Melatonin
A timing signal for the body clock, best supported for jet lag; in people with diagnosed sleep disorders its effect on sleep onset is real but small.
Sleep
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Research
REALITY CHECK // Melatonin shifts the body clock more than it sedates.
Levels: how we grade evidence. Grey = evidence of no benefit; amber = evidence it makes this goal worse.
Ratings are self-reported by a self-selected group of users: how it felt, not proof that it works.
>_ Protocol data coming soon: label checker ("Check your bottle"), study snapshot and form comparison for Melatonin.
How it was studied
Summary
Melatonin shifts the body clock more than it sedates. Meta-analyses of RCTs show sleep onset about 7 minutes faster and total sleep about 8 minutes longer. A Cochrane review found clear benefit for jet lag across five or more time zones. After night shifts, daytime sleep may lengthen by about 24 minutes, but that evidence is low quality.
Mechanism
Melatonin is the hormone the pineal gland releases in darkness. Taken orally, it acts on melatonin receptors that signal 'night' to the circadian clock. This shifts the timing of sleep rather than working like a sleeping pill.
Typical studied dose
In jet lag trials, 0.5 to 5 mg taken near the target bedtime at the destination worked about equally well; 5 mg gave slightly faster sleep onset, and doses above 5 mg added nothing. Shift-work trials used 1 to 10 mg after the night shift, with no dose-response. These are study ranges, not a personal instruction.
Upper limit
No tolerable upper intake level has been set, because melatonin is a hormone rather than a nutrient. In RCTs of 10 mg or more in adults, serious adverse events did not increase. Drowsiness, headache and dizziness were more common (rate ratio 1.40), and the safety data are sparse.
Popular stacks with Melatonin
Not enough stack data yet. A combination with Melatonin appears here once 5 people rate the same set.
Red flags: interactions and who should avoid it
Interactions
Fluvoxamine and other CYP1A2 inhibitors raise melatonin levels. Oral contraceptives may also raise them, while smoking lowers them. Expect added drowsiness with sedatives, benzodiazepines and alcohol. Case reports describe harm in people on warfarin. Some interactions rest on case reports or pharmacokinetic reviews, not controlled trials.
Avoid or ask a doctor first if
Pregnant or breastfeeding: there are no RCTs for sleep in pregnancy, so ask your doctor first. Children: use only under medical supervision. Epilepsy, warfarin or other anticoagulants: case reports of harm, so talk to your doctor first. Driving or operating machinery after a dose: next-morning drowsiness is possible.
Sources (PubMed)
- Meta-analysis: melatonin for the treatment of primary sleep disorders.
PMID 23691095 · 2013 · Meta-analysis of RCTs (19 studies, n=1683)Sleep onset -7 min, total sleep +8 min; modest, non-dissipating effect
- Melatonin for the prevention and treatment of jet lag.
PMID 12076414 · 2002 · Cochrane systematic review (10 RCTs)Jet lag reduced at 5+ zones; 0.5-5 mg similar; NNT 2
- Pharmacological interventions for sleepiness and sleep disturbances caused by shift work.
PMID 25113164 · 2014 · Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTsDaytime sleep +24 min after night shift; low-quality evidence
- Melatonin Natural Health Products and Supplements: Presence of Serotonin and Significant Variability of Melatonin Content.
PMID 27855744 · 2017 · Laboratory analysis of 31 productsContent -83% to +478% of label; serotonin found in some
- Safety of higher doses of melatonin in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
PMID 34923676 · 2021 · Systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTsDoses >=10 mg: no SAE increase; more drowsiness, headache, dizziness
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