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Melatonin is a hormone made in the body. It regulates night and day cycles or sleep-wake cycles. Melatonin in supplements is usually made in a lab.
Darkness triggers the body to make more melatonin, which signals the body to sleep. Light decreases melatonin production and signals the body to be awake. Some people who have trouble sleeping have low levels of melatonin. It's thought that adding melatonin from supplements might help them sleep.
People most commonly use melatonin for insomnia and improving sleep in different conditions, such as jet lag. It is also used for depression, chronic pain, dementia, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support most of these uses. There is also no good evidence to support using melatonin for COVID-19.
- Delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS). Oral melatonin shortens the time needed to fall asleep in children and adults with DSPS.
Login for details - Non-24-hour sleep wake disorder. Oral melatonin improves non-24-hour sleep wake disorder in blind children and adults.
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- Beta blocker-induced insomnia. Oral melatonin seems to improve sleep in patients with insomnia related to the use of beta-blockers.
Login for details - Cancer. In patients with various types of cancer, most research shows that oral or combined intramuscular/oral melatonin in combination with chemotherapy or other treatments seems to improve tumor regression and survival rates.
Login for details - Endometriosis. Oral melatonin seems to reduce endometriosis-related pain.
Login for details - Hypertension. Oral controlled-release melatonin seems to reduce blood pressure by a small amount in patients with hypertension. Immediate-release melatonin may not have the same effect.
Login for details - Insomnia. In patents with insomnia, oral melatonin seems to shorten the time it takes to fall asleep by about 7-12 minutes, although the effect on the amount of time asleep is inconclusive. Melatonin is more likely to be beneficial in older adults or people with certain comorbidities.
Login for details - Jet lag. Taking oral melatonin 2-3 mg daily while travelling seems to improve alertness and reduce daytime sleepiness in people with jet lag. It is unclear if it improves sleep efficiency in this population. Higher doses might have a hypnotic effect.
Login for details - Migraine headache. Oral melatonin 3-4 mg seems to prevent migraines when used prophylactically. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for treating migraine.
Login for details - Preoperative anxiety and sedation. Most research shows that oral or sublingual melatonin reduces preoperative anxiety and improves sedation in adults. The benefit in children is unclear.
Login for details - Sunburn. Most research shows that topical melatonin seems to protect against erythema from ultraviolet (UV) light exposure.
Login for details - Temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Oral melatonin seems to moderately reduce pain in females with TMD.
Login for details - Thrombocytopenia. Oral melatonin seems to improve and prevent thrombocytopenia associated with cancer, cancer treatment, and other disorders.
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- Athletic performance. Oral melatonin does not seem to improve athletic performance or physical strength.
Login for details - Cachexia. Oral melatonin does not seem to improve appetite or body composition in patients with cachexia and cancer.
Login for details - Dementia. Oral melatonin does not seem to improve behavior or cognition in patients with dementia. However, it might reduce evening confusion (sundowning).
Login for details - Infertility. Oral melatonin does not seem to increase fertility in females undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
Login for details - Shift work disorder. Oral melatonin does not seem to improve sleep in individuals doing shift work.
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- Benzodiazepine withdrawal. Oral melatonin does not facilitate benzodiazepine discontinuation in patients with insomnia.
Login for details - Depression. Most research shows that oral melatonin does not reduce symptoms of depression or prevent depression. In some patients, taking melatonin might make symptoms worse.
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- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD). It is unclear if oral melatonin prevents vision loss in patients with AMD.
Login for details - Atopic dermatitis (eczema). Oral melatonin might improve some symptoms of atopic dermatitis. However, it is unclear if it improves sleep in this population.
Login for details - Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for ADHD.
Login for details - Autism spectrum disorder. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for this condition.
Login for details - Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for BPH.
Login for details - Bipolar disorder. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for this condition.
Login for details - Cancer-related fatigue. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for fatigue in patients with cancer.
Login for details - Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for patients with CFS and circadian rhythm disturbances.
Login for details - Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for COPD.
Login for details - Cluster headache. It is unclear if oral melatonin prevents cluster headaches.
Login for details - Cognitive impairment. Oral melatonin has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear.
Login for details - Contraception. Login for details
- Delirium. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for preventing delirium in hospitalized patients.
Login for details - Diabetes. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for improving glycemic control.
Login for details - Diabetic neuropathy. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for improving pain in patients with diabetic neuropathy.
Login for details - Dry mouth. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for dry mouth caused by radiation treatment.
Login for details - Dyspepsia. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for dyspepsia in adults.
Login for details - Endotracheal intubation-associated adverse effects. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for endotracheal intubation-related hemodynamic effects.
Login for details - Emergence delirium. Small clinical studies suggest that melatonin may be beneficial for reducing sevoflurane-induced agitation in children.
Login for details - Epilepsy. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for epilepsy in children or adults.
Login for details - Fibromyalgia. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for this condition.
Login for details - Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for GERD.
Login for details - Helicobacter pylori. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for Helicobacter pylori eradication.
Login for details - Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for IBS.
Login for details - Kidney transplant. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for improving post-transplant kidney function.
