A melatonin overdose is unlikely. However, some people have experienced lethargy, low blood pressure, and disorientation after taking high doses. Side effects and interactions with other drugs can also occur. Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone in the body, though people may take it as a supplement.
While taking small doses of melatonin is safe for healthy adults, it is possible to overdose, especially for kids. Signs of overdose include excessive sleepiness, vomiting and trouble breathing.
Symptoms of Melatonin Overdose
It's important to note that there isn't a “safe” dosage of melatonin. Generally, an adult dose is thought to be between 1 and 10 mg. Doses near the 30 mg mark are usually considered to be harmful.
Taking melatonin at a dose of 20 mg is not recommended. It can lead to a melatonin overdose. This can cause daytime sleepiness, headaches, and dizziness. To avoid an overdose on melatonin, you should not take more than 10 mg.
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.
What cancels naturally occurring melatonin sleep hormone? Because melatonin is triggered by darkness, being exposed to light at night can block melatonin production, especially the blue light from digital devices such as cell phones.
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.
Does Melatonin Make It Hard to Wake Up? There is a low risk of fast-release melatonin or low doses of melatonin causing side effects such as grogginess after waking up. However, taking higher doses of melatonin or extended-release melatonin may lead to daytime sleepiness or drowsiness in some people.
However, if you still have excess melatonin in your system by the time you wake up, you're likely to feel a little groggy and sleepy. This is bound to happen after you take melatonin doses that are too high, explains leading sleep specialist Michael J. Breus, Ph.
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 ...
The NDPSC considered that insufficient information was available on the safety of melatonin to allow it to remain exempt from scheduling for human therapeutic use and that it should not be available without prescription.
If your levels are too high (for example, if you have recently got off a long-haul flight), you can go out into the light in the morning and do some exercise in the evening. Melatonin pills are available in Australia.
French authorities are urging certain populations to avoid consuming food supplements containing melatonin after incidences of adverse effects were reported to the country's nutrivigilance scheme.
Do not use melatonin if you are pregnant or breastfeeding or have an autoimmune disorder, a seizure disorder or depression. Talk to your health care provider if you have diabetes or high blood pressure.
Melatonin side effects, sometimes referred to as a melatonin "hangover," are usually mild. Most often, they include headaches, dizziness, nausea, and sleepiness. 1 Though short-term usage appears safe, research on long-term use and side effects remains limited.
"Melatonin is generally thought to be safer to use than other sleep medications and less likely to cause side effects such as daytime grogginess the next day. That being said, taking too much and taking it too late at night or in the middle of the night might cause its effects to linger into the next day," says Axe.
Is it possible to overdose on melatonin? In short: no. There's no good evidence that taking too much melatonin can lead to a life-threatening overdose the way other sedating drugs can.
There is no official recommended maximum dose of melatonin for adults, but a range of 0.5 mg to 5 mg appears to be safe and effective. Generally speaking, most people produce enough melatonin to sleep well, but if you need a little extra to add to their sleep cycle, you probably don't need more than 3 mg.
But remember, melatonin is a hormone, not a sleep medication, therefore it does not induce sleep. In fact, taking a second dose late into the night may promote undesirable side effects such as extreme drowsiness the next day.
If someone takes too much melatonin, he or she might experience sleepiness, headache, nausea, and perhaps even agitation. There is no antidote for melatonin overdose, and significant toxicity is not expected to occur even after consumption of relatively large doses of it.
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.
Possible symptoms of too much melatonin include: Headache. Hypotension (low blood pressure) Hypertension (high blood pressure)
There is no official recommended maximum dose of melatonin for adults, but a range of 0.5 mg to 5 mg appears to be safe and effective. Generally speaking, most people produce enough melatonin to sleep well, but if you need a little extra to add to their sleep cycle, you probably don't need more than 3 mg.