Melatonin
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Every diet
It is made by chemical synthesis.
No carbohydrate.
Safe in small amounts; may bother some people or raise blood sugar.
Rules by country
Melatonin has no E-number and is not an additive. In the United States it is sold as a dietary supplement, and in Canada it is licensed as a natural health product for occasional sleeplessness at 0.1 to 10 mg, taken 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime. In the European Union it is a food supplement ingredient with a capped daily amount, and anything above that is a medicine.
What is it?
Melatonin is a hormone your pineal gland releases once it gets dark, and it is the signal that tells the body the day is over. A supplement gives you that same signal, in a dose of a few tenths of a milligram up to a few milligrams. The number worth knowing is the timing: Health Canada advises taking it 30 to 60 minutes before the bedtime you want, and the packs on sale are usually 1 mg, 3 mg, 5 mg or 10 mg, in gummies as often as tablets.
Where it comes from: The melatonin in a supplement is made by chemical synthesis, because growing it in a gland is an expensive way to buy a cheap molecule. Your own pineal gland makes the same hormone in the evening, from the signal that it is getting dark.
Why it’s in food
- Resetting a shifted body clock
- Easing jet lag after travel
- Short term help with sleepless nights
- Helping shift workers sleep in daylight
Often found in
Also listed as: Melatonin, Melatonin (sleep hormone), Melatonin supplement, Melatonin powder
Health & gut impact
EFSA concluded that melatonin can carry the claim that it contributes to the reduction of the time needed to fall asleep. That is a modest claim about the wait at bedtime rather than a cure for insomnia, and it is the reason a low dose can do as much as a high one.
EFSA Journal, scientific opinion on melatonin
The NHS lists medicines that may not mix well with melatonin, including anything that causes drowsiness such as zopiclone, and the blood thinner warfarin. Melatonin adds to their effect rather than replacing it, so a pharmacist should read your list before you start taking it.
NHS, melatonin
Melatonin leaves enough drowsiness behind to affect driving and machinery the next morning, and the NHS advises staying off both until the sleepiness has passed. Alcohol makes this worse, so a nightcap on top of a melatonin tablet is a poor way to take it.
NHS, melatonin
Health Canada's monograph limits melatonin to occasional sleeplessness in adults and tells users to see a doctor if sleeplessness carries on for more than four weeks. It also warns against taking it alongside alcohol or other products with sedative properties, because the drowsiness adds up.
Health Canada, melatonin oral monograph
What can I use instead?
Related
More functional ingredients:
Common questions
Will melatonin leave me groggy in the morning?
It can, and that is mostly a dose problem. The hormone works on a rising signal, so a small dose an hour before the bedtime you want is usually enough, and a 10 mg tablet is more likely to leave you foggy than a 1 mg one. If you wake up tired, take less and take it earlier.
Can I take melatonin with my sleeping tablets?
Not without asking. The NHS lists medicines that may not mix well with melatonin, including anything that causes drowsiness such as zopiclone, and the blood thinner warfarin. Melatonin adds to the effect of these rather than replacing them, so tell your pharmacist what you already take.
Does melatonin help with staying asleep?
Not really, and it is aimed at falling asleep. EFSA allows the claim that melatonin contributes to reducing the time needed to fall asleep, and there is no equivalent claim about staying asleep. If you wake in the night and cannot get back to sleep, this is the wrong tool.
Is melatonin a medicine or a supplement?
It depends on where you are. In the United States it is a dietary supplement you can buy over the counter, in Canada it is licensed as a natural health product for occasional sleeplessness, and in parts of Europe it is a medicine once you go above a set daily amount.
Is Melatonin safe?
Use in moderation (80/100). Melatonin has no E-number and is not an additive. In the United States it is sold as a dietary supplement, and in Canada it is licensed as a natural health product for occasional sleeplessness at 0.1 to 10 mg, taken 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime. In the European Union it is a food supplement ingredient with a capped daily amount, and anything above that is a medicine.
Is Melatonin vegan?
Yes. It is made by chemical synthesis.
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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
- EFSA Journal, scientific opinion on melatonin
- NHS, melatonin
- Health Canada, melatonin oral monograph
CAS 55-37-3