Melatonin

What Are "Star" Ratings?

a7_3star Reliable and relatively consistent scientific data showing a substantial health benefit.

a7_2star Contradictory, insufficient, or preliminary studies suggesting a health benefit or minimal health benefit.

a7_1star For an herb, supported by traditional use but minimal or no scientific evidence. For a supplement, little scientific support.

Our proprietary “Star-Rating” system was developed to help you easily understand the amount of scientific support behind each supplement in relation to a specific health condition. While there is no way to predict whether a vitamin, mineral, or herb will successfully treat or prevent associated health conditions, our unique ratings tell you how well these supplements are understood by the medical community, and whether studies have found them to be effective for other people.

For over a decade, our team has combed through thousands of research articles published in reputable journals. To help you make educated decisions, and to better understand controversial or confusing supplements, our medical experts have digested the science into these three easy-to-follow ratings. We hope this provides you with a helpful resource to make informed decisions towards your health and well-being.

This supplement has been used in connection with the following health conditions:

Used for	Amount	Why
Cluster Headache	Take under medical supervision: 10 mg daily in the evening	Taking melatonin before bedtime has been shown to reduce the frequency of cluster headaches.
Cluster Headache Take under medical supervision: 10 mg daily in the evening Researchers have found low levels of the hormone melatonin in cluster headache patients.¹ ^{, 2} ^{, 3} ^{, 4} In a small double-blind trial, a group of cluster headache sufferers took a 10 mg evening dose of melatonin for 14 days. About half of the group saw a significant decrease in the frequency of their headaches within three to five days, after which no further headaches occurred until melatonin was discontinued.⁵ Melatonin appears to be effective against both types of cluster headache (e.g., episodic and chronic). ⁶ More research is needed to establish the long-term effects of melatonin supplementation on cluster headache. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Colon Cancer	20 mg at bedtime	If you have colon cancer, taking melatonin under medical supervision may help improve prognosis and quality of life.
Colon Cancer 20 mg at bedtime The hormone melatonin is available as a supplement and is believed by some researchers to have anticancer activity because of its effects on the immune system.⁷ In research trials, melatonin has been evaluated as a potential agent for use in connection with treatment for cancer patients—not to protect healthy people from getting cancer. Patients with advanced colon cancer who had either not responded to chemotherapy, or who had relapsed after a response to chemotherapy, were given either no additional treatment (control group) or a combination of interleukin-2 and 40 mg of melatonin per day.⁸ Nine of 25 patients given melatonin plus interleukin-2 survived for a year compared with only three of 25 patients in the control group, a difference that was statistically significant. Many other controlled trials suggest that melatonin may extend survival, disease-free survival, and/or quality of life in cancer patients.⁹ ^{, 10} ^{, 11} ^{, 12} ^{, 13} ^{, 14} ^{, 15} ^{, 16} ^{, 17} ^{, 18} ^{, 19} ^{, 20} ^{, 21}Most of these trials used 20 mg of melatonin taken at bedtime. Taking such a high amount of melatonin should be done only under the supervision of a doctor familiar with its use. Animal research suggests that the anticancer effects of this hormone may be reversed if melatonin is taken during the day. Therefore, melatonin should be taken only at night. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Depression	.25 to 10 mg daily under medical supervision	Melatonin might help relieve depression. However, there is a possibility that it could exacerbate depression, so it should only be used for this purpose under a doctor’s supervision.
Depression .25 to 10 mg daily under medical supervision Melatonin might help some people suffering from depression. Preliminary double-blind research suggests that supplementation with small amounts of melatonin (0.125 mg taken twice per day) may reduce winter depression.²² People with major depressive disorders sometimes have sleep disturbances. A timed-release preparation of melatonin (5–10 mg per day for four weeks) was shown to be effective at improving the quality of sleep in people with major depression who were taking fluoxetine (Prozac), but melatonin did not enhance its antidepressant effect.²³ There is a possibility that melatonin could exacerbate depression, so it should only be used for this purpose under a doctor’s supervision. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Hypertension	Take under medical supervision: 2 mg daily of sustained-released supplment at night	For people with nighttime hypertension, supplementing with melatonin may reduce nighttime systolic blood pressure.
Hypertension Take under medical supervision: 2 mg daily of sustained-released supplment at night In a double-blind study, supplementation with 2 mg of sustained-release melatonin each night for four weeks significantly reduced nighttime systolic blood pressure, compared with a placebo, in people with nocturnal hypertension.²⁴ Normally, blood pressure declines at night. People with hypertension who do not have this nighttime blood pressure decline are at increased risk of developing and dying from heart disease. Melatonin supplementation may therefore be beneficial for this subgroup of people with hypertension. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Insomnia	Take under medical supervision: 0.5 to 3.0 mg daily one to two hours before bedtime	Taking melatonin before bedtime may help reset your body’s internal clock.
Insomnia Take under medical supervision: 0.5 to 3.0 mg daily one to two hours before bedtime Caution: Melatonin is a potent hormone and its long-term safety is not established. Melatonin should only be taken with medical supervision. Melatonin is a natural hormone that regulates the human biological clock. The body produces less melatonin with advancing age, which may explain why elderly people often have difficulty sleeping²⁵ and why melatonin supplements improve sleep in the elderly.²⁶ Middle-aged adults (average age, 54 years) with insomnia also have lower melatonin levels, compared with people of the same age without insomnia.²⁷ However, there is not much research on the use of melatonin for sleep problems in middle-aged people. Double-blind trials have shown that melatonin facilitates sleep in young adults without insomnia,²⁸ but not in young people who suffer from insomnia.²⁹However, one trial found that children with sleep disturbances stemming from school phobia had improved sleep after taking 1 mg of melatonin per night for one week, then 5 mg per night for one week, then 10 mg per night for a third week.³⁰ The results of one double-blind trial also indicate that a controlled release melatonin supplement providing 2 mg per day improves sleep quality in people with schizophrenia.³¹ Normally, the body makes melatonin for several hours per night—an effect best duplicated with controlled-release supplements. Trials using timed-release melatonin for insomnia have reported good results.³² Many doctors suggest taking 0.5 to 3 mg of melatonin one and a half to two hours before bedtime. However, because melatonin is a potent hormone, the long-term effects of which are unknown, it should be taken only with the supervision of a doctor. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Insomnia and Tinnitus	Take under medical supervision: 3 mg dailly at bedtime	Supplementing with melatonin may improve sleep quality and relieve other symptoms of severe tinnitus.
Insomnia and Tinnitus Take under medical supervision: 3 mg dailly at bedtime Caution: Melatonin is a potent hormone and its long-term safety is not established. Melatonin should only be taken with medical supervision. Melatonin is a natural hormone that regulates the human biological clock. The body produces less melatonin with advancing age, which may explain why elderly people often have difficulty sleeping³³ and why melatonin supplements improve sleep in the elderly.³⁴ Middle-aged adults (average age, 54 years) with insomnia also have lower melatonin levels, compared with people of the same age without insomnia.³⁵ However, there is not much research on the use of melatonin for sleep problems in middle-aged people. Double-blind trials have shown that melatonin facilitates sleep in young adults without insomnia,³⁶ but not in young people who suffer from insomnia.³⁷However, one trial found that children with sleep disturbances stemming from school phobia had improved sleep after taking 1 mg of melatonin per night for one week, then 5 mg per night for one week, then 10 mg per night for a third week.³⁸ The results of one double-blind trial also indicate that a controlled release melatonin supplement providing 2 mg per day improves sleep quality in people with schizophrenia.³⁹ Normally, the body makes melatonin for several hours per night—an effect best duplicated with controlled-release supplements. Trials using timed-release melatonin for insomnia have reported good results.⁴⁰ Many doctors suggest taking 0.5 to 3 mg of melatonin one and a half to two hours before bedtime. However, because melatonin is a potent hormone, the long-term effects of which are unknown, it should be taken only with the supervision of a doctor.

