Genius Sleep Aid Review

Looking for a gentle sleep nootropic to boost your sleep health? Genius Sleep Aid is as good as a risk-free try, with the Genius Promise covering you for 90 days.

By Mario Esposito
Last Updated: May 15, 2019

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The Genius Brand is relatively new to the supplement industry. To compare: Their Facebook page claims The Genius Brand was founded in 2015, which is more than 30 years after the founding of veteran companies like Jarrow Formulas or Source Naturals.

What separates The Genius Brand from the rest? Their supplements are marketed as over the counter nootropic blends, and while they’re not the only brand doing it, they seem to be very popular and successful. It helps that their founder and CEO is an example of The Genius Brand’s ideal consumer. You can look up and find out more about CEO Robert Oliver on Instagram.

Genius Sleep Aid bottle front

How does a “smart sleeping pill” stack up against other natural sleep aids? Is there even a difference—or it is all just marketing and strategy? Let’s check out Genius Sleep Aid together and see if it’s worth trying.

What’s in Genius Sleep Aid?

For a nootropic blend, Genius Sleep Aid’s formulation is simpler than most: non-essential amino acids L-Glycine and L-Theanine, alkaloid rutaecarpine, hormone melatonin, and inositol (also known as vitamin B8).

There are additional ingredients listed apart from those mentioned above. These are likely to account for the capsules used. Each cap is made with hypromellose, silica and ascorbyl palmitate.

How Do Genius Sleep Aid’s Ingredients Help You Sleep Better?

The Genius Brand mostly sticks to the basic promises when it comes to their sleep aid: faster sleep onset, better sleep quality, and restored and refreshed feeling upon waking up. That’s not all, though—adrenal support and caffeine detoxification are great added effects.

Below are more detailed explanations of how each ingredient works to support sleep health.

  • L-Glycine is one of the simplest amino acids that can help with sleep. It’s a neurotransmitter that aids the body in serotonin production, which affects both mood and the sleep cycle.
  • L-Theanine is included in the proprietary pure form of TheaKalm, but you may already be familiar with it otherwise. It’s found in green and black tea and it’s one of the most common starter nootropic supplements, as it improves both focus and mood. L-Theanine’s anti-stress and anti-anviety properties also make it an ideal sleep supplement ingredient.
  • Rutaecarpine is a non-basic alkaloid that has been studied in relation to caffeine detox. Naturally found in the evodia fruit, it’s also known to induce vasorelaxation, as well as hypotension. This is the first time we’ve seen this ingredient added to a sleep aid—but it makes sense, especially for coffee drinkers and caffeine addicts in general.
  • Melatonin is included, but it’s such a small dose compared to most other natural sleep aids. As the body’s own sleep hormone, we produce melatonin naturally. We think that Genius Sleep Aid is meant to encourage a healthy amount of melatonin production and usage, as opposed to fostering a dependency on high doses taken orally.
  • Inositol or Vitamin B8 is an addition to this formulation that makes nootropic sense, but it’s not really common for sleep aids. Other vitamin Bs are more ideal for sleep! Inositol is still beneficial and complementary, though—especially because it has been known to be helpful for stabilizing mental health.

In our opinion, it’s rutaecarpine and inositol that truly make Genius Sleep Aid a nootropic, rather than a simple sleep supplement. These two are not often found in products meant mainly to induce sleep. The small amount of melatonin is also surprising.

Genius Sleep Aid bottle supplement facts

Is Genius Sleep Aid Allergy-Friendly, Vegan or Vegetarian?

There’s no real FAQ or customer Q&A about Genius Sleep Aid that answers these concerns, but there are no allergy warnings on the label, and the capsules used are listed as vegetarian.

Hypromellose is not made with animal fat, and ascorbyl palmitate is generally believed to be safe for vegans and vegetarians.

We also found a 100% Non-GMO and Vegan guarantee in relation to The Genius Brand products—but they’re displayed on other Amazon product pages maintained by the company, and not on Genius Sleep Aid’s.

What to Consider Before Taking Genius Sleep Aid

It’s worth noting that The Genius Brand is more focused on their other nootropic products, which aid in cognitive enhancement and physical recovery more than optimizing sleep health. This is great news for nootropics enthusiasts and beginners, but maybe not so much for the average person that just wants to achieve restful sleep.

If you’re interested in trying out nootropics, Genius Sleep Aid or another “smart” sleep supplement like Gorilla Dream could be a great investment of your time and money. If not, maybe stick to typical sleep aids like Natrol Sleep N’ Restore or Vitafusion Melatonin.

Is Genius Sleep Aid Safe for Children?

The Genius Brand states that you should keep Genius Sleep Aid out of reach of children, so it’s probably not safe for them. 

