Hormone ·Strong evidence ·Reviewed May 2026
The body's primary sleep-regulating hormone. Also a potent antioxidant with neuroprotective properties. Most people use doses far higher than needed.
The bottom line
Evidence rating strong. Most-documented uses: sleep onset, circadian rhythm regulation, jet lag. 20 sources indexed (2007–2025), with 39 interaction records on file.
Core mechanism
Binds to MT1 and MT2 melatonin receptors in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), signaling darkness and initiating sleep cascade. MT1 promotes sleepiness; MT2 shifts circadian phase. Also a direct free radical scavenger (neutralizes hydroxyl radicals) and stimulates antioxidant enzyme production.1,2
Take 30-60 minutes before desired sleep time. Less is more, 0.3mg is often optimal.1,3
Ranked by evidence and value.
Real-world pricing across three quality tiers. Assumes Immediate Release.
Assumes a 1-3 mg bedtime dose. Melatonin is cheap; premium pricing usually reflects timed-release tablets or branded sleep blends. Updated 2026-04-02.
How much you'd eat to match a supplemental dose.
Food melatonin is trace-level and not a reliable substitute for supplemental dosing.
Timing: 30-60 minutes before bed
Lower doses often work better than aggressively high doses.
Dose: 0.5-3 mg nightly
Timing: At destination bedtime
Best used with light management and travel timing adjustments.
Timing: 3-5 hours before target bedtime
Timing matters more than dose for circadian shifting.
What to test, the optimal window inside the conventional range, and how long a response takes.
Oral melatonin (0.3 to 5 mg) advances DLMO when taken in the evening and can phase-shift circadian rhythms.1,2
Saliva samples are collected hourly in dim light starting 5 hours before habitual bedtime. Serum melatonin and urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin are alternatives.
Where this appears in the symptom-to-supplement map, ranked by relevance.
Taken before the desired daytime sleep period, it signals biological night and helps consolidate sleep when sleeping against the natural light-dark cycle.17,1
Timing matters more than dose: take it relative to your intended sleep, not clock time. Improves daytime sleep quality more reliably than total sleep duration. Pair with a dark, cool sleep room and morning light avoidance after night shifts.
A small evening dose taken several hours before the desired bedtime acts as a chronobiotic to advance a delayed internal clock to an earlier time.1,3
Timing matters far more than dose for phase-shifting: low and early beats high and at bedtime. Pair with morning bright light and an earlier wake time. A clinician or sleep specialist can confirm true delayed sleep phase versus simple sleep-onset insomnia.
A fixed nightly dose at a consistent clock time provides a recurring chronobiotic signal that can entrain a free-running rhythm to a stable 24-hour cycle.3,1
Best evidence is in totally blind individuals who lack light entrainment; consistency of timing every single night is essential. This condition warrants formal evaluation by a sleep specialist.
Directly supports circadian signaling and sleep initiation when timing is the real problem.1,3
Dose low and time it correctly instead of escalating blindly.
Melatonin shifts the circadian clock by signaling biological night, and well-replicated trials show it reduces jet lag severity when timed to the destination evening.5,17
Timing matters more than dose; for eastward travel take it in the local evening, and avoid driving after dosing.
Melatonin signals biological night and reliably shortens the time to fall asleep, particularly in people with delayed sleep timing or low endogenous levels.3,9
More is not better; lower doses often work as well as high ones, and consistent timing improves results.
A small dose timed to the latter part of the night, or extended-release through the night, can help bridge the early-morning hours when natural melatonin has already fallen.
Evidence is stronger for sleep onset than for terminal awakening. If you tend to fall asleep very early, melatonin could worsen things by advancing the clock further, so use cautiously.
Melatonin may support lower-esophageal-sphincter tone and upper-GI symptom control in some studies.1,2
More plausible when reflux is worse at night.
Melatonin mainly aids sleep onset and circadian timing rather than maintenance, though extended-release forms may modestly reduce waking in older adults with low melatonin.1,3
Use the lowest effective dose; persistent night waking warrants a clinician check for sleep apnea, reflux, or other causes.
Evidence-based stacks that include it, with the exact dose and timing each one uses.
Low-dose melatonin resets circadian rhythm without suppressing natural production; less is more17,3
Melatonin supports circadian and hypothalamic signaling and has antinociceptive properties, and in one randomized trial a 3 mg nightly dose reduced migraine frequency similarly to low-dose amitriptyline. It may cause morning grogginess in some users.5,17
Melatonin is a hormone involved in circadian timing, and low to moderate doses taken near destination bedtime may help nudge the internal clock toward the new time zone. Lower doses are often as effective as higher ones with less reported morning grogginess.3,5
Sleep disruption amplifies fibromyalgia pain sensitivity. Melatonin may improve sleep timing and some symptom domains, but it should be used alongside broader sleep and pain care.1,3
5-HTP is a serotonin precursor, and serotonin is converted to melatonin. Taking both may lead to excessive serotonergic/melatonergic activity.
Recommendation: Generally redundant to take both. If combining, use low doses and monitor for excessive drowsiness.
