What Is Melatonin? Dosage, Side Effects, Sleep Usage, and Overdose Risk
Note: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not approve supplements for safety or effectiveness. Talk to a healthcare professional about whether a supplement is the right fit for your individual health, and about any potential drug interactions or safety concerns.
Melatonin is a hormone created in the brain that helps people feel drowsy at night. Synthetic melatonin supplements are most often used as a sleep aid, but some research suggests it may also have an effect on cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, migraine, and other conditions. The number of Americans who regularly use melatonin for sleep has quintupled over the past 25 years.
What Is a Melatonin Supplement?
Melatonin supplements mimic the effects of the melatonin our bodies produce.Melatonin is a natural hormone made by the pineal gland. Typically, melatonin levels increase in the bloodstream about two hours before bed, which causes a sleepy feeling.
Most people produce enough melatonin to fall asleep and stay asleep through the night. But if your body doesn’t produce enough melatonin naturally, your healthcare provider may recommend a supplement with synthetic melatonin.
Melatonin's ability to help people fall asleep remains its most studied benefit by far, and these supplements are often seen as a more natural way to drift off than prescription sleep medications. Experts have researched several other melatonin benefits with encouraging results, but so far, these studies are small, and more research is needed to prove melatonin benefits beyond sleep. Melatonin may provide benefits for health conditions and procedures such as:
Melatonin has a good safety record and can be taken by adults for up to two years. Experts suspect you may be able to take it even longer, but research hasn’t studied past that time period. Studies are also lacking on melatonin in children, and taking very large doses at any age carries the risk of side effects.
Risks
Overall, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate supplements the same way they do medications, so there is always a risk that the melatonin you take doesn’t contain the amount listed on the packaging. Ask your provider before taking melatonin, especially if you have liver or kidney disease, you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you’re considering melatonin for a child, or you are an older adult at risk for falls.
Experts believe the risk of melatonin toxicity in adults is low, although more human studies are needed. In children, melatonin toxicity from melatonin overdose can lead to more severe side effects like difficulty breathing. Reports of overdose in children don’t mention a dosage, but one study found that anything over 10 milligrams can stay in a child’s system for over 24 hours at very high levels.
Melatonin can interact with certain medications like birth control pills and some prescription drugs used for diabetes, high blood pressure, certain sedatives, and more, so check with your provider before trying it. It’s also essential to make sure your provider knows all the medications that you take.
Side Effects
Here are some of the adverse effects that can be associated with melatonin supplements:
Drowsiness
Nausea
Headache
Dizziness
More evening or nighttime urination (in children)
Agitation (in children)
Oral forms of synthetic melatonin include melatonin gummies, pills, liquids, powder, and capsules. You can purchase the hormone in other forms, too, including sprays, patches, and creams, all of which are sold in grocery, drug, and health food stores.
Melatonin sprays applied under the tongue work the fastest, but some tablets offer time-release options for more lasting effects. Creams and lotions with melatonin don’t claim to help with sleep, but they may offer skin-protection and anti-aging effects; more research is needed to confirm these benefits. All forms have comparable prices, depending on the brand.
The volume of melatonin choices can feel overwhelming, but there are ways to narrow down the best options. To choose a higher-quality supplement, check the label for “USP,” “NSF,” or “Consumer Labs Approved.” This means the product has undergone third-party testing for quality and purity.
You may occasionally see a melatonin combination, such as melatonin with CBD, but it’s always best to check with your provider before taking melatonin that contains any other components.
Because melatonin doesn’t fall under FDA medication regulation, there is no known effective dose. But studies have tested doses anywhere from 0.1 mg to 10 mg, and experts suggest starting with the smallest possible amount.
Many melatonin supplements have higher doses than you need. Taking more than necessary will not make the supplement work quicker or better, and too-high doses in children can lead to serious side effects. In the United States, melatonin products created for pediatric use suggest dosing from 0.5 to 6 mg, depending on the age of the child.
Melatonin can take longer to work than other sleep aids, and it typically causes sleepiness in around 20 to 40 minutes. If you’re not sure what dose to try, ask a healthcare provider for their recommendation.
Melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone, can also be taken as a synthetic supplement to help you fall asleep.
Early research suggests melatonin may also play a role in cancer treatment and prevention, Alzheimer’s disease, migraine, and COVID-19.
Melatonin side effects are usually mild and rare, but may include nausea, dizziness, irritability, and headache.
Always check with your provider before taking melatonin, especially if you have liver or kidney disease, are pregnant or nursing, or have a high risk of falls.
