Hello Bello Sleep Well vs. Olly: Which is the Better Melatonin Gummy?

The world has a sleeping problem. The fact that you can walk into any drugstore or supermarket and see dozens of bottles of generic melatonin lining the shelves is testament to that. A supplement naturally produced by your body, melatonin is one of the most popular, if not the most popular, sleep aid on the market, prized for its ability to help regulate your body clock and support a good night's sleep.

But some people — and if you're here, that probably includes you — want more out of their melatonin. That's why you're comparing two of the hottest brands of melatonin gummies on the market: Hello Bello Sleep Well and Olly. We’ll get to that breakdown in a second. But you should also know that there are other alternatives – products like MELO Air, which is faster-acting than gummies; MELO Patch, which is longer-lasting; and MELO Sip, which is drinkable rather than chewable. More on those options down below.

Both Hello Bello and Olly offer gummies that feature melatonin as a "base" ingredient. Both are considered among the best melatonin products for sleep, and both also add other things like herbs, vitamins and amino acids to either complement the melatonin, or piggyback on it to add "bonus" benefits (you'll see what we mean below, particularly when we talk about Olly's offerings).

So if you're curious about what you'll want to consider when running a Hello Bello Sleep Well vs Olly comparison, you're in the right place.

We'll give you an overview of the formulations for each, share some ideas for products you may want to consider instead (life's short … why limit yourself?!) and then conclude with a breakdown of other ingredients you'll find in both gummies, so you know what all that stuff is supposed to do.

Hello Bello Sleep Well vs. Olly Restful Sleep: An Overview

Similar to when we compared Olly vs. Natrol, comparing Sleep Well and Olly can be, in some ways, like comparing apples and oranges. That's because Olly offers over a dozen different "varieties" of sleep supplements, while Hello Bello offers just one.

For purposes of our comparison here, we'll use Olly's "base" Restful Sleep gummies. (We cover Olly's other offerings below.)

Ingredient	Hello Bello Sleep Well	Olly
Melatonin	5mg	3mg
Chamomile	17mg	17mg
Lemon Balm	16mg	16mg
Passionflower	17mg	17mg
L-theanine	N/A	100mg

Looking at the chart above, it's pretty obvious these two are "twinsies" when it comes to chamomile, lemon balm and passionflower. Where they differ is in the amount of melatonin and L-theanine, the latter of which only Olly contains. (Note: Olly's "Extra Strength" version ups the melatonin to 5 mg, same as Sleep Well.)

In terms of flavors, Olly offers two — Strawberry Sunset and Blackberry Zen — while Sleep Well comes in one generic "fruity" flavor.

Both Olly and Sleep Well are premium quality products and get generally good reviews for doing what they say they do — helping you get a restful night's sleep. And neither one contains high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors or artificial flavors.

That means which one you prefer will depend on whether you want more melatonin (winner: Sleep Well) or additional relaxation ingredients, like L-theanine (winner: Olly). The other factor is flavor, of course, and that’s more of a personal preference.

However …! That's not the end of the story. Let's dive a little bit deeper …

Can You Do Better?

Olly and Sleep Well are pretty standard when it comes to sleep supplements. This isn't to say they're bad. They're not. Both have legions of loyal supporters who swear by their effectiveness. But it doesn't mean they're the only options you have for getting a good night's sleep.

For example, both are gummies (Olly does offer different options — more on that below), which means it'll generally take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour or more before you feel the effects. There are ways to make melatonin work faster, which we’ll get to in a second.

Also, the effects will generally wear off in a few hours, which can be a good thing (you don't want to feel groggy the next day) or a bad thing (if you have trouble not just falling asleep, but also staying asleep).

For reasons like these, we thought it would be a better idea to give you multiple options to choose from, depending on the effect you're after, rather than just declare a winner between these two (which, honestly, would be pretty close to impossible).

Below, we "declare winners" across multiple categories. We feel this presents a more thorough and useful approach than going deep into the nuances between which tastes better, or whether 3 mg or 5 mg of melatonin is the "sweet spot." (Spoiler: there isn't an ideal amount — it depends on your body's individual makeup).

So let's dive in. Here are our "best of" selections across a number of different categories.

Hello Bello Sleep Well: Best Choice for Folks Wanting a Basic "Everyday" Melatonin

As mentioned above, Hello Bello Sleep Well isn't just your drugstore melatonin. And that's what appeals to those who swear by it. Hello Bello contains a decent amount of melatonin at 5 mg, but unlike your standard generic bottle of melatonin, there's more to Sleep Well than just that.

