other
Melatonin: Timing, Safety, Kids and Legal Status
Also known as melatonin gummies, slow-release melatonin, prolonged-release melatonin, Circadin, sleep hormone
Short answer
Melatonin is a hormone your brain makes in response to darkness; it helps time your body clock and sleep [1]. The US sells it as a dietary supplement, but the UK makes it prescription-only [1][4]. Short-term use appears safe for most people; long-term safety is unclear [1]. Ask a health care provider before giving it to children [1].
Last reviewed · 8 sources
What is Melatonin?
Melatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland in the brain. Levels rise just after dark and peak in the early hours of the morning [4]. It helps time your circadian rhythms (the 24-hour body clock) and sleep, and light at night can block its production [1]. Supplements are most often made synthetically [1].
Forms of Melatonin you'll see on labels
Tablets, capsules and liquids
Common US supplement forms; melatonin is also sold as gummies [1]. The NHS calls immediate-release tablets standard tablets [3].
Slow-release (prolonged-release) tablets
Release melatonin gradually during the night. In the UK, melatonin usually comes as 2 mg slow-release tablets on prescription [3].
Gummies
A 2023 study found 22 of 25 melatonin gummy products were inaccurately labeled; they held 74% to 347% of the stated amount, and one had none [1].
Synthetic or animal-derived
Most melatonin supplements are synthetic. Some are made from animals or microorganisms [1].
How Melatonin appears on a label
Melatonin is listed in milligrams (mg). Label amounts may not be accurate: in a 2017 test of 31 supplements, the amount in most did not match the label, and 26% contained serotonin [1]. Flavored products such as gummies are often involved when young children swallow melatonin by accident [1].
When to take Melatonin
NHS guidance for prescribed melatonin says it takes about 1 to 2 hours to work and is usually taken 30 minutes to 2 hours before bedtime, depending on the reason [2][3]. Slow-release tablets are best taken with food and swallowed whole; standard tablets are best taken 2 hours before or 2 hours after food [3]. For jet lag, the NHS says to take it at your normal bedtime at your destination, not before 8pm or after 4am [3].
What to keep apart from Melatonin
Alcohol
The NHS says not to drink alcohol while taking melatonin; together they can make you sleep very deeply, so you do not breathe properly [4].
Caffeine
Caffeine has the opposite effect of melatonin and can stop it working properly [4].
Blood thinners such as warfarin
People taking blood thinners need medical supervision when using melatonin [1][5]. Ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Epilepsy medicines
People with epilepsy need medical supervision when using melatonin; the NHS also lists carbamazepine [1][5]. Ask your doctor.
Sleeping pills, benzodiazepines, opioids and some antidepressants
These can change melatonin's drowsy effects; the NHS lists zolpidem, zopiclone, temazepam, diazepam, codeine, morphine, fluvoxamine and amitriptyline [5]. Ask your pharmacist.
Herbal remedies that cause sleepiness
The NHS says not to take them with melatonin because they can make you much more drowsy [5].
Combined pill or HRT
Melatonin does not affect how contraception works, but melatonin levels can rise when taking the combined pill or HRT [4].
Who should ask a doctor or pharmacist first
Children: talk to a health care provider first [1]. Pregnancy and breastfeeding: research on safety is lacking, and the NHS says melatonin is not usually recommended in pregnancy [1][6]. Older adults: melatonin may stay active longer and cause daytime drowsiness, and sleep experts recommend against it for people with dementia [1]. People with epilepsy or on blood thinners need medical supervision [1]. The NHS also says to check first if you have liver or kidney problems or an autoimmune condition [7].
Keep Melatonin in a routine that fits
Supin schedules what you take by time of day, reminds you, and tells you when a bottle runs low.
Melatonin: questions people ask
The NHS says melatonin takes around 1 to 2 hours to work [2].
No. The NHS says alcohol and melatonin together can make you sleep very deeply, so you do not breathe properly and are hard to wake [4].
The NHS says that if you take it as prescribed, you are unlikely to become addicted. Ask a doctor about stopping if you have taken it for a long time [4].
Sources
- Melatonin: What You Need To Know — NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
- About melatonin — NHS
- How and when to take melatonin — NHS
- Common questions about melatonin — NHS
- Taking melatonin with other medicines and herbal supplements — NHS
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding and fertility while taking melatonin — NHS
- Who can and cannot take melatonin — NHS
- Melatonin — healthdirect Australia
Educational information, not medical advice. The amounts above are official reference values, not a recommendation for you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before starting or changing supplements, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or have a health condition. Supin sells a subscription, not supplements. Last reviewed .