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Melatonin - Editor's Choice

| Modified on Dec 05, 2025
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Melatonin supplements.

Melatonin is best known for promoting restful sleep, but its benefits reach far beyond bedtime.

It’s a hormone your body naturally produces in response to darkness. Its main job is to regulate your internal clock (circadian rhythm), signaling when it’s time to rest and recover.

Researchers now understand that melatonin’s influence extends throughout the body. It acts as a powerful antioxidant, immune modulator, and protector of heart, brain, and metabolic health.

By aligning your body's clock, melatonin not only supports deeper sleep but also strengthens your cells against stress, inflammation, and premature aging. Whether for jet lag, shift work, or overall wellness, it's one of the most versatile and well-studied natural supplements available.

⚠️ Important Medical Disclaimer

This guide is educational, not medical advice. Talk with your clinician before starting melatonin—especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have epilepsy, autoimmune disease, glaucoma, diabetes, or depression. Use with caution if you take anticoagulants (blood thinners), blood pressure meds, sedatives, or CYP1A2-interacting drugs (e.g., fluvoxamine, ciprofloxacin).

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What Is Melatonin? (And What It's Not)

Melatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland in response to darkness. It synchronizes the body’s internal clock (circadian rhythm), signaling that it’s time to wind down.

It does this by binding to receptors in your brain (MT1 and MT2), essentially telling your body that night has begun.

Important: Melatonin is not a "knock-out" sedative like a sleeping pill. It is a "timer" that helps reset your sleep-wake cycle. This is why it's most effective for "timing" issues like jet lag or a delayed sleep schedule.

Beyond sleep, melatonin is also a powerful antioxidant that influences immune tone, vascular health, and mitochondrial function.

Top Health Benefits of Melatonin

1. Sleep & Circadian Rhythm

  • Helps you fall asleep faster, especially for insomnia and delayed sleep phase ("night owls").
  • Useful for jet lag and shift work to shift the body's clock.
  • Can improve sleep quality in ADHD and autism (use only under medical supervision).

2. Antioxidant & Anti-Inflammatory

  • Directly scavenges free radicals and supports your cells' own defenses (mitochondria).
  • Helps calm nighttime oxidative stress that can disrupt sleep.

3. GERD & Acid Reflux Support

  • A key, often-missed benefit: Melatonin may help tighten the lower esophageal sphincter (LES).
  • It also helps protect the esophageal lining from acid, making it a popular option for nighttime heartburn.

4. Heart & Metabolic Support

  • May modestly support healthy nighttime blood pressure.
  • Supports endothelial function (the lining of blood vessels) and healthy lipid balance.

5. Mood & Seasonal Support

  • By stabilizing circadian rhythms, melatonin may help seasonal affective symptoms (SAD) and sleep-linked anxiety.

6. Eye & Neuro Support

  • Provides antioxidant protection for retinal tissues; research shows interest in AMD and glaucoma support.
  • May aid "sleep-dependent memory consolidation" (helping you remember what you learned).

7. Immune Modulation

  • Helps coordinate the timing of your immune response. Research is exploring its role in infection recovery and inflammation.

Note on cancer: Melatonin is being studied for adjunctive roles (e.g., improving sleep, reducing stress, and supporting circadian alignment during treatment) under oncology supervision. It is not a standalone cancer treatment. Always follow your oncologist’s guidance.

How to Dose Melatonin (Simple, Safe, Effective)

Start low, adjust slowly. Many adults sleep better on microdoses.

General Insomnia / Trouble Falling Asleep

  • 0.3 mg – 1 mg taken 60–90 minutes before your target bedtime.
  • If needed, increase by 0.5 mg – 1 mg every 3–4 nights, up to 3 mg.
  • Higher doses (3 mg – 5 mg) often cause morning "groggy" feelings. The lowest effective dose is always the best.

Delayed Sleep Phase ("Night Owl")

  • 0.3 mg – 1 mg taken 2–3 hours before your desired bedtime to gently advance your clock.
  • Combine with bright morning light and dimming all lights/screens after sunset.

Jet Lag

  • On arrival, take 1 mg – 3 mg at the local bedtime for 2–4 nights.
  • Eastward travel usually benefits more. Add morning outdoor light and eat meals on the new local schedule.

Shift Work

  • For daytime sleep after a night shift: 1 mg – 3 mg just before you plan to sleep.
  • Use blackout curtains, an eye mask, and white noise to create a dark, quiet environment.

