract
Skullcap is a plant native to North America. It’s been traditionally used as a sedative – aiding sleep duration and quality.
The issue is, these traditional uses aren’t backed by science. Most of the current research on this herb looks lackluster at best. [1]
Valerian Root Extract
Valerian is another unproven ingredient in Alteril.
Although it’s been used as a folk remedy for insomnia and other sleep troubles, it hasn’t replicated these results in studies.
We’d rather prefer to see Montmorency tart cherry or magnesium – both proven sleep aids – in its stead here.
Chamomile Herb
Chamomile is an herb of which people make tea. Most people who drink tea say it helps them sleep.
However, chamomile powders and extracts aren’t shown to have the same effects.
Drinking chamomile tea is cheaper and more effective than this ingredient.
Hops Extract
Hops is a common ingredient in beer. It’s what makes beer more sedative than other alcoholic drinks.
Hops is a great ingredient, although not at the same level as some of the best sleep aids currently available.
Passionflower Extract
Much like a few other ingredients in Alteril, Passionflower is not supported by evidence that it can improve sleep.
Until more research comes out, we can’t recommend it as one of the best sleep aids.
What do we recommend?
>Click to See The Year’s 3 Best Sleep Aids<
How to Use Alteril (Instructions)
Alteril dosage directions are to take 2 capsules before bedtime. Ideally, without food to allow the ingredients to efficiently dissolve in your body.
Some people ask, how many Alteril pills can you take? The label states 2 per day, which is what you should stick to. Never exceed the recommended dosage before you talk with your doctor!
Keep in mind that each Alteril box comes with 60 tablets. If you stick to the recommended dose it will last you a full month.
You may have compared Alteril’s softgels vs tablets, wondering which version of the supplement is better. The good news is, it doesn’t matter. Both digest equally well. It only boils down to your personal preference.
Side Effects?
Can you overdose from Alteril sleep aid? It’s possible if you don’t stick to the dosage recommendations on the label.
If you stick to the recommended doses, then Alteril is unlikely to cause any side effects. Some of the ingredients are underresearched, but they aren’t known to cause health issues.
In some rare cases, Alteril has been reported to cause diarrhea and nightmares.
It’s also best to check with your doctor if you take any drugs to avoid interactions with Alteril.
Alteril Reviews – What do Others Say?
If you’ve checked online Alteril reviews, such as those on Reddit, you may have seen plenty of positive testimonials, but equally as many negative ones.
We recommend doing your own research by looking what the evidence says about the product’s ingredients.
This, along with consulting with your physician, is a much better way of telling if the supplement is good rather than reading questionable online reviews! These can easily be moderated so you can’t tell if they’re honest or not.
**Side note: Some people search on Google if there is info about Alteril on Wikipedia. At the time of writing this, there’s none.
Cost & Where to Buy?
Alteril costs $26.99 on Walgreens’ website for a bottle with 30 servings.
However, if buying from the official website, you’re covered by a money-back guarantee. If you use the entire Alteril pack without any results, you can return it for a full refund (including shipping and handling).
Since it’s available on Amazon and other online stores, you can get Alteril in Canada, Australia, UK and virtually any other place in the world.
The last time we checked, you could also get Alteril in stores such as Walmart and Target.
*JANUARY 2024 UPDATE: As of right now, Alteril is only available on Amazon. Alteril’s official website, CVS, and Walgreens don’t have it for sale. We’ll keep our eyes on any availability changes and report our findings here.
Alteril vs Melatonin – What’s Better?
Alteril contains melatonin, amongst other ingredients, some of which are shown in studies to help sleep and others aren’t.
Although it’s better than melatonin alone, Alteril is not as good as some of our current highest-rated sleep aids on the market.
That being said, melatonin as a supplement is much cheaper. So if money is an issue, it’s a better value than Alteril.
Alteril Review Conclusion
That concludes our Alteril review. Is this sleep aid worth the money?
While it’s relatively cheap, Alteril is lower in quality than some other sleep supplements out there.
Although it’s being marketed as “all-natural,” it’s not; it contains synthetic melatonin and other man-made ingredients.
Alteril is also missing magnesium, one of the most essential ingredients in a sleep aid.
If you can’t afford anything more effective at the moment, however, it’s still a decent option.
Pros
- Contains hops, a natural sedative
- High dose of L-Tryptophan
- Relatively cheap – $16.49 per packet
Cons
- Missing several core ingredients
- Synthetic melatonin
- Uses a few ingredients that aren’t proven to work
References
- Skullcap – WebMD.
- Remler MP, Marcussen WH. A GABA-EEG test of the blood-brain barrier near epileptic foci. Appl Neurophysiol. 1983;46(5-6):276-285. doi:10.1159/000101274
- Glycine – Examine.
- Hartmann E. Effects of L-tryptophan on sleepiness and on sleep. J Psychiatr Res. 1982;17(2):107-113. doi:10.1016/0022-3956(82)90012-7
Aug 4, 2023
they upped the melatonin to 5mg per capsule more than a year ago. so its now a total of 10mg if you take the 2 at a time (it says 1-2 at bedtime).. you wouldn’t have noticed this change if you didn’t look closely.
and was $20 for a 60 capsule pkg for long as i’d been buying it.
it seems to be no longer available at walmart, or on their “website”, alteril.com
and yes, alteril’s manufacturer, location, seems to be very mysterious. at this point, i’m thinking more than a little shady.
Hey Deb,
Where did you get the information about Alteril’s melatonin dosage from? We’re looking at the product pictures on Walgreens and other websites, and it still shows that Alteril contains 4mg of melatonin per serving (2 capsules). You’re saying that 2 capsules of Alteril now contain 10mg of melatonin, which we can’t find anywhere online.
Thank you.
PDPPro Team