Relaxium Review (2026): What’s in Relaxium Sleep, and the Fine Print

Written by Bogdan Bilt · independent, reader-supported · not a clinician · how I research

Relaxium is one of the most heavily advertised sleep supplements in the US, on TV and in print, and it sits on pharmacy and warehouse-club shelves too. Search for a Relaxium review and most of what comes back is either a retailer’s star widget or an affiliate page with a “buy now” button. This page does something different: it reads the formula against the research, lays out the actual price and refund terms, and goes through the public record, including the parts the ads leave out. We have not tested this product ourselves; everything below is drawn from the manufacturer’s own pages and the sources linked in the text.

What Relaxium Sleep is, and who makes it

Relaxium Sleep is sold by American Behavioral Research Institute, LLC, which its Better Business Bureau profile lists at Glades Road in Boca Raton and dates to 2009. The brand is fronted by Dr. Eric Ciliberti, whom the official site presents as the physician who developed the formula. The company also sells Relaxium Calm and Relaxium Sleep gummies; this page covers the original capsules only.

It is a dietary supplement rather than a drug, so it is not approved by the FDA for insomnia. The label serving is two capsules, and a 60-capsule bottle is sold as a 30-day supply.

The full formula, with doses

These are the amounts per serving listed on Relaxium’s own ingredients page at the time of writing:

Two things stand out before you get to the evidence. First, Valerest is a black box: Relaxium’s ingredients page calls it a proprietary ingredient “exclusive to Relaxium” but does not say what is in it. The only public description we could find is in the 2022 class action complaint, which alleged it is a blend of valerian root extract and hops. Second, the magnesium is a mix of three forms, including oxide, with no split given, so you cannot tell how much is the gentler, better-absorbed glycinate.

Ingredient by ingredient: what the research supports

Melatonin, 5mg: strong evidence, but more than you need

Melatonin is the ingredient doing most of the work you will notice. A 2013 meta-analysis in PLoS One found it shortens the time to fall asleep and modestly improves total sleep time, and the NIH’s NCCIH summarises it as helpful for some sleep problems, with the benefit typically modest. The catch is the dose. Five milligrams is several times what the body produces at night, and higher doses are more likely to leave you groggy the next morning or blunt the effect over time. Many people do as well on 0.5 to 1mg. We cover the dose question in detail in YU Sleep vs melatonin.

L-Tryptophan, 500mg: real research, dose below the useful range

Tryptophan is the amino acid your body turns into serotonin and then melatonin. A 2022 meta-analysis in Nutrition Reviews found that supplementation reduced time awake after falling asleep, with the benefit seen at doses of 1 gram or more. Relaxium provides half that. It is also the ingredient with the most important interaction: as a serotonin precursor, it adds to the effect of serotonergic antidepressants (more on that in the safety section).

Valerest (valerian and hops, per the lawsuit), 228.9mg: inconclusive

Valerian is the most-studied sleep herb and still one of the least convincing. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements’ valerian fact sheet calls the clinical evidence for insomnia “inconclusive”, and a 2006 meta-analysis found possible benefits for sleep quality alongside signs of publication bias. Hops has been studied mostly in combination with valerian, with mixed results. Because Valerest’s make-up and ratio are not disclosed, you cannot compare its 228.9mg to the doses used in those trials. It’s a common pattern: our Onnit New Mood review found the same issue with its 450mg “Tranquility Blend,” which names valerian root as an ingredient but not its dose either.

Ashwagandha, 125mg: evidence exists, at about five times this dose

Ashwagandha has a better sleep record than most herbs. A 2021 meta-analysis in PLoS One found a small but significant improvement in sleep, with larger effects at 600mg a day or more and after eight weeks or longer. Relaxium’s 125mg sits well below that. The ODS ashwagandha fact sheet also lists case reports of liver injury, possible thyroid effects and a pregnancy warning.

Magnesium, 100mg: weak

Magnesium is a reasonable thing to top up if your diet is short of it, but the sleep evidence is thin. A 2021 systematic review in older adults with insomnia rated the evidence as low quality, with small and uncertain effects on time to fall asleep.