Used for	Amount	Why
Irritable Bowel Syndrome	Take under medical supervision: 3 mg daily at bedtime	Melatonin helps regulate gastrointestinal function and sensation. In one trial, people with irritable bowel syndrome who took melatonin experienced significantly less severe abdominal pain.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Take under medical supervision: 3 mg daily at bedtime Melatonin plays a role in the regulation of gastrointestinal function and sensation. In a double-blind trial, people with irritable bowel syndrome and associated sleep disturbances received 3 mg of melatonin or a placebo at bedtime for two weeks. Compared with the placebo, melatonin significantly decreased the severity of abdominal pain, although it did not affect bloating, stool frequency, or sleep patterns.⁴¹ Melatonin was also effective in another double-blind trial.⁴² Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Jet Lag	Take under medical supervision: 0.5 mg daily at bedtime for four days after arriving at your destination	Taking melatonin at bedtime may improve sleep quality and daytime alertness.
Jet Lag Take under medical supervision: 0.5 mg daily at bedtime for four days after arriving at your destination Melatonin is a natural hormone that regulates the human biological clock and may be helpful in relieving symptoms of jet lag, according to some,⁴³^{, 44} though not all,⁴⁵^{, 46} double-blind studies. One double-blind trial, involving international flight crew members, found that melatonin supplementation was helpful when started after arriving at the destination but not when started three days before leaving.⁴⁷ Another double-blind study compared various amounts and forms of melatonin taken at bedtime for four days after the flight by people who traveled through six to eight time zones.⁴⁸ Fast-release melatonin supplements were found to be more effective than the controlled-release supplements. A 5 mg and 0.5 mg fast-release melatonin were almost equally effective for improving sleep quality, time it took to fall asleep, and daytime sleepiness. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Macular Degeneration	Take under medical supervision: 3 mg daily at bedtime	In one trial, melatonin improved eye abnormalities in the majority of cases. It appears to work by regulating eye pigmentation and by functioning as an antioxidant.
Macular Degeneration Take under medical supervision: 3 mg daily at bedtime In a preliminary trial, supplementation with melatonin (3 mg per day at bedtime for at least three months) resulted in an improvement in the abnormalities observed on eye examination in the majority of cases.⁴⁹ Melatonin is believed to work by regulating eye pigmentation (and, consequently, the amount of light reaching the retina) and by functioning as an antioxidant. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Schizophrenia and Sleep Disturbances	Take under medical supervision: 2 mg daily of a controlled-release preparation before bedtime	Supplementing with melatonin appears to improve sleep quality and duration in people with schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia and Sleep Disturbances Take under medical supervision: 2 mg daily of a controlled-release preparation before bedtime The results of one double-blind trial indicate that melatonin supplementation improves sleep quality in people with schizophrenia.⁵⁰ In one study, all patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia were found to have low melatonin output. Replacement of melatonin with 2 mg of a controlled-release supplement per day for three weeks improved sleep duration and quality compared to placebo. When patients receiving placebo were crossed over to the melatonin group, they too experienced improved sleep quality.