Older Adults

  • Consider low-dose SR (prolonged-release) 1 mg – 2 mg taken 1–2 hours before bed.
  • Immediate-release (IR) is best for trouble falling asleep; Sustained-release (SR) is best for trouble staying asleep.

Children & Adolescents

  • USE ONLY UNDER PEDIATRIC GUIDANCE.
  • Because melatonin is a hormone, there are theoretical concerns it could affect pubertal development (though data is limited).
  • Typical supervised ranges for conditions like ADHD/ASD are 0.5 mg – 3 mg, 30–60 min before bedtime.

Forms & Timing

  • Immediate-Release (IR): Standard tablets/capsules. Helps you fall asleep faster. Ideal for jet lag or trouble "shutting off."
  • Sustained-Release (SR/PR): Also called Extended-Release (ER). Dissolves slowly. Best for people who wake up frequently in the middle of the night.
  • Sublingual/Lozenges: Dissolve under the tongue for faster absorption. Good for taking at "lights out" or if you wake at 2 a.m. (use a very low dose, 0.3-0.5 mg, and only if you have 4+ hours left to sleep).
  • Liquid Drops: Easiest for "micro-dosing." Allows you to find your perfect dose (e.g., 0.3 mg, 0.5 mg, etc.).

Timing Tip: For circadian shifting (jet lag, night owl), timing is key. Take melatonin 2–3 hours before your desired bedtime and combine it with evening dim-light and morning bright-light exposure.

Helpful "Stacks" & Sleep Hygiene

Gentle Stacks (Combine with Melatonin)

  • Magnesium Glycinate: 100–200 mg in the evening for muscle and mental relaxation.
  • Glycine: 3 grams 30–60 min before bed. May help lower core body temperature and improve sleep depth.
  • L-Theanine: 100–200 mg for a feeling of "calm focus" (an amino acid from green tea).
  • Tart Cherry: A natural source of melatonin. Can be taken as juice or extract 1–2 hours before bed.

Sleep Hygiene (The Foundation)

  • Get morning outdoor light within 1 hour of waking (this sets your clock for the next night).
  • Dim lights and turn off screens 2 hours before bed. Use "night shift" filters on devices.
  • Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet.
  • Avoid heavy meals and alcohol within 3 hours of bedtime.
  • Limit caffeine after noon.

Safety, Side Effects & Interactions

  • Common Side Effects: Morning grogginess, vivid dreams, headache, or dizziness. These are often dose-related. Try a lower dose or take it earlier.
  • Blood Pressure & Glucose: May modestly lower BP. Monitor if you are on antihypertensives or if you are diabetic.
  • Drug Interactions (CYP1A2): Fluvoxamine and ciprofloxacin can significantly raise melatonin levels. Smokers may clear melatonin faster, making it less effective.
  • Bleeding Risk: Theoretical interaction with anticoagulants (warfarin) and anti-platelet drugs. Coordinate with your clinician.
  • Hormone Interactions: As a hormone, melatonin can interact with other pathways. Use with caution and medical guidance if you have a hormone-sensitive condition.
  • Autoimmune/Epilepsy: Data is mixed. Use only with strict medical supervision.
  • Pregnancy/Breastfeeding: Avoid high doses; discuss all supplement use with your OB/pediatrician.

Beyond Sleep: High-Dose Melatonin Research

While standard doses (0.3 mg – 5 mg) are used for sleep, a separate and growing body of research is exploring "high-dose" melatonin (often 10 mg to 200 mg) for its powerful antioxidant and cellular-protective effects.

As highlighted in articles by authors like Art Solbrig and researchers like Dr. Russel Reiter, this high-dose approach is not for sleep timing. Instead, it focuses on melatonin's role as a master antioxidant and immune regulator, particularly in its ability to support mitochondria (the energy centers of our cells).

⚠️ Critical Warning: High-Dose Is Medical

High-dose melatonin is an experimental therapeutic approach. It is not for casual use and must be supervised by a qualified medical professional (such as an oncologist or a functional medicine doctor) who is familiar with this research. Do not self-medicate with high doses.

Key Areas of High-Dose Research

This approach views melatonin less as a sleep hormone and more as a "master repair" and survival signal for cells under extreme stress.

  • Adjunct Cancer Care: This is the most-studied area. High doses are being researched for their potential to support patients during chemotherapy and radiation by protecting healthy cells from oxidative stress and reducing treatment side effects.
  • Neuroprotection: As a potent antioxidant that can cross the blood-brain barrier, high-dose melatonin is studied for its protective effects in conditions like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and after traumatic brain injury (TBI) or stroke.
  • Acute Inflammation & Sepsis: High doses (often given intravenously in hospitals) were studied during the COVID-19 pandemic for their ability to calm "cytokine storms" and protect organs from the severe inflammation of sepsis.
  • Glaucoma & Eye Health: Some research explores higher doses (around 10-20 mg) for its potential to protect the optic nerve and retinal tissues from oxidative damage.