The company also notes that you should check with a healthcare professional before using Genius Sleep Aid, especially if you are under 18 years, taking prescription medications and/or have a pre-existing medical condition. As this is a sleep supplement, you should also avoid taking it before operating machinery or driving any sort of vehicle.

What’s the Suggested Dosage of Genius Sleep Aid?

The suggested dosage is very specific: One serving (two capsules) thirty minutes before sleeping—with a five days on, two days off schedule. 

 Like the inclusion of rutaecarpine, this is the first time we’ve seen this in a sleep aid. The “five days on, two days off” means that you should take it regularly for five consecutive nights, and then rest without dosing for two days, before repeating the cycle.

What Are the Side Effects of Genius Sleep Aid?

There are no company listed or discussed side effects of Genius Sleep Aid, but there are some negative consumer complaints that note adverse physical reactions.

We will talk about these adverse reactions shortly, in another section. Genius Sleep Aid bottle indications

How Effective Is Genius Sleep Aid?

Its rating speaks for itself: On Amazon, it’s rated an average of four out of five stars with over 2000 customer reviews.

There are, of course, people that say that Genius Sleep Aid didn’t work for them. That’s not that unusual for dietary supplements, and what return policies are for.

What Are Common Genius Sleep Aid Complaints?

We’ve seen negative feedback about the packaging, as well as complaints about sleep interruptions. 

The packaging is streamlined across all The Genius Brand products. Unfortunately, this makes the Genius Sleep Aid 20-serving container look a little on the half-empty side. The number of servings is clearly marked on the bottle and The Genius Brand notes that using the same container for all their products is a cost-saving technique.

Now, about the sleep interruptions: We’ve already mentioned that Genius Sleep Aid doesn’t work for some, and that’s okay. What’s a little worrisome is that for some it works when it comes to sleep onset—but not duration. Some report waking and not being able to get back to sleep after only three hours of shuteye.

An alarming few also complained of vomiting and/or an upset stomach after taking Genius Sleep Aid, although nowhere in their comments was it confirmed if they consulted their doctor or not before taking the product.

Where Can You Find Genius Sleep Aid?

You can easily find Genius Sleep Aid on The Genius Brand’s official website.

Genius Sleep Aid and The Genius Brand’s other products are also easily available on large online retailers, such as Amazon.

What to Expect from the Maker of Genius Sleep Aid

The Genius Brand is definitely a new player, and most of what we know about them comes from what their CEO decides to make public. They also have a slew of social media brand ambassadors.

What we like: The ingredients and formulation listed down to the last milligram. No proprietary blends, no secrets, no additives.

What we don’t like: There’s little to go on past the nootropic formulations. Unlike other supplement makers, there are no studies linked or referenced, no certifications and compliance badges proudly displayed, and no real company history transparency.

What Quality Assurance Does Genius Sleep Aid Go Through?

Some product reviews online state that The Genius Brand products are made in an FDA-registered facility using processed that follow GMP protocols, but we didn’t find company provided literature that supports those claims in connection to Genius Sleep Aid.

The closest we can find is an assurance that the above statement is true—but it’s on Amazon product pages for other The Genius Brand products, like Genius Estrogen Balance, for example.

Genius Sleep Aid ingredients explanation

How Is The Genius Brand’s Customer Support?

Consumer questions are dealt with on Amazon directly by the seller—the name shown is Pacific Coast Naturals, though, and not The Genius Brand. On the official The Genius Brand website, there is a contact form and displayed physical address, as well as a telephone number.

The Genius Brand is active on social media, too. You can find them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more. We love that energy, but what we’re missing is a good FAQ section on their site.

Does Genius Sleep Aid Come with a Return Policy or Guarantee?

Yes! The Genius Brand has what it calls a 90-day Genius Promise. 

This is a 100% money back guarantee valid for 90 days, and all The Genius Brand products are covered by this policy.

How Much Does Genius Sleep Aid Cost?

As of this writing, Genius Sleep Aid is listed at $24.99 on the company’s official website. It’s slightly more affordable on Amazon at $18.95.

Genius Sleep Aid comes in containers with 40 capsules inside. This is good for 20 servings, or roughly one month of regular use, if you follow suggested dosage.

three Genius Sleep Aid bottles

Final Words on Genius Sleep Aid

Looking for a gentle sleep nootropic to boost your sleep health? Genius Sleep Aid is as good as a risk-free try, with the Genius Promise covering you for 90 days.

As Genius Sleep Aid is more nootropic than simple sleep aid, it wouldn’t be our top recommendation for inducing slumber. This is a more well-rounded product that also helps with focus, energy, motivation and even caffeine cleansing. If you’re not dealing with a caffeine dependency, the latter may not even matter at all.

A final warning: Please, please consult a doctor you trust before adding Genius Sleep Aid—or any dietary supplement, really—to your daily routine. It’s just good practice, and it may potentially save you from experiencing adverse reactions that a healthcare professional will know to watch out for.