Melatonin does tend to have less risky potential side effects than certain prescription sleep aids, Grandner says, but he adds that “melatonin is not a good alternative to prescription sleep medications. It does not work as a sedative and it is ineffective in most cases of insomnia.”
Melatonin can be used to treat delayed sleep phase and circadian rhythm sleep disorders in the blind and provide some insomnia relief. Treat melatonin as you would any sleeping pill and use it under your doctor's supervision.
Melatonin is generally safe for short-term use. 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. The most common melatonin side effects include: Headache.
Melatonin: Melatonin is considered one of the safest over-the-counter sleep aids, with few side effects. A prescription drug called ramelteon is designed to mimic the effects of melatonin. Like melatonin, it is not considered habit-forming and it does not affect balance.
"By adding extra melatonin every night, you might throw off that delicate balance in the long run, and might experience the side effects of the body needing to re-balance, whenever you decide to stop using melatonin," says Dr. Raymann.
Only mild adverse effects, such as dizziness, headache, nausea and sleepiness have been reported. No studies have indicated that exogenous melatonin should induce any serious adverse effects.
In the UK and most of Europe, it's classed as a medicine, not a health supplement and as such, requires a prescription. This is because melatonin is considered “medical by function” which means that it requires a drug licence.
Furthermore melatonin has been shown to have valuable effects on cardiovascular health, blood pressure, and endothelial function and it might benefit patients with heart failure.
There is a range of foods that have high levels of melatonin naturally. These include: cherries, goji berries, eggs, milk, fish and nuts – in particular almonds and pistachios. A goji berry smoothie with almond milk and salmon omelette are some tasty ways to incorporate these sleep-inducing foods into your diet.
NSAIDs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) may lower levels of melatonin in the blood. Steroids and immunosuppressant medications. Melatonin may cause these medication to lose their effectiveness. DO NOT take melatonin with corticosteroids or other medications used to suppress the immune system.
Only take pills for a short time
Generally, Dr. Vensel-Rundo says, doctors recommend patients use sleep aids nightly for two to four weeks. If you need help longer, they suggest you only take the medication as needed, such as three nights weekly.
Eggs and fish are higher melatonin-containing food groups in animal foods, whereas in plant foods, nuts are with the highest content of melatonin. Some kinds of mushrooms, cereals and germinated legumes or seeds are also good dietary sources of melatonin.
1. Cherries. Cherries (especially sour cherries like the Montmorency variety) are one of the only (and highest) natural food sources of melatonin. Studies have shown a boost in circulating melatonin after consumption of cherries, though sweet cherries have half the melatonin content as sour cherries.
Keep in mind that melatonin as it occurs naturally in the body doesn't have much of a daytime presence, so if you take melatonin too close to morning (such as if you wake up at 4am and erroneously take some to get back to sleep), or during the day, you can set yourself up for not just being drowsy and groggy, but ...
Try to avoid taking melatonin more than two hours before your bedtime, as it might start to wear off before you make it to bed.
Melatonin begins to have an effect within 30 minutes. You should start to feel peaceful & sleepy. Melatonin is a supplement that works with your natural sleep cycle. This is why it's important to have a relaxing environment to give yourself the best chance possible for a full night's sleep.
If you're experiencing symptoms of an allergic reaction, shortness of breath, chest pain, or a rise in blood pressure after taking melatonin, you should seek emergency health services immediately.
Taking too much melatonin can actually cause rebound insomnia —either rendering the supplement ineffective or worse, exacerbating your already sleepless nights further. You only need tiny doses of melatonin to support your natural sleep cycle.