GABA, 100mg: weak

GABA is the brain’s main calming neurotransmitter, but whether swallowed GABA reaches the brain in useful amounts is debated. A 2020 systematic review in Frontiers in Neuroscience found limited evidence for stress and very limited evidence for sleep.

Chamomile and passionflower, 75mg each: weak

A 2019 meta-analysis found chamomile improved sleep quality but not insomnia as a diagnosis. Passionflower’s main sleep trial was a small 2011 study of passionflower tea. At 75mg each, these read more like supporting cast than active doses.

Our read on the formula: Relaxium will probably make you drowsy, and the 5mg of melatonin is the main reason. Most of the other ingredients are real but under-dosed compared with the trials, and the headline blend is undisclosed. That is a fairly common pattern in mass-market sleep supplements. It is not a scandal, but it does not justify the premium “clinically studied” positioning either.

Price and guarantee, at the time of writing

Relaxium’s Relaxium Sleep page listed these options when we checked:

• 1 bottle (30 days): $44.95 one-time, or $40.45 on subscription
• 2 bottles + 1 free (90 days): $119.90 one-time, or $107.91 on subscription
• 3 bottles + 3 free (180 days): $179.85 one-time, or $161.86 on subscription

One-time orders add $7.95 shipping and handling; subscriptions ship free. The page states that subscriptions “renew every 30 days from date of purchase until cancellation” (or on the matching 90- or 180-day cycle), and that you cancel or skip by phone. It is also sold at retailers including Amazon, Walmart, CVS and Costco, where prices differ. ConsumerLab, for example, reported an Amazon price of $29.60 for 30 servings. If you buy at a retailer, the retailer’s return policy applies rather than Relaxium’s.

The refund policy gives you 90 days from your order date, which is generous. The conditions matter:

• You may keep one opened bottle; other bottles need to come back unopened.
• Only your most recent shipment is eligible. Earlier shipments drop out once a new one is sent, which matters a lot if you are on autoship.
• You need an RMA number by phone first, and you pay return shipping.
• Processing is quoted at 7 to 10 business days after they receive the return, then another 7 to 10 for the refund to post.

Complaints and red flags, from the public record

An FDA warning letter (April 2025)

On 30 April 2025 the FDA’s drug centre sent ABRI a warning letter about Relaxium Sleep. It concerned a 40-person clinical study evaluating Relaxium’s effect on sleep in people with insomnia. The FDA’s position was that a study designed to test treatment of insomnia made the product an investigational drug for that purpose, which required an Investigational New Drug application that ABRI had not filed. ABRI argued the product is and is intended to be a dietary supplement. To be clear about scope: the letter is about how a study was run, not about contamination or a finding that the product is unsafe.

A class action (2022, settled)

In July 2022 a class action, Lomedico v. American Behavioral Research Institute, was filed in federal court in New York. As ClassAction.org and Truth in Advertising summarise it, the complaint alleged that the “clinically proven” marketing rested on one company-sponsored study, that Valerest was an ordinary valerian-and-hops blend, and that Dr. Ciliberti’s credentials as a sleep expert were overstated. Both sources report the case settled in late 2022. The terms were not published, and no court ruled on the allegations, so they remain allegations.

BBB and Trustpilot

Relaxium’s BBB profile shows an A+ letter grade but no accreditation, and at the time of writing its complaints page listed 144 complaints in the last three years. The themes are consistent: charges after a “risk-free trial”, confusion about subscription terms, difficulty cancelling, and slow refunds. A few mention side effects. The company’s replies generally point to disclosed terms and the 90-day guarantee. On Trustpilot, Relaxium had a TrustScore of 1.8 out of 5 from 177 reviews when we checked, with the same trial-billing theme at the top. BBB letter grades reflect how a business handles complaints, not whether its product works, which is why an A+ can sit alongside a long complaint list.

Side-effect reports

ConsumerLab added an update in August 2026 noting that gastrointestinal side effects are being reported by some users, which sits awkwardly with marketing that stresses a lack of side effects.