Used for	Amount	Why
Sunburn (Vitamin C, Vitamin E)	Apply a formula containing 2% vitamin E, 5% vitamin C, and 1% to 2.5% melatonin before sun exposure	A topically applied combination of melatonin, vitamin C, and vitamin E may boost the protection from traditional sunscreens.
Sunburn Apply a formula containing 2% vitamin E, 5% vitamin C, and 1% to 2.5% melatonin before sun exposure Antioxidants have been studied as topical agents for protection against sunburn. Animal studies have found sunscreen-like effects from topical application of a vitamin C and vitamin E combination, and a controlled human study reported ultraviolet protection from the use of a lotion containing 0.02% to 0.05% of the selenium-containing amino acid known as selenomethionine.⁵¹^{, 52} The topical use of the hormone melatonin has been shown to protect human skin against ultraviolet rays in double-blind research.⁵³^{, 54} A double-blind human trial tested topical vitamins C and E and melatonin, alone and in combinations, and found the highest degrees of protection from combination formulations containing 2% vitamin E, 5% vitamin C, and 1% to 2.5% melatonin.⁵⁵ Other studies in which topical antioxidants were applied after ultraviolet exposure have found no benefits.⁵⁶^{, 57} Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Tardive Dyskinesia	Take under medical supervision: 10 mg daily at bedtime	Taking melatonin may help reduce abnormal movements.
Tardive Dyskinesia Take under medical supervision: 10 mg daily at bedtime In a double-blind trial, supplementation with 10 mg of melatonin each night for six weeks reduced abnormal movements by 23.8% in patients with TD, compared with 8.4% in the placebo group, a statistically significant difference.⁵⁸ Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Age-Related Cognitive Decline	Refer to label instructions	Cognitive function is linked to adequate sleep and normal sleep-wake cycles, which are partially regulated by the hormone melatonin. The long-term effects of melatonin are unknown, use under a doctor’s supervision.
Age-Related Cognitive Decline Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain. It is partially responsible for regulating sleep-wake cycles. Cognitive function is linked to adequate sleep and normal sleep-wake cycles. Cognitive benefits from melatonin supplementation have been suggested by preliminary research in a variety of situations and may derive from the ability of melatonin to prevent sleep disruptions.⁵⁹^{, 60}^{, 61}^{, 62} A double-blind trial of ten elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment showed that 6 mg of melatonin taken two hours before bedtime significantly improved sleep, mood, and memory, including the ability to remember previously learned items.⁶³ However, in a double-blind case study of one healthy person, 1.6 mg of melatonin had no immediate effect on cognitive performance.⁶⁴ The long-term effects of regularly taking melatonin supplements remain unknown, and many healthcare practitioners recommend that people take no more than 3 mg per evening. A doctor familiar with the use of melatonin should supervise people who wish to take it regularly. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Epilepsy	Refer to label instructions	A small, preliminary trial found that melatonin improved sleep and improved seizure symptoms among children with one of two rare seizure disorders.
Epilepsy A small, preliminary trial found that 5 to 10 mg per day of melatonin improved sleep and provided “clear improvement of the seizure situation” among children with one of two rare seizure disorders.⁶⁵ More research is needed to determine whether or not melatonin could benefit other people with epilepsy. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Fibromyalgia	Refer to label instructions	In one study, supplementing with melatonin reduced tender points and improved sleep in people with fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia Melatonin supplementation may be useful in the treatment of fibromyalgia. In a preliminary trial, 3 mg of melatonin at bedtime was found to reduce tender points and to improve sleep and other measures of disease severity, though pain and fatigue improved only slightly.⁶⁶ Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Glaucoma	Refer to label instructions	Supplementing with melatonin lowered intraocular pressure of healthy people in one study.
Glaucoma Supplementing with 0.5 mg of melatonin lowered intraocular pressure of healthy people,⁶⁷ but there have been no studies on the effects of melatonin in people with glaucoma. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Lung Cancer	Refer to label instructions	In patients with advanced lung cancer who were given melatonin in one study, survival time was almost twice as long as survival in those not given melatonin.
Lung Cancer Years ago, a preliminary study suggested that melatonin may help stabilize the condition of some people with advanced cancers.⁶⁸ Since then, Italian researchers have been investigating the effects of melatonin in cancer patients, often with partial success.⁶⁹ ^{, 70} ^{, 71} ^{, 72} ^{, 73} ^{, 74} ^{, 75} ^{, 76} ^{, 77} ^{, 78} ^{, 79} ^{, 80} In patients with advanced lung cancer who were given 10 mg of melatonin at night in cycles of three weeks on followed by one week off, survival time was almost twice as long as survival in those not given melatonin—a statistically significant increase.⁸¹ Melatonin supplementation was not helpful to patients whose cancer had spread to the liver.⁸² Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Migraine Headache	Refer to label instructions	Pineal gland function and melatonin secretion may be disturbed in people with migraine headaches. Taking melatonin may correct this problem and reduce symptoms.
Migraine Headache The function of the pineal gland and its cyclic secretion of melatonin may be disturbed in people with migraine headaches.⁸³ Preliminary evidence suggests that 5 mg per day of melatonin, taken 30 minutes before bedtime, may reduce symptoms of migraine headache.⁸⁴ Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Prostate Cancer	Refer to label instructions	Melatonin may help stabilize the condition of some people with advanced cancers.
Prostate Cancer Years ago, a preliminary study suggested that melatoninmay help stabilize the condition of some people with advanced cancers.⁸⁵ Since then, Italian researchers have been investigating the effects of melatonin in cancer patients, often with partial success.⁸⁶ ^{, 87} ^{, 88} ^{, 89} ^{, 90} ^{, 91} ^{, 92} ^{, 93} ^{, 94} ^{, 95} ^{, 96} ^{, 97} Patients with advanced prostate cancer who had previously not responded to drug therapy (triptorelin) were given melatonin plus triptorelin in a preliminary trial.⁹⁸ PSA scores, a marker of disease progression, fell (i.e., improved) more than 50% in 8 of 14 patients. Patients with advanced cancer have been reported to have improved survival and fewer side effects from taking chemotherapy when given melatonin plus chemotherapy vs. chemotherapy alone.⁹⁹ Learn More

