Can Melatonin Help You Sleep? And Is It Safe?

“So, obviously, this should be taken with caution,” Covassin says. “And that’s my main recommendation. If you are thinking [about taking melatonin] or if you are already taking melatonin,

talk with your provider to determine whether it's actually appropriate for you.” It’s important to know that, as with all dietary supplements in the U.S., federal regulations are less

strict for melatonin than they are for over-the-counter medicines and prescription drugs. A 2017 study published in the _Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine_ found that the contents of the

majority of melatonin products didn’t match what was listed on the label — their concentrations ranged, and so did the presence of other ingredients.  Adding to the evidence, a study 

published in 2023 in JAMA looked at melatonin quantities in 25 sleep gummy products, often marketed to children, and found that 22 of them contained different amounts of melatonin than what

was declared on the label. The actual quantity of melatonin ranged from 74 percent to 347 percent of the labeled amount; only three products had melatonin levels within 10 percent of the

declared quantity. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine offers a tip: When comparing supplement labels, look for the “USP Verified” mark, which indicates that the formulation meets the

requirements of the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention. WHAT CAN YOU DO IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE SLEEPING? Interested in making adjustments to your sleep schedule? Before you reach for a pill,

Neubauer recommends trying natural methods. You can do this by getting outside and staying active during the day. “Just getting light makes your circadian rhythm more robust, and the more

active you are in the daytime, the better chance you have of sleeping more at nighttime,” he says. Because light suppresses the production of melatonin, keep levels low at night — this means

limiting the use of your phone, tablet, computer and TV an hour or two before bed. If you have trouble sleeping more generally, talk with a doctor to figure out the cause, Wyatt says. “It’s

rare when sleep goes bad just on its own and it’s not because of other things, like the side effects of a different medication or stress or anxiety or depression or a pain disorder that’s

insufficiently treated — there are all sorts of things.” A third of U.S. adults report that they usually get less than the recommended amount of sleep (seven or more hours per night for

adults), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The good news: There are treatments for insomnia, and a successful one, cognitive behavioral therapy, doesn’t come in

pill form. “We’re starting to realize treating insomnia is not just about getting a better night’s sleep,” Wyatt says. “It’s to significantly reduce risk for some of these negative health

outcomes that could come years to decades later.”   MELATONIN AND CHILDREN  Melatonin use isn’t just increasing among adults — more children are taking it as well. In fact, the number of

pediatric melatonin ingestions increased 530 percent from 2012 to 2021, with the largest yearly increase (about 38 percent) occurring from 2019 to 2020, a recent report from the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds. In 2020, the supplement became the most frequently ingested substance among children reported to national poison control centers — some of these

cases required hospitalization.  The authors of the CDC report point out that melatonin has become widely available in the U.S. — some children’s varieties are even sold in “gummy” form.

It’s considered a dietary supplement and is subject to less regulatory oversight than other over-the-counter (OTC) medications.  “Increasing use of OTC melatonin in various formulations,

lack of robust manufacturing regulations, and varied dosing recommendations can place children at risk for potential adverse events,” the authors write. They call for more research into the

causes of increased melatonin ingestions among children and for public health initiatives to raise awareness. “Child-resistant packaging for this supplement should be considered, and health

care providers should warn parents about potential toxic consequences of melatonin exposure,” they say. _Editor’s note: This article, originally published June 6, 2022, has been updated to

reflect new information._