The Bottom Line. The scientific evidence of the long-term use of melatonin is limited, says Dr. Weiss. The current clinical consensus is that daily melatonin consumption is considered safe.
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.
Is long-term melatonin use safe? There aren't enough studies to say whether long-term melatonin use in adults or children is safe. A few clinical trials suggest that long-term melatonin use may cause mild side effects compared to placebo (a pill with no medication in it).
Melatonin should only be taken for a maximum of 13 weeks to treat short-term sleep problems in adults, but longer courses may be used on the advice of a specialist.
The current clinical consensus is that daily melatonin consumption is considered safe. However, according to a 2020 article published in Antioxidants, more research is needed to determine the correct dose and time and understand potential long-term effects.
There is no evidence that you can become physically dependent on the supplement, and you typically won't develop withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking it. But if you've become convinced that taking melatonin is crucial for sleep, experts say, you still may struggle to kick the habit.
Melatonin supplements are commonly used for sleep problems. There's no evidence that melatonin is harmful to your heart, liver, or kidneys when taken as directed. But it can lower blood pressure and make bleeding more likely, especially if you take other blood pressure or blood-thinning medications.
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.
A 2017 study indicated melatonin as an effective and safe option for treating people with anxiety following acute coronary syndrome (ACS). A 2018 study found that the administration of melatonin was more effective in improving anxiety and sleeping patterns than the drug oxazepam in people undergoing heart surgery.
While melatonin is considered generally safe for short-term use, like occasional insomnia or getting over jet lag, many people take melatonin every night. That's concerning if you consider that your nightly dose may be many times higher than what you intended or what the label promised.
Stopping the use of melatonin
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.
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. Because there are no withdrawal effects, no possibility of detoxification, and no tolerance to melatonin, many people believe it is extremely safe.
Melatonin is the most important housekeeping molecule for cleaning the brain, the main antioxidant and detox agent for mercury, lead, and other harmful molecules. It's the brain's clearing agent, the hormone stimulating the glial lymphatic system to drain.
It's been used safely for up to 2 years. But it can cause some side effects including headache, sleepiness, dizziness, and nausea. Don't drive or use machinery for 4-5 hours after taking melatonin. When applied to the skin: Melatonin is likely safe for most adults when used short-term.
Melatonin's target sites are both central and peripheral. Binding sites have been found in many areas of the brain, including the pars tuberalis and hypothalamus, but also in the cells of the immune system, gonads, kidney, and the cardiovascular system (39, 40).
Thinking Melatonin Makes You Sleepy
Unlike many prescription sleeping pills, melatonin isn't a sedative. It works by signaling to your body that it's nighttime and encouraging your body's natural sleep-wake cycles to help you power down for the night.
Always check the label. In general, melatonin should not be given to healthy, typically developing children under age 3, as difficulties falling and staying asleep in these children are almost always behavioral in nature.
Magnesium supplements are perhaps one of the most popular melatonin alternatives; for good reason. Magnesium is an essential trace mineral found in various amounts in many foods. As a dietary mineral, its key role is in enzyme reactions.
Despite the lack of data and variability around dosing regimens, with typical use, melatonin is largely considered safe. View Source and is generally well-tolerated in healthy adults. The risk of side effects. View Source is low, but can include mild headache, dizziness, nausea, and sleepiness.
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. Doing so can shift their sleep-wake cycle and lead to daytime sleepiness.
Most people overdo it with melatonin by taking upward of 10 milligrams or more before to bed. Taking too much melatonin can actually cause rebound insomnia —either rendering the supplement ineffective or worse, exacerbating your already sleepless nights further.