According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only one third of adults regularly get enough sleep. That is considered less than seven hours of sleep each night, as studies have shown that this amount is best for brain health, rejuvenation, and overall well-being.
Related: Here's what to eat to get a good night's sleep: Researchers have found the optimal amount of sleep for health. In addition to the stress of constant smartphone pings, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and the fact that there is almost never enough time in a day to complete everything, even a 30-minute news report can make you lose sleep.
More and more Americans are turning to melatonin as a possible patch, which works in a similar way to a lullaby in a pill or liquid form to help them sleep better. A recent research letter published in JAMA states that we used twice as many over-the-counter melatonin supplements in 2018 as we did in 1999. Additionally, melatonin's popularity is only growing: Melatonin sales increased to $820 million in 2020 from $285 million in 2016. Since 2020, as pandemic and other stresses have grown, that number is only expected to rise.
So, what exactly is melatonin, and what happens if you take it every night to try to get some good sleep? We sought answers from the experts.
How Does Melatonin Work?
"Melatonin is actually a hormone, not a supplement," says Carleara Weiss, Ph.D., a sleep science advisor at Aeroflow Sleep in New York City. "You might think of melatonin first as a supplement, since it is found in the pharmacy." Melatonin is mostly known as a sleep hormone because it builds up slowly during the day and peaks at night, signaling the body that it's time to go to bed.
Weiss adds that melatonin has an effect on the entire body, just like sleep. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties are present in the hormone. According to her, numerous studies suggest that melatonin contributes to mental, cognitive, and cardiovascular health. Melatonin's antioxidant properties may play a role in its positive effects on blood pressure, lipid levels (such as triglycerides and LDL cholesterol), and blood sugar regulation, according to one review.
Travel, shift work, a lack of daytime light, or too much blue light from phones can all throw off your melatonin levels. Melatonin has been created by supplement manufacturers to help fill in the gaps.
Who Might Benefit from Melatonin and Who Should Avoid It According to Weiss, melatonin should not be "plan A" for most people who are having trouble sleeping. It is mostly a short-term, doctor-recommended treatment for people who have:
"The National Institutes of Health confirms that melatonin is generally safe for most people for short-term use," says Bianca Tamburello, a registered dietitian nutritionist for Fresh Communications in Boston. "Shift work disorder Circadian rhythm disorders Short-term anxiety Some sleep disorders" However, before taking melatonin or any other supplement, you should always consult your primary care physician," she states.
According to Elizabeth Shaw, M.S., the proprietor of ShawSimpleSwaps.com and a registered dietitian nutritionist based in San Diego, there are also some individuals who should strongly consider skipping melatonin. If you belong to any of the following categories, you should ask your doctor about the safety of melatonin for you:
You are nursing or planning to become pregnant (The National Institutes of Health says that there isn't enough research to say that melatonin is safe in this situation.)
If you're a parent, you should be aware that the use of melatonin in children is controversial, and even low doses may impact a child's development, attention, concentration, and daytime sleepiness, according to Weiss. If you've been diagnosed with certain conditions that affect the liver, you should avoid taking melatonin supplements. If you're taking medications that might interact with melatonin supplements, like blood thinners and medications for epilepsy, you should avoid taking According to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there has also been a significant rise in the number of adverse effects that children who take melatonin experience, such as hospitalizations and calls to poison control centers. Because so many people now have melatonin in their homes, these were typically the result of unintentional ingestions by young children.)
How to Choose and Use Melatonin Supplements If your doctor recommends melatonin, it can be purchased as a pill, tablet, capsule, powder, or liquid. According to Tamburello, supplements, such as melatonin, are not as tightly regulated as food products. She advises looking for a USP-verified mark, which is a seal that certifies that the supplement contains the ingredients it claims to, is free of harmful contaminants, and is manufactured using reputable methods.
Weiss recommends that people who occasionally use melatonin to improve their quality of sleep stick to a low dose (0.3 to 5 milligrams) and a short duration (four weeks or less). Do not increase your dosage without the advice of a medical professional if the recommended dose does not seem to be helping.
Your circadian rhythm will be delayed if you take an additional dose of melatonin. "Weiss explains that this will push your sleep and metabolism to a later time of the day, making it more likely that you will be sleepy during the day and experience other side effects like headache, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. Excessive use may also make it harder to fall asleep the next night," she says.
According to Shaw, it is important to keep in mind that "efficacy and safety for long-term use is not yet widely understood." But most healthy people should be able to take a melatonin supplement once a night for up to a month as long as their doctor gives them the go-ahead and a precise dose level. The Mayo Clinic states that headache, dizziness, nausea, and drowsiness are common melatonin side effects.
Related: "The best option is to change sleep behaviors, such as reducing exposure to light from electronic devices at least one hour before bedtime, creating a bedtime routine, exercising and meditating," according to Weiss, "the best option is to change sleep behaviors, such as reducing exposure to light from electronic devices at least one hour before bedtime." What You Might Want to Try Instead of Taking Melatonin
To prepare yourself for bedtime success, the experts with whom we spoke recommend the following additional "sleep hygiene" practices:
Alcohol and caffeine should be avoided at night.
Include activities like journaling, therapy, or exercise that reduce stress.
Put yourself in the light of the early morning.
Hydrate.
Change the layout of your bedroom to help you feel more relaxed.
Tamburello suggests that close to bedtime, consume foods that naturally contain melatonin. She suggests trying tart cherries, eggs, kiwis, nuts, and fatty fish like salmon.
Related: A 3-Day Meal Plan to Help You Sleep The Bottom Line, according to Weiss, "There is a place for both melatonin and improving sleep hygiene when it comes to getting better sleep." People who suffer from insomnia can see long-term improvements in their quality of sleep as a result of a well-established sleep hygiene routine without the potential negative effects of taking melatonin. However, sleep hygiene alone may not be sufficient for people who work shifts and are experiencing jet lag. "She says that in that scenario, a combination of melatonin and sleep hygiene may be required for sleep."
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