How to read all of this: the product itself is an ordinary multi-ingredient sleep formula. The recurring problems are about how it is sold: trial offers, autoship and refund conditions. If you do try it, buy one bottle outright, not a trial or subscription, and keep your order confirmation.

Who it might suit, and who should skip it

Safety notes. L-tryptophan raises serotonin, so combining it with serotonergic drugs raises the risk of serotonin syndrome; ask your prescriber first. The ODS lists possible liver and thyroid effects for ashwagandha and advises against it in pregnancy. Valerian may add to the effect of alcohol and sedative medicines. Do not drive or operate machinery after taking any sedating sleep aid, and see a doctor if poor sleep has lasted more than a few weeks or you snore heavily or stop breathing at night.

What we’d look at instead

If your main problem is taking too long to switch off at night, YU Sleep is the product we would compare Relaxium against. It is also the one we would try first, for reasons we set out in why we recommend it first. It is a liquid taken under the tongue, and its formula is red tart cherry, 5-HTP, vitamins B6 and B2, magnesium glycinate, apigenin, lemon balm, L-theanine, GABA and melatonin at 0.9mg. It contains no ashwagandha, valerian or passionflower.

Where the comparison is fair:

• Melatonin dose. 0.9mg against 5mg. If Relaxium or a standard tablet leaves you foggy in the morning, that is the most relevant difference.
• How it is sold. Relaxium’s complaint file is dominated by trial and autoship billing. YU Sleep’s much smaller record, which we went through on our YU Sleep complaints page, is about slow refunds rather than surprise charges.
• Guarantee. YU Sleep has a 60-day money-back guarantee. Relaxium’s 90 days is longer on paper but comes with the conditions above.

Where it is not a clean win, and we want to be plain about it:

• Price. YU Sleep has no single bottle. At the time of writing it is $138 for two months, $177 for three months (the pack we would pick), or $294 for six. One bottle of Relaxium is far cheaper to try.
• Disclosure. YU Sleep only discloses the melatonin dose. Relaxium lists every amount except what is inside Valerest. On label transparency, neither is great, and Relaxium is arguably slightly better.
• The serotonin issue. YU Sleep contains 5-HTP, another serotonin precursor. If Relaxium’s L-tryptophan rules you out because of your medication, YU Sleep is ruled out too.

And if 1mg of plain melatonin fixes your sleep, buy that. It costs a few dollars.

Frequently asked questions

Is Relaxium a scam?

No. It is a real product with a published formula, sold by a company that has been in business since 2009. The legitimate concerns are an FDA warning letter about how a clinical study was run, a 2022 false-advertising class action that settled without a court finding, and a large number of complaints about trial offers and subscription billing. Buying a single bottle outright avoids most of the billing problems.

How much melatonin is in Relaxium Sleep?

5mg per serving, according to the company’s ingredients page. That is a standard pharmacy dose, and several times more than many people need. If you wake up groggy, a lower dose is worth trying.

What is Valerest?

It is Relaxium’s proprietary ingredient, listed at 228.9mg per serving. The company does not say what is in it. The 2022 class action complaint alleged that it is a blend of valerian root extract and hops.

Can I take Relaxium with antidepressants?

Ask your prescriber first. Relaxium contains 500mg of L-tryptophan, a serotonin precursor, and combining serotonergic supplements with SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, triptans or tramadol raises the risk of serotonin syndrome. The same caution applies to YU Sleep, which contains 5-HTP.

How do I get a Relaxium refund?

Call the number on the returns page for an RMA number, send back the unopened bottles from your most recent shipment (you can keep one opened bottle) within 90 days of your order date, and pay the return postage. Only the latest shipment qualifies, so if you are on autoship, act before the next one goes out.

Disclosure: Sleep Align is reader-supported. The YU Sleep link above is an affiliate link, so we may earn a commission if you buy through it, at no extra cost to you. We have no affiliate relationship with Relaxium. We have not tested this product ourselves; this review is based on the manufacturer’s published information and the sources linked above. Prices and terms are as published at the time of writing and can change. This is general information, not medical advice.