Doses of 10 milligrams or higher can cause side effects like drowsiness and headache. Other symptoms of melatonin overdose. View Source include changes in blood pressure, dizziness, headaches, nausea, and vivid dreams or nightmares.
How many 10 mg melatonin should you take? In adults, 10 mg is the maximum recommended dosage. However, most people do not need doses of melatonin this high. While there is no risk of addiction, research shows that melatonin administration is effective at the lowest dose for the short term.
Regardless of whether it truly helps with sleep or not, Dr. Ramkissoon doesn't recommend taking melatonin long-term.
How long does 10mg melatonin last? A 10 mg dosage will last more than seven hours, and it is generally not even recommended for those suffering from severe insomnia — a dosage of 5mg is regarded as the upper limit.
Melatonin is generally safe for most people, and many people won't experience major complications when taking too much. Even so, an overdose can cause unpleasant side effects. Keep your dose to no more than 1 to 3 mg per night.
The usual starting dose is one 2mg slow release tablet taken 30 minutes to 1 hour before bedtime. Sometimes the dose may gradually be increased to 2 to 3 tablets before bedtime, depending on how well it works and whether you have any side effects. The maximum dose is 5 tablets (10mg) once daily.
Melatonin is possibly safe when taken long-term. It's been used safely for up to 2 years. But it can cause some side effects including headache, sleepiness, dizziness, and nausea.
One of the most common side effects of melatonin is drowsiness. Some people may notice that they feel sleepy or groggy the morning after taking melatonin. Taking melatonin earlier in the evening or reducing the dose may help a person wake up feeling refreshed.
Most people overdo it with melatonin by taking upward of 10 milligrams or more prior to bed and then claim it doesn't work. Taking too much melatonin can actually cause rebound insomnia —either rendering the supplement ineffective or worse, exacerbating your already sleepless nights further.
Unlike with many sleep medications, with melatonin you are unlikely to become dependent on it, have less response to it after repeated use or experience a hangover effect.
Less common melatonin side effects might include short-lasting feelings of depression, mild tremor, mild anxiety, abdominal cramps, irritability, reduced alertness, confusion or disorientation. Because melatonin can cause daytime drowsiness, don't drive or use machinery within five hours of taking the supplement.
You should not get any harmful discontinuation or withdrawal effects if you stop taking melatonin. However, you may get your old symptoms back. If you are on a high dose, then the doctor may wish to reduce the dose slowly before stopping it completely.
Ironically, it could be that headaches triggered by melatonin could be due to a disrupted sleep cycle. “By using melatonin, you could be changing your natural sleep-wake cycle,” notes Dr. Horvat, “and that itself can induce headaches.”
Melatonin is not associated with weight gain.
Melatonin is generally considered to be safe for short-term use in adults, but there may be safety concerns for people with certain preexisting conditions or those taking specific medications.
Low melatonin levels are associated with an acceleration of biological aging. Disruptions to the circadian system are critically involved in aging and affecting longevity, and low melatonin levels make the circadian system work less effectively.
In total, melatonin stays in your system for about four to five hours. One small study examined melatonin levels in blood samples from a group of healthy male adults after taking an oral 10 milligram dose of the supplement. The researchers found that on average melatonin levels dropped to zero after five hours.
On average, melatonin takes effect within 30–60 minutes. OTC melatonin can stay in the body for 4–10 hours, depending on the dose and formulation. People should avoid taking melatonin at or after their intended bedtime.
One milligram tablets can be cut in half to achieve a 0.5 mg dose of melatonin if smaller doses are not available for purchase. Higher doses are commonly marketed in the U.S. (up to 10 mg), but higher doses may be associated with more side effects such as headache, next day grogginess, or vivid dreams.
“If melatonin for sleep isn't helping after a week or two, stop using it,” says Buenaver. “And if your sleep problems continue, talk with your health care provider. If melatonin does seem to help, it's safe for most people to take nightly for one to two months. “After that, stop and see how your sleep is,” he suggests.
You cannot build up a tolerance to melatonin. This means that the same dosage of melatonin taken every day will not build up in the body, and you won't need a higher dosage over time to experience the same effect.
What are the health benefits of taking melatonin? Melatonin supplements may help with certain conditions, such as jet lag, delayed sleep-wake phase disorder, some sleep disorders in children, and anxiety before and after surgery.