Again, these applications are medical and experimental, requiring a very different approach than using melatonin for sleep.

What Earth Clinic Readers Report

Frequently Praised

  • Micro-dosing (0.3 mg – 1 mg): "The best sleep with no hangover. 3 mg was way too much."
  • Sublingual IR at Lights-Out: "Helps me shut my brain off faster. Fewer 2 a.m. clock-checks."
  • SR 1 mg – 2 mg for Early Waking: "This finally stopped my 4 a.m. wake-ups."
  • Jet Lag Protocol: "Took 3 mg at local bedtime plus morning sunlight. I adjusted in 2 nights instead of a week."
  • Vivid Dreams: Many note this, especially at higher doses. Most find it neutral or enjoyable.

Mixed / Cautionary

  • Too High a Dose: This is the #1 complaint. "5 mg made me feel depressed and groggy all next day." Lowering the dose solved it.
  • Tolerance: "It worked great for a month, then stopped." Taking a break for 3-4 nights often resets sensitivity.
  • Evening Screens: "It didn't work until I stopped scrolling in bed." Bright light (especially blue light) counteracts melatonin's signal.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How long does melatonin take to work?

Immediate-release (IR) forms typically start to work within 30–90 minutes. For circadian shifting (like for night owls), you must take it 2–3 hours before your desired bedtime and be consistent for 1–2 weeks.

What if I wake up at 2–3 a.m.?

First, try a Sustained-Release (SR) 1 mg – 2 mg before bed. If you are already awake, you can try a very low-dose sublingual 0.3 mg – 0.5 mg, but only if you have at least 4-5 hours left to sleep. Otherwise, you risk being groggy.

Can melatonin cause dependence?

Melatonin is not known to cause physiological dependence (addiction) like sleeping pills. However, you can become psychologically reliant on it as part of your sleep routine. It's best to pair melatonin with good sleep hygiene so you aren't relying on a pill alone.

Is more melatonin better?

No. For sleep, more is often worse. Many adults sleep best on 0.3 mg – 1 mg. Higher doses (5 mg+) are more likely to cause side effects like grogginess, headaches, or vivid dreams without improving sleep quality.

Is it safe for long-term use? Or every night?

It is generally considered safe for short-to-medium-term use (e.g., several months). Data on "every night for 20 years" is less robust. Because of this, it's best to use the lowest effective dose. Many people "cycle" it—using it for 2–4 weeks to fix a bad pattern, then taking a break. Discuss long-term use with your doctor.

Used thoughtfully, melatonin can be a gentle, effective ally for sleep timing and nighttime restoration. Start low, time it right, manage your light, and choose the form that matches your goal. Always fine-tune your plan with your clinician for steady, refreshing sleep.

Related Links:

Melatonin Gel: Health Benefits and Recipe
Melatonin Lotion for Pain Relief: Recipe + Success Stories

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
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Cancer

Posted by Art (California) on 08/04/2025 2770 posts
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Why Melatonin Is Important In The Fight Against Cancer

This new review article (July 2025) goes into detail of why Melatonin is an important molecule to help fight cancer through multiple methods of action. It details much of what is known about how melatonin fights cancer and interacts well with standard of care :

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1617508/full

Here is a relevant quote from the article :

' Melatonin (MLT), a naturally occurring hormone produced by the pineal gland, exhibits significant anticancer effects. It has superior antioxidant, inhibit tumor cell proliferation, migration, angiogenesis-inhibiting, and tumor cell apoptosis-inducing functions. Mechanistically, melatonin inhibits tumor development through epigenetic regulation, metabolic reprogramming, immune micro-environment, and regulation of important signaling pathways (PI3K/AKT). In addition, MLT significantly enhances anticancer efficacy in combination with other anticancer drugs, such as cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and paclitaxel. However, the shortcomings of melatonin, such as its low bioavailability, rapid metabolism, and significant individual variation in secretion, have limited its clinical application in anticancer therapy. This limitation has been mitigated by targeted delivery and individualized therapy. Therefore, MLT may be a promising candidate for natural hormone therapy in the future. '

I would like to add that melatonin lotion and melatonin gel may also offer a way to help overcome the poor bioavailability of oral melatonin as well as the rapid metabolism of the molecule.

