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Melatonin
- Melatonin is a hormone your body naturally produces to help regulate your sleep-wake cycle. Melatonin supplements may help some people fall asleep more easily.
- Melatonin isn’t a sleeping pill. It works by signaling to your body that it’s time to sleep and is most effective when taken at the appropriate time and dose.
- Doses under 1 milligram may work as well as higher doses. Start with a low dose and increase only if needed, staying within 1 to 5 milligrams. Most people take it about 30 minutes before bed, though timing varies by why you’re taking it.
- Although melatonin is considered safe for many adults when used short term, it can cause side effects and interact with certain medications. Talk to a healthcare provider before taking melatonin, especially if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a chronic medical condition.
If you’re reaching for a melatonin supplement because you can’t fall asleep, it helps to know what it can and can’t do. Melatonin can help with jet lag and some circadian rhythm sleep disorders, and may help some shift workers, but it isn’t a fix for every sleep problem.
Below, we’ll explain how melatonin works, when it’s most likely to be beneficial, and when to talk to your doctor.
What Is Melatonin?
Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that helps regulate the body’s circadian rhythms, which are biological patterns that operate on a 24-hour clock. Specifically, melatonin plays a vital role in the sleep-wake cycle.
For a healthy individual with a normal sleep-wake cycle, the body begins producing melatonin every evening around the time the sun goes down. This causes a gradual increase in sleepiness. Melatonin production continues into the night, peaking about seven hours after sunset. This helps the person stay asleep through the night. In the morning, melatonin drops to very low levels, as exposure to light inhibits production of the sleep hormone. This helps a person feel alert upon waking.
Benefits of Melatonin for Sleep
For some people who have difficulty falling asleep, taking supplemental melatonin about 30 minutes before bedtime may help. Most people feel the effects within 20 to 40 minutes of taking melatonin.
The effects of melatonin typically last four to eight hours, depending on the dose and the individual. Extended-release forms may last longer. Melatonin can cause drowsiness. Avoid driving or operating machinery after taking it, and leave enough time for a full night’s sleep so you don’t feel groggy the next morning.
Supplementing naturally produced melatonin can reinforce circadian rhythms and signal to the body that it’s time to sleep. For this reason, melatonin supplements may be a good choice for individuals who:
- Have naturally low levels of melatonin
- Temporarily struggle to fall asleep due to circumstances such as stress or jet lag
- Take medications that interfere with sleep
- Are night owls but need to wake early
Melatonin for Sleep Disorders
Melatonin supplements are likely to benefit people with certain sleep disorders that affect their circadian rhythms. Supplemental melatonin may also benefit people with other types of sleep disorders, though results tend to be more variable and less impactful and prescription medications may be necessary.
- Non-24-hour sleep-wake rhythm disorder (N24SWD): People with N24SWD, most of whom are blind, have circadian rhythms that don’t sync with the 24-hour cycle of day and night. Taking melatonin an hour before bedtime can help align a person’s circadian clock with their environment, even in the absence of light and darkness.
- Delayed sleep-wake phase disorder (DSWPD): People with DSWPD, which mainly affects adolescents and young adults, aren’t able to fall asleep until long after conventional or desired bedtimes. While melatonin supplements aren’t a first-line treatment for DSWPD, they may help people with the disorder fall asleep earlier.
- Insomnia: Melatonin isn’t typically prescribed as the sole treatment for insomnia, but it may be used alongside other therapies to help reduce the amount of time it takes to fall asleep at bedtime.
- Shift work disorder: Small doses of melatonin may help people who work rotating or night shifts fall asleep more easily during the day. However, some experts warn against taking melatonin for this purpose, as it can be difficult for shift workers to effectively time its administration or to predict its effects.
Does Melatonin Work?
How well melatonin works depends largely on what’s causing your sleep problem, with stronger evidence for some circadian rhythm issues than for chronic insomnia.
| Sleep Concern | How Helpful Is Melatonin? | What to Know |
|---|---|---|
| Jet lag | Often helpful | Timing matters |
| Delayed sleep-wake phase | Often helpful | Usually taken earlier than bedtime |
| Shift work | May help some people | Timing can be tricky |
| Non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder | Can help | Strongest evidence in blind adults |
| Occasional trouble falling asleep | May provide modest benefit | More useful for sleep onset than staying asleep |
| Chronic insomnia | Limited role | CBT-I is generally preferred |
| Sleep apnea | Does not treat the airway obstruction | Get evaluated by a physician and treat sleep apnea directly |
Melatonin for Kids
Research on the safety and efficacy of sleep aids for children is limited, so caregivers should not administer melatonin supplements to children unless a doctor has instructed them to do so.
