Dr Teal’s Sleep Spray is used on the body to promote restful sleep and relaxation. It’s naturally-derived and can be appealing to health-conscious consumers who want to avoid sleeping pills, and Dr Teal’s claims that their spray can “help promote a better night’s sleep.”
But can body spray actually improve sleep quality? Does Dr Teal's contain any unhealthy ingredients? What was our experience testing it for a month? And is Dr Teal's better or worse than other popular sleep products like Zleep patches?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Dr Teal’s spray to give our take on whether it’s likely to be effective for improving sleep quality, and whether or not it's healthy.
We'll also share our concerns about the skin absorption potential of the spray, share our honest experience purchasing and testing it for a month, and compare Dr Teal's Sleep Spray to other popular sleep products to pick our winners (and losers).
Key takeaways:
- Contains some ingredients shown in studies to support sleep
- It's unclear whether these ingredients can absorb through the skin
- We do not currently recommend Dr. Teal's Sleep Spray
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Dr Teal’s Sleep Spray are shown below:
Chamomile was shown in a medical review published in the Phytotherapy Research journal to significantly improve sleep quality and anxiety.
Lavender was shown in a 2022 medical review to improve sleep quality and reduce the risk of insomnia.
Melatonin is one of the most well-studied sleep enhancers. As we documented in our Peptiva reviews article on another sleep product, melatonin is clinically shown to reduce the time it takes to fall asleep.
Unfortunately, Dr Teal’s Sleep Spray also contains a few ingredients with questionable health effects.
Fragrance was studied in a medical review published in the Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health journal, and the study authors concluded that fragranced consumer products can "impose serious risks to human health."
Benzophenone is another scent ingredient which is shown to be toxic to animals according to a 2006 meta-study.
Phenoxyethanol is a synthetic preservative shown to be toxic to human cells in a 2020 clinical trial.
Overall, we do not currently recommend Dr. Teal's Sleep Spray due to the inactive ingredients highlighted above.
We Tested Dr. Teal's Sleep Spray
As the author of this article, I wanted to try Dr. Teal's myself to share my thoughts on its taste and the product effects.
I bought a bottle of Dr. Teal's at my local CVS, and was hopeful it could make me tired earlier than usual, and improve my sleep quality, because I'm a night owl.
I sprayed the product four times on each foot and put socks on over it, and the smell was horrific. It smells so strong, and smells like my grandma's perfume or like a cheap soap shop at the mall.
My entire bathroom smelled for 10-15 minutes just from those eight total sprays.
The instructions say to spray either on the body or in the shower or in the room or on the bed.
I don't understand these instructions at all. Who would want some strong sticky spray all over their bed or body while going to sleep? It seems like a terribly inconvenient product with a strange value proposition.
I used the product for three days straight and didn't experience any improvements to sleep, so I decided to give it away.
Even by the mornings, when I took my socks off the scent of Dr. Teal's would be overpowering.
Overall, I would rate this product 1/10. It's one of my least favorite products I've tried to date for an Illuminate Health article.
Does Sleep Spray Even Work?
Dr Teal’s claims that their product can be used on the body and in the air. This suggests that it works via transdermal (through the skin) absorption and through inhalation (like an essential oil ambient spray).
Both lavender and chamomile are shown to be effective aromatherapy agents, meaning they are absorbed and can influence health when inhaled. A 2022 clinical trial found that inhaled lavender and chamomile reduced anxiety and stress in older adults.
Melatonin can be absorbed through the skin. As we documented in our Zleep patch reviews article, a clinical study found that melatonin is well-absorbed transdermally.
We consider Dr Teal’s Sleep Spray likely to be effective for improving sleep quality and reducing time-to-sleep given that its main active ingredients are clinically shown to be effective when absorbed through the lungs or skin.
However, Dr. Teal’s Sleep Spray does not disclose the amount of each ingredient so we do not know if the amounts are enough to make a real difference.
A YouTube creator named Alexis Sia published an informative and engaging video showing how transdermal absorption works:
Does the Spray Cause Side Effects?
Dr Teal’s Sleep Spray doesn’t appear to have been studied in any clinical trials so it’s impossible to say for certain whether or not it causes side effects. However, we can make an educated guess based on its ingredients.
We believe this spray may cause skin irritation in some individuals.
Fragrance is toxic and sensitizing as documented in the ingredient analysis. But essential oils can also irritate skin depending on their concentration.
A 2018 medical review reported that lavender can cause skin irritation.
A clinical trial published in the Contact Dermatitis journal found that benzoic acid (a preservative in this spray) can irritate the skin.
Dr Teal’s does not publish the concentration of the essential oils in their spray.
Dr Teal's vs. Popular Sleep Products
Here's how Dr Teal's Sleep Spray compares to other popular sleep products in terms of potential effectiveness and healthiness, in our opinion:
Zleep Patches
Contains active ingredients like valerian, which is clinically shown to enhance sleep quality.
We have concerns about the potential absorption, similar to those we have with Dr Teal's, but this brand doesn't use any unhealthy additives, so it wins from a healthiness perspective.
Winner: Zleep Patches
Dodow
The Dodow is a device that theoretically improves sleep quality by regulating breathing and promoting deep breathing.
While we don't consider it a great option due to its bright light (which is counter-intuitive to promoting sleep), we consider it a healthier option than Dr Teal's, because it is a physical device free from any unhealthy materials or ingredients.
Winner: Dodow
Breathe Right Strips
This physical device improves nasal airflow and is a simple, mechanical solution that's clinically shown to support sleep quality.
More likely to be effective, and healthier.
Winner: Breathe Right Strips
Our Clean Sleep Picks
Ritual BioSeries Melatonin is our top premium sleep supplement.
It provides an effective dose of melatonin, which is clinically shown to improve sleep quality, and which is arguably the best-studied compound for sleep support.
Nolah Weighted Bamboo Blanket is a great option for consumers who prefer non-supplement solutions for sleep. Weighted blankets are clinically shown to improve sleep quality in both older adults and in children, and early research suggests they may also reduce anxiety.
Both of the products recommended in this section are free of ingredients or materials that we consider to be unhealthy.