Art

Melatonin and Daytime Use

Posted by Mama to Many (TN) on 09/29/2021
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

One of the concerns that people have with using Melatonin 4 times a day for covid or other viruses is that, because Melatonin is used to help with sleep it is presumed to make you too tired during the day. I will share some of my personal experiences with that.

When we had covid back in January we all used high dose Melatonin (thanks to Art who kept us informed about the protocol! ) I used it on everyone in the house - ages 9 to 83, based on weight, as Dr. Neel recommends. We took it 4 times a day.

My 83 year old mother in law with dementia did not know what the pills I gave her were, I just added them with her other meds and supplements. She was not symptomatic of covid, but we were using it to try and prevent covid since others in the home had it. (I think it worked, or at least helped! She never got sick, but did lose her sense of smell.) Anyway, her sleep/wake patterns were no different than when she wasn't taking round the clock melatonin. (She always takes it at night.)

It was hard to tell how it affected those of us who were actually sick. Sick people sleep more.

I take 15-20 mg of melatonin every night to help me with sleep (and it definitely improves my quality of sleep! )

Last summer, an hour after taking my melatonin dose, my daughter-in-law went into labor. I had an hour of sleep but woke up easily and drove an hour and 20 minutes to the birth center where she had the baby. I had no trouble driving and no trouble staying awake all night.

I had the opportunity to repeat the experiment last week. I had taken my 20 mg of melatonin and fallen asleep when my daughter went into labor. I woke up and stayed up the rest of the night with her and was able to see another grandchild born. (What a privilege! )

I cannot know how it affects others. But I can say that melatonin does not make it impossible for at least some people to stay awake after taking a significant dose. Certainly it would be wise to know how such a dose would affect you before driving a long way or using heavy equipment.

~Mama to Many~

Multiple Conditions

Posted by Art (California) on 09/13/2021 2770 posts
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

In the above chart, you can see that by age 50, melatonin levels have declined to the level of a newborn which is quite low when compared to the peak seen in childhood. In the following link, there is a chart that you have to scroll down to page 10 to see and it shows how the incidence of Parkinson's Disease (PD) increases with age. Interestingly, the incidence of PD starts to increase noticeably from age 50.

https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/sites/default/files/2018-01/Prevalence Incidence Report Latest_Public_2.pdf

Seems like an interesting coincidence.

Look at the following chart and notice how Deaths from Covid-19 start to notably increase from age 50 and up.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1191568/reported-deaths-from-covid-by-age-us/

Seems like an interesting coincidence.

Men age 45 or older and women age 55 or older are more likely to have a heart attack than are younger men and women.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-attack/symptoms-causes/syc-20373106

Seems like an interesting coincidence.

Middle age is when diabetes diagnoses really start to spike. An estimated 14% of Americans ages 45 to 64, or 11 million people, are diagnosed with type 2. That's almost five times the rate for those 18 to 44.

https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/diabetes-link-age

Seems like an interesting coincidence.

Risk increases significantly after age 50, and half of all cancers occur at age 66 and above. According to the National Cancer Institute, one quarter of new cancer diagnoses are in people aged 65 to 74. Refer to the attached chart to see where melatonin levels are at this age range.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4544764/

Seems like an interesting coincidence.

Osteoporosis also starts to become a bigger issue around age 50 when bone stability starts to head south.

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/osteoporosis/osteoporosis-what-you-need-to-know-as-you-age

Seems like an interesting coincidence.

From this link, you can see that stroke starts to noticeably increase from age 50.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/core/lw/2.0/html/tileshop_pmc/tileshop_pmc_inline.html?title=Click on image to zoom&p=PMC3&id=3006180_nihms219089f1.jpg

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3006180/

Seems like an interesting coincidence.

Another interesting coincidence is that melatonin has been shown in studies to help all of these diseases.

Art

Induce Dreaming

Posted by Derek (Ontario, CA) on 03/28/2015
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I have been taking Melatonin for 7 months now and originally started to have vivid dreams and now my dreams are much more gentle but amazing nontheless, and great sleep indeed ... I started with a cream of 50mg per night for the first two months then upped the dose to 100mg per night for 4 months then tried the 250mg SR capsules but I was a little woosy in the morning, so I stayed on the 100mg for another month and now I am almost done the bottle when finished then I will try 250mg SR again ...(SR) stands for slow release ;) eventually working up to 400 or 500 mg at this point the pineal opens up and you begin to experience the truth of who we are ;) those who have done the research already know this.



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