Supplemental melatonin may be appropriate for children and adolescents with particular sleep, behavioral, and developmental disorders.
Melatonin supplements are rarely the right choice for children under the age of 5, whose sleep problems tend to be behavioral in nature and can often be resolved by establishing healthy sleep habits and adjusting sleep environments. Additionally, melatonin should not be used to enhance sleep in children who don’t have sleep problems or to force them to go to bed earlier.
Accidental overdoses of melatonin supplements by children have been on the rise . Don’t give melatonin to children unless a doctor recommends it. If prescribed, caregivers should administer melatonin only according to instructions provided by a doctor.
Store supplements out of children’s reach, especially gummies, which can look like candy. Caregivers should contact Poison Control or seek medical care if a child swallows melatonin not meant for them.
Side Effects of Melatonin
While research suggests that short-term use of melatonin is safe for most adults, more studies are needed to confirm its long-term safety. Unlike some sleep aids, melatonin supplements are not believed to be habit-forming, and they have relatively mild side effects.
Possible Interactions
Before you begin taking melatonin supplements, make sure to talk to your doctor about potential interactions that could compromise your health. Melatonin supplements have the potential to interact with medications and are generally not recommended for people who:
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding
- Have a bleeding disorder
- Experience depression
- Have seizures
- Are recipients of an organ transplant
Some medications, including birth control pills, certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs, a type of antidepressant), and caffeine, might intensify the effects of melatonin supplements. Additionally, combining melatonin supplements with certain medications can reduce the effectiveness of the medications or produce unwanted side effects.
How Much Melatonin Should I Take?
Over-the-counter supplements may contain as little as 0.2 milligrams or as much as 20 milligrams of melatonin. They also come in an array of formulations, including slow- and fast-release pills, gummies, dissolvable tablets, liquids, gels, creams, and patches. Given the variety of available options, it’s important to talk to a doctor about the best choice for you.
The ideal melatonin dosage for you will depend on the sleep problem you’re treating, as well as your personal characteristics and health history. For adults and adolescents, doctors usually recommend dosages in the 1-to-5-milligram range. Dosages for children may range from 0.2 milligrams to three milligrams.
Research indicates that melatonin dosages below 1 milligram may work just as well as higher doses. Unless directed otherwise by a doctor, it’s best to start with the lowest possible dose and to increase only if needed. Though there’s no official FDA-established maximum dose, experts recommend taking no more than 10 milligrams per 24-hour period.
In practice, melatonin dosing is usually approached gradually:
- Starting dose: 0.5 to 1 mg: A low dose may be enough for some people, especially when melatonin is being used to help shift circadian timing.
- Typical dose: 1 to 3 mg: Many adults use doses within this range for occasional sleep difficulties.
- Higher doses: More than 5 mg: Most people do not need doses this high, and taking more doesn’t necessarily make melatonin more effective.
A complicating factor is the fact that many melatonin supplements are mislabeled. Studies from 2017 and 2023, including a test of melatonin gummies sold in the U.S., found that many melatonin products contained amounts of melatonin that differed substantially from their labels. Tests revealed that some products had significantly less melatonin than stated on the label, while others had more than four times the advertised amount of melatonin.
When to Take Melatonin
- Occasional sleep-onset difficulty: Often shortly before bed
- Delayed sleep schedule: May need earlier timing
- Jet lag: Timing depends on direction of travel and destination bedtime
- Shift work: Timing varies and can be difficult to get right
How to Choose a Melatonin Supplement
In the United States, melatonin is considered a dietary supplement, so the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not subject it to the same rigorous standards as pharmaceutical drugs. For this reason, melatonin users should exercise caution when considering their melatonin options.
To give yourself the best chance of getting a high-quality product with accurate dosage of melatonin, try looking for a U.S. Pharmacopeia certification on the label (“USP Verified”), which indicates that the product has been vetted by an outside organization; asking your doctor or a pharmacist to suggest a trusted brand; or picking a low-dose option.
Alternatives to Melatonin
Melatonin isn’t the right choice for everyone. You may get the results you are looking for by cultivating healthy sleep habits, changing your sleeping environment, or addressing the root causes of your sleep difficulties.
- Practice healthy sleep hygiene: Committing to healthy sleep practices can help you sleep better. Try going to bed and getting up at the same time every day. Develop a relaxing bedtime routine. Exercise regularly, and avoid caffeine and alcohol in the evening.
