Melatonin
Also known as: N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine
Melatonin is a hormone involved in sleep timing. It is commonly used short-term for issues like jet lag or shifting sleep schedules. Lower doses are often discussed as sufficient. Research on long-term use is limited.
Snapshot
Evidence level is outcome-specific; a supplement can have stronger evidence for one use and limited evidence for another.
What this page can tell you: Commonly discussed timing, food notes, caution categories, and an honest note on how much source review this entry still needs.
What it cannot: Whether this is appropriate for you personally, or that it treats, prevents, or cures any condition. Informational only — discuss with a clinician or pharmacist.
🧩 Stack insights — how this fits into a schedule
Jet lag / sleep timing — NCCIH: melatonin may help with jet lag and some sleep issues, but long-term safety data are lacking. It is commonly taken shortly before the target bedtime — this is a timing aid, not a treatment for a sleep disorder.
Sedatives / alcohol; next-day drowsiness — NCCIH: melatonin can cause drowsiness; it is not combined with alcohol or sedatives, and people with epilepsy or on anticoagulants are advised to use it under medical supervision. Be cautious about activities needing full alertness.
⚠️ Sedative / CNS caution; use under supervision with epilepsy or anticoagulants.
Relationship insights are informational only — they describe what is commonly discussed or studied, not what you should take. Not medical advice; review your routine with a clinician or pharmacist.
🕒 Timing
When: Bedtime
Food: With or without food
Commonly taken 30-60 minutes before the desired sleep time. A low amount (about 0.5-1 mg) is often enough; more is not necessarily better and can leave some people groggy. For jet lag or shift work the helpful timing differs - a professional or a reputable jet-lag guide can help you time it.
💊 Common use range
0.5–3 mg
Higher doses are not necessarily better and may cause grogginess.
Ranges are informational, not a recommended dose. Talk to a professional about what is right for you.
🤔 Worth considering?
Evidence vs. effort: Limited evidence relative to burden
Short-term use appears safe for most people; timing matters more than dose for many, and long-term safety is not established. People with epilepsy or on blood thinners should use it under medical supervision.
A general summary, not a recommendation. Whether something fits your situation is worth discussing with a healthcare professional.
⚠️ Commonly noted interactions (supplements)
None listed.
Often about absorption or timing rather than danger — separating doses is common. This list is not exhaustive.
🧭 Baseline caution
General caution for ordinary, common use — before accounting for your specific dose, medications, health history, or procedures.
No general caution factors flagged for ordinary use. See context alerts below for situations that may still apply to you.
Caution level is an informational summary of commonly discussed caution categories and doses — not a safety rating, approval, or medical advice. Low caution does not mean safe for you.
🔎 Context alerts to review
Context alerts may matter depending on your dose, medications, health history, or procedure plans — they do not mean the supplement is generally risky at ordinary use.
Medications
- Sedating — don't combine with alcohol or sedatives
- Sedative / CNS-depressant interaction
- Higher caution if you take blood-pressure medication
- Serotonergic (SSRI/SNRI) interaction
- Immunosuppressant interaction
🩺 Medication caution categories
- Sedatives / CNS depressants — Sedating items can add to the drowsiness of sleep aids, sedatives, or alcohol — the combined effect is the concern.
- Blood pressure medication — Some items can nudge blood pressure on their own, so combined with blood-pressure medication the effects could add up. Discuss monitoring with your clinician.
- Antidepressants (SSRIs/SNRIs) — The concern is a compounding effect on serotonin, or an interaction with the medicine — a conversation for the prescriber, not something to start on your own.
- Immunosuppressants — Some supplements affect immune activity or how the drug is processed, which matters with immunosuppressant medication. Clear any addition with the prescriber.
🏥 Surgery & procedure caution
Melatonin may add to sedation; tell your care team before procedures and anesthesia.
If you have a procedure scheduled, bring your full supplement list to your surgical and anesthesia team. Do not stop prescribed medication unless your clinician tells you to. Do not start or stop supplements based only on this app.
✅ Quality checklist
- Prefer products with third-party testing or a certificate of analysis (COA).
- Check the label for the exact form and the elemental or active amount per serving.
🧩 Commonly paired with
🔁 Alternatives
🗣️ Questions for a professional
- Is Melatonin appropriate alongside my medications and health history?
- Is there a test or check that would tell us whether I actually need it?
🔬 Evidence snapshot
May help with jet lag and may help some people fall asleep modestly sooner, but per NCCIH there is not enough strong evidence to support it for chronic insomnia, and long-term safety data are lacking.
🧪 Forms & quality
Needs evidence review — no source-reviewed information yet. We only show dose and monitoring details after they have been checked against reputable sources.
See the supplement glossary for what form names like "L-", chelated, or standardized extract mean.
📏 Dose & monitoring
No established Tolerable Upper Intake Level. NCCIH notes long-term safety information is lacking.
Evidence vs. burden: Limited evidence relative to burden
😐 Commonly reported side effects
- Grogginess, vivid dreams, headache in some people
Non-exhaustive and individual.
🔄 Cycling & breaks
Commonly used short-term or as needed rather than indefinitely.
📅 Daily use notes
Often used situationally. Not commonly recommended for children without professional guidance.
📋 Source review status
Source-reviewed — last reviewed 2026-07-02
Placeholder — verify medication interaction categories.
📚 References
- NCCIH - Melatonin: What You Need To KnowNCCIH — Verified jet-lag/insomnia evidence, lacking long-term safety data, side effects, and epilepsy/anticoagulant supervision note.
Verified against the source shown. See the research-status page for how review works.
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