Also indexed as:

melatonin

About this treatment

How to Use It

Normally, the body secretes melatonin for several hours per night—an effect best duplicated with time-release supplements. Studies using timed-release melatonin for insomnia have reported good results. Many doctors suggest 1–3 mg of melatonin taken one to two hours before bedtime. Studies with people suffering from sarcoidosis or cancer have used very high amounts of melatonin—typically 20 mg per night. Such levels should never be taken without the supervision of a doctor. Melatonin should not be taken during the day.

Where to Find It

Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland, located within the brain. Levels of melatonin in the body fluctuate with the cycles of night and day. The highest melatonin levels are found at night. Melatonin is present in foods only in trace amounts.

Possible Deficiencies

Although elderly people often have difficulty sleeping and melatonin supplements have been shown to improve sleep in the elderly, melatonin secretion does not appear to decline in healthy older adults to a significant degree, despite many preliminary reports to the contrary. Most of these preliminary studies failed to verify that older subjects were healthy and not using drugs that suppress melatonin secretion (e.g., aspirin, ibuprofen, beta-blockers). Routine replacement of melatonin in elderly persons is, therefore, not recommended.

Adults with insomnia have been shown to have lower melatonin levels. Frequent travelers and shift workers are also likely to benefit from melatonin for the resynchronization of their sleep schedules, though a melatonin “deficiency” as such does not exist for these people. Patients with heart disease have been reported to have low melatonin levels, but whether this abnormality increases the risk of heart disease or whether heart disease leads to the low melatonin level is not yet known. People with schizophrenia were found to have low melatonin output and experienced significantly improved sleep following melatonin replacement supplementation.

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Last Review: 05-11-2011

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The information presented in Aisle7 is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires June 2011.

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