Login for details - Lung cancer. It is unclear if melatonin is beneficial in patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Login for details - Melasma. Login for details
- Menopausal symptoms. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for improving symptoms of menopause; evidence is conflicting.
Login for details - Metabolic syndrome. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for this condition.
Login for details - Multiple sclerosis (MS). It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for MS.
Login for details - Myocardial infarction (MI). The benefits of administering oral or intravenous melatonin immediately after an MI are unclear.
Login for details - Neonatal encephalopathy. It is unclear if oral or intravenous melatonin is beneficial for neonates with encephalopathy.
Login for details - Neurological trauma. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for children who have experienced a concussion.
Login for details - Nocturnal enuresis. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for reducing nighttime wettings.
Login for details - Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for NAFLD.
Login for details - Oral mucositis. It is unclear if melatonin is beneficial for oral mucositis in patients receiving radiation and chemotherapy.
Login for details - Osteopenia. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for improving bone mineral density.
Login for details - Osteoporosis. Login for details
- Pain (chronic). It is unclear if melatonin is beneficial for most causes of chronic pain.
Login for details - Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). It is unclear if melatonin is beneficial for PCOS.
Login for details - Postoperative pain. It is unclear if melatonin is beneficial for reducing pain postoperatively.
Login for details - Postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS). It is unclear if melatonin is beneficial for POTS.
Login for details - Pre-eclampsia. It is unclear if oral melatonin reduces the severity of pre-eclampsia.
Login for details - Prostate cancer. Oral melatonin has only been evaluated in combination with medication; its effect when used alone is unclear.
Login for details - Pruritus. There is limited evidence on the oral use of melatonin in patients with uremic pruritus.
Login for details - Radiation dermatitis. It is unclear if topical melatonin is beneficial for radiation-related dermatitis.
Login for details - Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD). It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for RBD.
Login for details - Restless legs syndrome (RLS). It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for RLS.
Login for details - Rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for RA.
Login for details - Sarcoidosis. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for this condition.
Login for details - Schizophrenia. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for schizophrenia or for attenuating the adverse effects associated with antipsychotic medications.
Login for details - Seasonal affective disorder (SAD). It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for SAD.
Login for details - Smoking cessation. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial in patients trying to quit smoking.
Login for details - Sepsis. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for sepsis in neonates.
Login for details - Stabbing headache. Login for details
- Stress. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for stress reduction.
Login for details - Tardive dyskinesia. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for this condition.
Login for details - Tension headache. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for reducing the frequency of tension headaches.
Login for details - Tinnitus. It is unclear if oral melatonin is beneficial for improving tinnitus intensity or severity.
Login for details - Ulcerative colitis. Oral melatonin may be modestly beneficial for sustaining remission in patients using the medication mesalazine.
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When taken by mouth: Melatonin is likely safe for most adults when used short-term. Melatonin is possibly safe when taken long-term. It's been used safely for up to 2 years. But it can cause some side effects including headache, sleepiness, dizziness, and nausea. Don't drive or use machinery for 4-5 hours after taking melatonin.
When applied to the skin: Melatonin is likely safe for most adults when used short-term.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy: Melatonin is possibly unsafe when regularly taken by mouth or in high doses while trying to become pregnant. Melatonin might have effects similar to birth control, making it more difficult to become pregnant. There isn't enough reliable information to know if melatonin is safe to use when pregnant. Until more is known, it's best not to use melatonin while pregnant or trying to become pregnant.Breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if melatonin is safe to use when breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.
Children: Melatonin is possibly safe when taken by mouth, short-term. Melatonin is usually well tolerated when taken in doses up to 3 mg daily in children and 5 mg daily in adolescents. There is some concern that melatonin might interfere with development during adolescence. Melatonin should only be used in children with a medical need. There isn't enough evidence to know if melatonin is safe in children when taken by mouth, long-term.
Bleeding disorders: Melatonin might make bleeding worse in people with bleeding disorders.
Depression: Melatonin can make symptoms of depression worse.
High blood pressure: Melatonin can raise blood pressure in people who are taking certain medications to control blood pressure. Avoid using it.
Seizure disorders: Using melatonin might increase the risk of having a seizure.
Transplant recipients: People who have had a transplant often take medications to suppress the immune system. Melatonin can increase immune function. This might interfere with the effects of some transplant medications.
Birth control pills (Contraceptive drugs)
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
The body makes melatonin. Birth control pills seem to increase how much melatonin the body makes. Taking melatonin along with birth control pills might cause too much melatonin to be in the body.
Some birth control pills include ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel (Triphasil), ethinyl estradiol and norethindrone (Ortho-Novum 1/35, Ortho-Novum 7/7/7), and others.
Caffeine
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Caffeine might decrease melatonin levels in the body. Taking melatonin along with caffeine might decrease the effectiveness of melatonin supplements.
Flumazenil (Romazicon)
Interaction Rating=Minor Be watchful with this combination.
Flumazenil (Romazicon) might decrease the effects of melatonin. It is not yet clear why this interaction occurs yet. Taking flumazenil (Romazicon) along with melatonin might decrease the effectiveness of melatonin supplements.