As mentioned above, it also contains ingredients like chamomile, lemon balm and passionflower, all of which are (at least anecdotally) connected to relaxation and sleep.

Hello Bello is also widely available, relatively inexpensive, and gets decent marks for taste. If a standard "go to" sleep supplement is what you're after, Hello Bello Sleep Well is a good choice.

Shop Hello Bello here.

MELO Air: Best Choice for a Fast-Acting Melatonin

As mentioned above, one of the main drawbacks to melatonin that comes in the form of pills, capsules or gummies is that they take a while to have the desired effect. That's because the ingredients have to pass through your digestive system to reach your bloodstream.

MELO Air is different. Because it's a diffuser and is inhaled, it goes directly into your bloodstream through your lungs, so the effects are felt much faster — pretty much instantaneously. That makes it among the fastest acting melatonin you can get.

And if you're wary of the bad stuff that some companies put into vapes, there's none of that in MELO. Because we’ve taken great care to make MELO Air the best melatonin vape possible.

Melo's melatonin diffusers have no nicotine, vitamin E acetate, diacetyl, or other known harmful ingredients. They've been made as worry-free as possible, because worry is one thing you don't need when you're trying to fall asleep.

Another factor you might like: you can choose from a number of great favors like Midnight Mint, Lavender Dream, Gummy Bear, Cotton Candy and more. MELO Air is available in two sizes — the regular MELO Air, which gives you 400 inhales, and the MELO Plus, which gives you 800.

Shop MELO Air and MELO Plus here.

Olly: Best Choice for "Multifunction" Melatonin

Aside from its standard sleep formulation, which we covered above, Olly takes a different approach. Whereas Hello Bello offers Sleep Well and only Sleep Well, Olly offers an entire line of gummy varieties all dedicated to sleep.

Why so many? Because each one has its own take on what you're hoping to get out of the hours you spend in bed. And that means each one has a slightly different formulation. Let's go over a few of Olly's other variations.

Plant-Powered Rest

This is a unique idea, because it's actually a vegan gummy that's melatonin-free. Instead, Olly's Plant-Powered Rest relies solely on herbal ingredients — valerian, passionflower and chamomile — to "calm your body and mind" and help you fall asleep faster. Indeed, this is more of a relaxation formula than a sleep formula. But it's unique enough to mention as an option if you want something gentle that's melatonin-free.

Muscle Recovery Sleep

Designed for those who want help healing bumps and bruises while they sleep, this Olly offering combines its standard 3 mg of melatonin with 250 mg of tart cherry extract, and 50 micrograms, or 2000 IUs, of vitamin D.

Immunity Sleep

This Olly variety combines melatonin with lemon balm, black elderberry and echinacea, along with vitamin C, zinc and selenium, all of which are prized for their immunity-boosting abilities.

(Note: Olly also offers these varieties in the form of fast-dissolving pills, if you prefer those over gummies.)

Shop Olly here.

MELO Sip: Best Choice for Drinkable Melatonin (and More)

There's a reason why people drink herbal tea — it tastes great (depending on what you're brewing, of course), but just as important is the act of drinking the tea itself. It's relaxing!

If you're one of those people who finds a cup of chamomile before bed helps you drift off, you'll love MELO Sip. MELO Sip is basically drinkable melatonin, which is great. But there's also a ton of other sleep-supporting stuff in every cup — chamomile, valerian, GABA, L-theanine and magnesium (see below for the skinny on these). That's a powerhouse of relaxation in every cup!

And because each powdered serving is contained in its own sachet, MELO Sip is portable. Just open the package, mix with water and enjoy. Finally, MELO Sip comes in six flavors, including Watermelon, Green Apple, Stardust (which has a flavor profile similar to Sour Patch Kids) and more.

Shop MELO Sip here.

MELO Patch: Best Choice if You Have Trouble Staying Asleep Through the Night

Both Olly and Hello Bello, and MELO Air and MELO Sip, all take the same one-and-done approach to melatonin delivery. You chew a gummy or down a drink or inhale a vapor. That solves the problem most people have when it comes to sleep, which is falling asleep.

However, restful sleep is more than just dealing with trouble falling asleep. It's also about staying asleep. So while you may lie in bed staring at the clock hoping sleep will come before morning, there's a different form of insomnia where it's also hard to stay asleep through the night.