Both have sedative properties. Reishi contains triterpenes that modulate GABAergic signaling. Combined with melatonin, may cause excessive drowsiness.
Recommendation: If combining, start with low doses of both and use only at bedtime. Monitor for excessive sedation.
Melatonin and magnesium are commonly used in sleep routines, but direct stack evidence and optimal dosing vary.
Recommendation: If combining melatonin with magnesium glycinate, keep magnesium within 200-350 mg/day supplemental elemental magnesium unless clinician-supervised and keep melatonin use situational or clinician-guided for persistent insomnia.
Apigenin is a natural flavonoid that binds GABA-A benzodiazepine receptors, promoting sleep through a different mechanism than melatonin.
Recommendation: Andrew Huberman's sleep stack: 50mg apigenin + 0.5-2mg melatonin (optional) + magnesium for comprehensive sleep support.
Melatonin and magnesium are commonly used in sleep routines, but direct stack evidence and optimal dosing vary.
Recommendation: If combining melatonin with magnesium l-threonate, keep magnesium within 200-350 mg/day supplemental elemental magnesium unless clinician-supervised and keep melatonin use situational or clinician-guided for persistent insomnia.
Melatonin and magnesium are commonly used in sleep routines, but direct stack evidence and optimal dosing vary.
Recommendation: If combining melatonin with magnesium citrate, keep magnesium within 200-350 mg/day supplemental elemental magnesium unless clinician-supervised and keep melatonin use situational or clinician-guided for persistent insomnia.
Melatonin and magnesium are commonly used in sleep routines, but direct stack evidence and optimal dosing vary.
Recommendation: If combining melatonin with magnesium taurate, keep magnesium within 200-350 mg/day supplemental elemental magnesium unless clinician-supervised and keep melatonin use situational or clinician-guided for persistent insomnia.
Melatonin and magnesium are commonly used in sleep routines, but direct stack evidence and optimal dosing vary.
Recommendation: If combining melatonin with magnesium malate, keep magnesium within 200-350 mg/day supplemental elemental magnesium unless clinician-supervised and keep melatonin use situational or clinician-guided for persistent insomnia.
Combining alcohol with melatonin can increase sedation and drowsiness, while alcohol itself disrupts the body's natural melatonin rhythm and overall sleep quality.
Recommendation: Do not combine alcohol with melatonin, especially before driving or operating machinery. Avoid alcohol if you are using melatonin for sleep.
Both promote sedation, so taken together they can cause additive drowsiness, grogginess, and next-day impairment.
Recommendation: Best avoided together; if combined, expect stronger sedation than either alone. Do not drive or operate machinery, and seek medical advice before combining if you take other sedating medications.
Combined use for sleep can produce additive drowsiness and next-morning grogginess, and both lower nighttime arousal.
Recommendation: If combining for sleep, take both shortly before bed, keep doses modest, and avoid activities requiring alertness afterward.
Melatonin taken as a sleep aid can add to ketamine's sedating effects, increasing drowsiness and impairing alertness and coordination.
Recommendation: Do not combine melatonin with ketamine without medical advice. If both are in use, avoid driving and tasks requiring full alertness.
Numbered references. Citations throughout the page link here.
Melatonin supplementation improved sleep quality and reduced incidence of delirium in critically ill ICU patients.
Daliri AS, Goudarzi N, Harati A et al.. Melatonin as a Novel Drug to Improve Cardiac Function and Quality of Life in Heart Failure Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Clinical cardiology. 2025
Dose-response analysis shows melatonin peaks at 4 mg/day for sleep onset latency and total sleep time; 3 hours before bedtime may be more effective than 30 minutes.
Terao I, Kodama W. Comparative Efficacy, Tolerability, and Acceptability of Donanemab, Lecanemab, Aducanumab, Melatonin, and Aerobic Exercise for a Short Time on Cognitive Function in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Mild Alzheimer's Disease: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD. 2024
Del Casale A, Arena JF, Giannetti F et al.. The use of prolonged-release melatonin in circadian medicine: a systematic review. Minerva medica. 2024
Nogueira HA, de Castro CT, da Silva DCG et al.. Melatonin for sleep disorders in people with autism: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry. 2023
de Carvalho JF, Skare TL. Melatonin supplementation improves rheumatological disease activity: A systematic review. Clinical nutrition ESPEN. 2023
Effective melatonin doses vary by age: 0.5-3 mg in children, 3-5 mg in adolescents, 1-5 mg in adults, 1-6 mg in elderly.
Melatonin was among the most effective dietary supplements for improving subjective sleep quality and reducing sleep onset latency.
19 studies (1,683 subjects): melatonin reduced sleep onset latency by 7.06 min, increased total sleep time by 8.25 min; effects do not dissipate with continued use.
Long-term melatonin causes only mild adverse events comparable to placebo; most common: daytime sleepiness (1.66%), headache (0.74%), dizziness (0.74%).
Short-term use is safe even in extreme doses; only mild adverse effects (dizziness, headache, nausea, sleepiness) reported.
Melatonin is a direct free radical scavenger, stimulates antioxidant enzyme production, and has been effective against oxidative stress in human trials.
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