Fluvoxamine (Luvox)
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Taking fluvoxamine (Luvox) can increase the amount of melatonin that the body absorbs. Taking melatonin along with fluvoxamine (Luvox) might increase the effects and side effects of melatonin.
Medications for diabetes (Antidiabetes drugs)
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Melatonin might increase blood sugar. Diabetes medications are used to lower blood sugar. By increasing blood sugar, melatonin might decrease the effectiveness of diabetes medications. Monitor your blood sugar closely. The dose of your diabetes medication might need to be changed.
Some medications used for diabetes include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol), tolbutamide (Orinase), and others.
Medications that decrease the immune system (Immunosuppressants)
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Melatonin might increase the immune system. Taking melatonin along with medications that decrease the immune system might decrease the effectiveness of medications that decrease the immune system.
Some medications that decrease the immune system include azathioprine (Imuran), basiliximab (Simulect), cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), daclizumab (Zenapax), muromonab-CD3 (OKT3, Orthoclone OKT3), mycophenolate (CellCept), tacrolimus (FK506, Prograf), sirolimus (Rapamune), prednisone (Deltasone, Orasone), corticosteroids (glucocorticoids), and others.
Medications that slow blood clotting (Anticoagulant / Antiplatelet drugs)
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Melatonin might slow blood clotting. Taking melatonin along with medications that also slow clotting might increase the chances of bruising and bleeding.
Some medications that slow blood clotting include aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), diclofenac (Voltaren, Cataflam, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Anaprox, Naprosyn, others), dalteparin (Fragmin), enoxaparin (Lovenox), heparin, warfarin (Coumadin), and others.
Nifedipine GITS (Procardia XL)
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Nifedipine GITS (Procardia XL) is used to lower blood pressure. Taking melatonin might decrease the effectiveness of nifedipine GITS for lowering blood pressure.
Sedative medications (Benzodiazepines)
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Melatonin might cause sleepiness and drowsiness. Drugs that cause sleepiness and drowsiness are called sedatives. Taking melatonin along with sedative medications might cause too much sleepiness.
Some of these sedative medications include clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), and others.
Sedative medications (CNS depressants)
Interaction Rating=Major Do not take this combination.
Melatonin might cause sleepiness and drowsiness. Medications that cause sleepiness are called sedatives. Taking melatonin along with sedative medications might cause too much sleepiness.
Some sedative medications include clonazepam (Klonopin), lorazepam (Ativan), phenobarbital (Donnatal), zolpidem (Ambien), and others.
Verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan)
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
The body breaks down melatonin to get rid of it. Verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan) can increase how quickly the body gets rid of melatonin. Taking melatonin along with verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan) might decrease the effectiveness of melatonin.
Caffeine: Caffeine might increase or decrease melatonin levels in the body. When taken together with melatonin supplements, caffeine seems to increase melatonin levels.
Herbs and supplements that might lower blood pressure: Melatonin might lower blood pressure. Taking it with other supplements that have the same effect might cause blood pressure to drop too much. Examples of supplements with this effect include andrographis, casein peptides, L-arginine, niacin, and stinging nettle.
Herbs and supplements that might lower blood sugar: Melatonin might lower blood sugar. Taking it with other supplements with similar effects might lower blood sugar too much. Examples of supplements with this effect include aloe, bitter melon, cassia cinnamon, chromium, and prickly pear cactus.
Herbs and supplements that might lower seizure threshold: Melatonin might increase the risk for seizures. Taking it along with other supplements with similar effects might increase the risk for seizures even more. Examples of supplements with this effect include caffeine, evening primrose, L-carnitine, melatonin, and sage.
Herbs and supplements that might slow blood clotting: Melatonin might slow blood clotting and increase the risk of bleeding. Taking it with other supplements with similar effects might increase the risk of bleeding in some people. Examples of supplements with this effect include garlic, ginger, ginkgo, nattokinase, and Panax ginseng.
Herbs and supplements with sedative properties: Melatonin might cause sleepiness and slowed breathing. Taking it along with other supplements with similar effects might cause too much sleepiness and/or slowed breathing in some people. Examples of supplements with this effect include hops, kava, L-tryptophan, and valerian.
Vitex agnus-castus: Taking vitex agnus-castus increases melatonin levels in the body. Taking vitex agnus-castus with melatonin might increase the effects and side effects of melatonin.
There are no known interactions with foods.
Melatonin has most often been used by adults in doses up to 8 mg by mouth daily for up to 6 months. In children, it's most often been used in doses up to 3 mg by mouth daily for up to 3 months.
Some melatonin supplements are slow-release and others are fast-release. Some melatonin products can be placed under the tongue or in the cheek to absorb faster. Melatonin is also used in creams, gargles, and gels. Speak with a healthcare provider to find out what type of product and dose might be best for a specific condition.
5-Methoxy-N-Acetyltryptamine, MEL, Melatonina, Mélatonine, MLT, N-Acetyl-5-Methoxytryptamine, N-Acétyl-5-Méthoxytryptamine, Pineal Hormone.
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