The problem with almost every other melatonin product is that the effects are going to wear off. If you wake up too soon, not only is your sleep cycle disrupted, leading to unhealthy sleep, but you have to down more gummies or drinks and start the cycle all over again.

That's where the MELO Patch can be great. Much like a nicotine patch that releases its contents slowly over time, the MELO Patch keeps releasing its melatonin throughout the night. And that means it can help you not only fall asleep, but stay asleep.

You simply apply the melatonin patch about 30 minutes before bedtime, wear it throughout the night, and then remove it in the morning for a continuous delivery of melatonin throughout the night. MELO Patch comes in boxes of 15 patches, which costs $10.99 — so less than $1 per night.

Shop MELO Patch here.

What Does All that "Other Stuff" Do Anyway?

Curious why manufacturers are piling other ingredients into their sleep supplements? Here's what that "other stuff" is supposed to do. (Note: we skipped covering really common ingredients like vitamin C below because, let's be honest, you already know what that's good for.)

Tart Cherry Juice

According to studies, tart cherry juice may be a natural anti-inflammatory. Its inclusion in Olly's "Muscle Recovery Sleep" makes a lot of sense for that reason alone, but there's more — because there are also indications that it can help you get a better night's sleep.

Tryptophan

If you don't know, tryptophan is the chemical in turkey that many people attribute to the post-Thanksgiving dinner couch coma that's so familiar to many of us. It's a novel (and interesting) idea to include it as part of a "sleep stack."

Vitamin D

Vitamin D plays many roles in the body, and it's essential for regulating many cellular functions. But the main reason for its inclusion in a sleep/recovery supplement would probably be the fact that it's a crucial component for bone strength. It also may play a role in reducing inflammation.

GABA

GABA is an amino acid that's been proven to play a role in sleep, and a handful of studies have suggested that GABA may make it easier for you to fall asleep. Interestingly, several prescription sleep medications — like zolpidem, which is the generic form of Ambien — target the brain's GABA receptors. Another case of the pharmaceutical industry looking to nature for inspiration. For more, check out our article on how GABA and melatonin work together.

Black Elderberry

Black elderberry has been studied as a treatment for the flu and other viruses, as it's believed to strengthen your immune system. It's also believed to help reduce cold symptoms. Adding it to a melatonin supplement theoretically adds an immune-boosting component to the formulation.

Passionflower

Passionflower has many uses. It's been studied as a supplement that can help with ADHD, as well as a topical treatment for burns and hemorrhoids. The reason it's included in sleep supplements is to help people suffering from insomnia as well as anxiety.

Valerian

Valerian is another widely used herbal supplement that's taken for everything from migraines and stomach cramps, to fatigue and insomnia. It's a common supplement many people take for help overcoming anxiety and depression as well, and is often used to help promote sleep. For more, see our article on how valerian and chamomile work together.

Chamomile

Chamomile has been a prized herb for centuries. None other than the National Institutes of Health calls it "a mild sedative [used] to calm nerves and reduce anxiety, to treat hysteria, nightmares, insomnia and other sleep problems."

Although scientists aren't entirely sure why chamomile has the effects it does, it's believed that apigenin — which is a bioflavonoid also present in things like lettuce, parsley, celery and alcohol — binds to benzodiazepine receptors in the brain. These are the same receptors that prescription anti-anxiety medications target.

Lemon Balm

Like chamomile, lemon balm is a widely known herb that's been used for centuries to help ease anxiety and promote calm and sleep. Most sources say the effects of lemon balm kick in within about an hour or so, and should last anywhere from four to eight hours.

In the End, it Comes Down to Personal Preference

Both Olly and Hello Bello base their formulations on melatonin. So there's not much difference there. Products like MELO Air, MELO Sip and MELO Patch are also, obviously, based on melatonin as their active ingredient. But unlike the first two, MELO's offerings offer unique "delivery" options that you won't find with either Olly or Hello Bello.

At the end of the day, it's really going to come down to personal preference, as well as the exact effect you're looking for out of your sleep supplement. If you feel a cold coming on, for example, and you want to add some virus-fighting capability to your melatonin, maybe you'll want to give Olly's Immunity Sleep a try. Having trouble staying asleep? Maybe MELO Patch is for you.

But beyond considerations like these, which product you choose could come down to something as simple as which company's flavors you prefer. And that's something you have to decide for yourself.

We hope this helps. Sweet dreams!