Advertisement. Published by Slumber, which makes the products discussed below.
On December 11, a new federal rule takes a whole category of sleep gummies off the shelves. Here’s what it means for yours.
What the rule says, and what to do before December 11.
If the sleep gummy on your nightstand isn’t melatonin, you probably haven’t heard this yet.
Last November, Congress changed the federal definition of the plant extract these gummies are made from. The change was a few lines buried in a government funding bill, so it got almost no coverage.
Those few lines decide what can be sold and shipped in every state, starting December 11, 2026. Most people who take these gummies to sleep have no idea.
What changed
For years, these gummies were legal at the federal level if the active compound stayed under 0.3 percent by dry weight. That’s how plant-based sleep gummies ended up on sale openly, in shops and online, across the country.
The new rule drops the percentage. Instead, a whole jar can hold no more than 0.4 milligrams of the active compound. That’s the limit for the jar, not for each gummy.
A typical gummy in this category has several milligrams in one serving. So a single gummy can already be over the limit for a whole jar. Industry groups estimate that about 95 percent of these products won’t qualify.
The rule was set to start on November 12. In September, Congress moved it once, to December 11, 2026. After that, these products can’t be sold under the old definition, and the major carriers are expected to stop shipping them.
Until the federal rule takes effect
38 days
Sources: Section 781 of H.R. 5371, the federal funding bill signed in November 2025 · Harris Sliwoski LLP, analysis of the delayed effective date, September 2026
If your order was already refused
Some readers have already had an order refused, for a gummy that always used to arrive.
That was your state’s rule, not the federal one. Several states set their own, stricter limits first, and a few don’t allow these products at all. Slumber stopped shipping to California earlier this year for that reason.
Who this affects
If you take one of these gummies, some of this may sound familiar:
- You fall asleep fine, but you’re awake again at 3am more nights than not.
- You took melatonin for years. It knocked you out and left you foggy at 6 in the morning.
- You’ve tried the pharmacy aisle, and you’d rather not go back.
- A plant-based gummy was the first thing that worked, so you stopped looking.
What stays on the shelf
Melatonin, magnesium and the over-the-counter sleep aids aren’t affected. The rule covers one kind of plant-based gummy, the kind many people who’ve slept badly for years say finally kept them asleep.
After December 11, the current versions can’t be sold, and the rule doesn’t create a legal replacement.
The one our readers ask about most
We make Deep Zzzs, and it’s one of the products this rule covers.
Deep Zzzs is a plant-based sleep gummy for people who wake up in the night. The two doctors below recommend it, and an independent lab tests every batch. It was also the product in a 30-day sleep study with more than 500 people.
“I’ve been recommending Slumber to my patients for years now. It’s the best natural sleep aid I’ve ever come across: effective, safe, and backed by real data.”
“As a doctor who works with Olympic-level athletes, I need products that are clean, rigorously tested, and truly effective. Slumber checks every box.”
Quoted from the Deep Zzzs product page.
- +72 minutes of sleep a nightThe average in a 30-day study where 500+ people tracked their sleep in an app and reported their results.study summary on the Deep Zzzs page
- 87% said it worked betterthan sleep aids they’d tried before.Deep Zzzs page
- 200,000+ customersSlumber customers so far, with 4,000+ verified reviews.Deep Zzzs page
“I tried everything for 15 years. This is the only product that I have tried that actually gets me to sleep and keeps me asleep.”
Slumber after December 11
Slumber isn’t closing. We’ll keep making sleep gummies after the rule starts, and we already sell a Deep Zzzs formula that ships to all 50 states. It’s on the same product page.
The current Deep Zzzs, the one in the study above, is the one that stops. Until then, it ships as usual.
What to do now
- Read the Deep Zzzs page.
It shows what’s in it, how people take it, and what the study found.
Learn more about Deep Zzzs - Know the timing.
Orders ship within one business day. We’ll stop shipping the current formula shortly before December 11, and we’ll post the exact last day here.
- Or get one email.
Leave your email below. We’ll send one message when the last shipping day is set, and tell you if the federal date moves again.
Sleep better, or it’s free. Full refund within 30 days. The Deep Zzzs page currently shows 30% off.
Questions people keep asking
Which products does the rule cover?
Plant-based gummies, drinks and tinctures with more than 0.4 milligrams of the active compound per container. That’s most sleep gummies in this category, including the current Deep Zzzs. Products with none of the compound aren’t affected.
Is December 11 final?
It’s the date in force today. The rule was first set for November 12, 2026, and Congress moved it once. People have talked about a second delay, but nothing has passed. If the date moves, we’ll update this page.
Does this affect melatonin or other sleep aids?
No. The rule only changes the definition of one plant extract. Melatonin, magnesium and over-the-counter sleep aids aren’t part of it.
Can I still order Deep Zzzs now?
Yes. Until the rule starts, Slumber ships as usual, except to states that restrict these products on their own. Orders go out within one business day.
Will Slumber still be around after December 11?
Yes. We’ll keep making sleep gummies, and we already sell a formula that ships to all 50 states.
Why is Slumber telling me this?
We make one of the products the rule covers, and most of our customers hadn’t heard about it. We’d rather you hear it from us than find out when an order doesn’t arrive.
What if it doesn’t work for me?
If you’re not sleeping better within 30 days, Slumber refunds you in full, and you keep the jar.