Overview
- Öko-Test assessed 19 sprays and rated 16 as poor or inadequate, with only three judged sufficient.
- Laboratory measurements frequently diverged from declared doses, and some products exceeded thresholds that certain control authorities would classify as medicinal.
- A scientific review commissioned by the testers found sleep onset shortened by about seven minutes on average in healthy consumers.
- The BfR warns of short-term effects such as drowsiness, reduced attention, and gait instability even below 1 mg, with long-term risks insufficiently studied for children and people at diabetes risk.
- Many sprays lacked complete risk-group warnings and used unproven botanical additives, leading testers to recommend prioritizing sleep hygiene and reserving sprays for short-term, doctor-advised use.