Our research methodology

How we evaluate supplements and how we write about sleep itself: we read the research, and for products the label and the maker's own claims, then describe what we find in plain sentences. We do not test products and we do not give scores.

The short version

We do desk research. For each product we read the published studies on its ingredients, the Supplement Facts label and the maker's own pages. We then write down what we found under six headings. We have no laboratory data, we do not run tests, and we do not turn the result into a rating. Guides that are not about a product follow a simpler method, described below.

Last reviewed September 20, 2026.

What we do not do

  • We do not test products or send them to a lab.
  • We do not give a product stars, a number or a rank.
  • We do not take the maker's word for a claim. A claim from the maker is labeled as the maker's claim.
  • We do not use customer testimonials as evidence.

The six headings

Evidence
For each active ingredient we look for human studies and prefer systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized trials. We report how many trials there were, what was measured and what the authors concluded, including when they concluded that the evidence is limited. An ingredient we have not checked is named as unchecked.
Dose transparency
Studies test specific amounts. We check whether the label states the amount of each ingredient and compare it with the amounts used in the studies we cite. When amounts are hidden inside a proprietary blend, we say so and, where the labeling rules allow it, explain the upper limit that the order of ingredients implies.
Formula transparency
We check whether the ingredient list is consistent with itself, whether an ingredient appears twice and whether the maker explains special claims such as faster absorption. What we cannot answer from public information we hand to you as a question to ask the maker.
Safety information
We report what the label warns about and what the studies we read say about side effects. We do not judge whether a product is right for you. That is a question for a healthcare provider, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or have a medical condition.
Value
We state the price per package and per serving, the refund terms and whether an offer renews automatically. Every price carries the date we read it, because prices change.
Claims versus evidence
We list what the maker claims and set each claim next to what the evidence supports. Where they disagree we say so, and where they agree we say that too.

How we write about sleep science and sleep problems

Guides on how sleep works, how much sleep adults need, what light or temperature do to sleep, and why people wake at night are not about a product, so the six headings do not apply. They follow this method:

  • We start from health agencies and clinical guidelines, such as the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the CDC, the NIH and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and from systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
  • We report what those sources say and attribute each statement. Where a figure comes from a consensus panel, such as recommended hours of sleep, we say so and do not present it as the result of a trial.
  • We say what is uncertain, and when we searched and found nothing, we say that instead of filling the gap.
  • We do not tell you what to do about your own sleep. Where a guideline recommends something, we report it and name who recommends it, and we say when to talk to a healthcare provider.

The words we use for evidence

In our product reviews, under the first heading, we use four words so that you can tell how much weight a claim can carry.

What we mean by evidence
  1. Strong Pooled results from many randomized trials, such as a systematic review or meta-analysis.
  2. Moderate Some human trials, but small, short or mixed in design.
  3. Limited Few human trials, or trials that found little effect.
  4. Not verified We could not find an independent study. The claim comes from the maker.

Our own shorthand, not a clinical grading system. It tells you how much weight a claim can carry, not whether a product works for you.

Where our sources come from

Studies come from PubMed and the journals it indexes. Labeling rules come from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Code of Federal Regulations. Product facts come from the maker's own website, dated when we read it. We link every source we cite, so you can read it yourself. What counts as a source, and what does not, is on the sources and evidence standards page.

Limits of this method

  • A study describes a group of people. It does not tell you what will happen to you.
  • The label we read may not match the bottle you receive. When we work from a picture of the label on the maker's website, the guide says so.
  • Published research can be wrong or out of date. Every guide shows the date we last reviewed it.
  • For many studies we read the abstract and not the full paper, so the full paper may add detail or qualify what we report. Where we read only the abstract, many source lists say so.
  • We make mistakes. If you find one, write to editors@sleepanchors.com and we will correct it.

How we earn money

Some guides contain affiliate links. We apply the same six headings to a product whether or not we earn from it, and we publish the limits we find. The affiliate disclosure has the details.

Questions

Do you test the products?

No. Our work is reading: studies, labels and the maker's own pages.

Do you give products a score?

No. We describe each product under the six headings and leave the decision to you.

Who writes the guides?

An independent editorial team. We are not doctors or pharmacists. How we review explains who we are and what we do.

Can a guide change after it is published?

Yes. When a price, a label or a study changes, we update the guide and change its review date.