Frequently Asked Questions

This will depend on your reason for use. The physiological dose is 0.3-1.0 mg, the pharmacological dose is up to 10 mg and high doses are greater than 10 mg. Always check with your healthcare provider to determine the right dose for you.

While research continues to emerge on the dosing of melatonin, it is important to know that higher doses, such as 100 mg /day, is largely based on animal studies for the cytoprotective effects or human studies are short-term to assess the safety and adverse effects, rather than clinical utility. When assessing the safety of these high doses, this was a short-time period, sometimes as little as 1 dose. Presently there is interest in using high doses of melatonin in the hospital or supervised clinical setting for cancer, active infection, (i.e., COVID-19) and sepsis.

At this time, long-term studies, defined as 2 years, have been completed on doses of 8-10 mg daily without any safety concerns being reported. Some studies have looked at longer time periods for certain health conditions.

As with all supplements and medications, it is always suggested that you speak to your doctor about what you are taking, especially if you have any health concerns. Visit the contraindications page for more information.

Melatonin, as a whole, has a very nice safety profile. There are limited (and rare) direct side effects documented in the literature, and some theoretical possibilities may arise. Visit the safety page for more information.

Regardless of the dose, it is advised to follow a schedule that imitates the normal circadian rhythm, therefore, taking it 30-60 minutes before bedtime will be suitable for most people.

Research studies have shown that melatonin from supplementation does not impact endogenous production. However, high-dose long-term use of melatonin could potentially reduce sensitivity of receptor sites and create a need for higher doses of melatonin to achieve the same benefits.

Melatonin’s use in pregnancy and lactation has been less studied, though research is emerging for this population. Some clinical trials report safety and no adverse effects with doses of 8-30 mg per day. Historically, it was contraindicated in pregnancy because of its role in uterine contractions; however, more recent literature suggests many positive aspects of melatonin, likely due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Some benefits include reducing preeclampsia risk, hyperglycemia, uterine growth retardation, and neonatal complications. Less data is available on lactation, though based on current data, melatonin is reported to be safe during lactation. Despite that fact, clinical caution should be exercised. At present, melatonin use during pregnancy and lactation is “probably safe”. Based on the current data, the low physiological dose for the shortest duration of time in this population can be considered, with careful monitoring of the patient. Pharmacological doses should be avoided due to the potential for uterine contractions.

Melatonin is not recommended for children under 18, even in a low dose, for sleep concerns. The literature tells us that there are some cases in which melatonin would be beneficial for children: · Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) · Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Studies suggest doses of 0.3 – 1.0 mg may be used short-term, with a maximum dose of 3 mg for children and 5 mg for adolescents diagnosed with these medical conditions. Discuss this option with your child’s physician before beginning use. If you have a child who cannot get to sleep, we suggest exploring and modifying other lifestyle aspects, such as exposure to blue light (TV, computer, video games, tablets, etc.), avoidance of sugar before bed, establishing a set bedtime routine/ritual, taking a soothing bath, etc.

According to some of the melatonin experts we have consulted with, like world-renowned melatonin researcher, Russel Reiter, PhD, and neuroscientist, Horacio de la Iglesia, PhD, at the University of Washington, melatonin does not present this issue for humans. In animals that seasonally breed, melatonin alters their reproductive cycles through the year, which is why their reproductive organs change in size as a result. As one might imagine, from a survival point of view, it would not be conducive to certain animals to have offspring at certain times of year due to cold weather or the lack of food; therefore, melatonin helps set their reproductive rhythm to prime them for favorable fertility outcomes.