- Avoid screens in the hours before bedtime: Phones, tablets, TVs, and other electronic devices with screens emit blue light. Evening light exposure, particularly bright or blue-enriched light, can delay melatonin release and shift circadian timing.
- Regulate your sleep-wake cycle with light: Keep lights dim in the hour or two before bed and get bright light soon after waking. Light is the main signal that switches your body’s own melatonin production on and off.
- Enhance your sleep environment: Consider purchasing a more comfortable mattress or high-quality sheets.
- Address underlying health concerns: Many health problems can interfere with sleep. Treating conditions like chronic pain, sleep apnea, and acid reflux may help you get better sleep.
- Focus on your mental health: Stress, anxiety, and depression can all make it hard to sleep. Consider seeing a counselor, engaging in relaxation exercises, or asking for support from family and friends.
- Try cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I): If you have insomnia, you might try CBT-I, which is an effective insomnia treatment. CBT-I involves addressing thought patterns and behaviors that interfere with sleep with the help of a licensed mental health professional.
When to Talk to a Doctor
Melatonin is generally safe for short-term use. But speak to a doctor if:
- Side effects such as dizziness, headache, or nausea persist or are bothersome.
- You find that you need melatonin every night for more than a few weeks.
- You take medications that may interact with melatonin, including blood thinners or immunosuppressants.
- You’re considering giving melatonin to a child.
- You’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to become pregnant.
- You have a seizure disorder, autoimmune condition, or another medical condition that may affect whether melatonin is appropriate.
A doctor can help determine whether melatonin is the right option and look for an underlying reason you’re having trouble sleeping. Persistent sleep problems may be caused by conditions such as chronic insomnia, anxiety, circadian rhythm disorders, restless legs syndrome (RLS), or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which often require more targeted treatment.
Melatonin isn’t a substitute for treating the underlying cause of ongoing sleep problems. For example, chronic insomnia is often treated with cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), while sleep apnea requires therapies that address repeated airway obstruction during sleep. If melatonin is only masking symptoms without improving the underlying problem, a medical evaluation can help identify a more effective long-term approach.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can melatonin help with insomnia?
Melatonin may help some people fall asleep a little faster, but its benefits for chronic insomnia are limited. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) doesn’t recommend melatonin as a routine treatment for chronic insomnia in adults, and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is generally preferred.
Is it safe to take melatonin every night?
Melatonin appears to be generally safe for short-term use, but less is known about the effects of taking it every night for months or years. If you regularly need melatonin to sleep, it’s a good idea to talk with a doctor about whether an underlying sleep problem may be contributing.
Why is melatonin no longer recommended?
Melatonin hasn’t been broadly “banned” or stopped being recommended. It’s still used for certain circadian rhythm disorders and jet lag, but sleep experts generally don’t recommend it as a routine treatment for chronic insomnia, as evidence of its benefit is limited.
Does melatonin lower blood pressure?
Melatonin may affect blood pressure, but its effects aren’t predictable enough to use it as a blood pressure treatment. It can also interact with blood pressure medications, so people taking these drugs should talk with a healthcare provider before using melatonin.
Is melatonin a sleeping pill?
Not in the traditional sense. Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate circadian timing and signals to the body that biological night is beginning, rather than acting as a strong sedative that directly forces sleep.
Is 10 mg of melatonin too much?
Ten milligrams is higher than most people need. Many adults start around 0.5 to 1 milligram, with typical doses in the 1-to-3-milligram range, and taking more does not necessarily make melatonin more effective.
Can melatonin make you groggy the next day?
Yes, daytime drowsiness and reduced alertness are known side effects of melatonin, especially if the dose is too high or it’s taken too late. It’s best to avoid driving or operating machinery within 5 hours of taking it.
Can you become dependent on melatonin?
Melatonin isn’t considered addictive, and there isn’t any good evidence that taking it causes physical dependence or permanently suppresses your body’s natural melatonin production. However, some people can become psychologically reliant on taking it as part of their bedtime routine.
Medical Disclaimer: The content on this page should not be taken as medical advice or used as a recommendation for any specific treatment or medication. Always consult your doctor before taking a new medication or changing your current treatment.
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Lucy Bryan is a writer and editor with more than a decade of experience in higher education. She holds a B.A. in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an M.F.A. in creative writing from Penn State University.
Dustin Cotliar, MD, holds a medical degree from the State University of NY (SUNY) Downstate College of Medicine, and a master’s in public health from Columbia University, where he focused on healthcare policy and management. He is board-certified in Emergency Medicine, with over eight years of practice that includes emergency medicine, urgent care, and telemedicine.
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