Melatonin · Melatonin
The circadian rhythm hormone; low doses (0.3 to 1 mg) work best.
Short answer
Melatonin (Melatonin) is a sleep / circadian with evidence grade A, meaning it is well-supported by replicated human trials. We track 1 produkter containing Melatonin. Typical doses range from 0.5 to 0.5 mg per portion. The top-ranked product scores 5.4 out of 10 on our composite scale (dose, evidence, price, testing, transparency). Prices range up to $34.99 per månad.
Top Melatonin produkter
| Product | Varumärke | Dose | Pris/mo | 3rd-party tested | Poäng |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seed PM-02 Sleep + Restore | 0.5 mg | $34.99 | Yes | 5.4 |
Scores are editorial judgments, not a scientific standard. Se how we score.
What it is
A hormone your pineal gland makes at night to signal 'time to sleep'. Levels drop with age.
Why people take it
0.3 to 1 mg 30 min before bed reliably helps with sleep onset and jet lag. Higher doses (5 to 10 mg) often make sleep worse and cause morning grogginess.
Our verdict
Take much less than the label suggests. US 5 mg tablets are massive overdoses; European Rx melatonin is 0.5 to 2 mg.
Structure & class
N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine. Pineal indoleamine.
Mechanism & clinical data
Meta-analyses confirm improvement in sleep onset latency (Ferracioli-Oda 2013). Higher doses (>3 mg) cause supraphysiological plasma levels linked to next-day dysphoria.
Pharmacokinetics
~40 min immediate release; longer with prolonged release.
Dose & forms
What to watch out for
Rx in EU, OTC in US. US dietary-supplement melatonin is often mislabeled by 3 to 4× the stated dose (2017 audit).
Säkerhet limits and interactions
When a product exceeds the UL or contains an ingredient with clinically significant interactions, a "Review advised" flag appears on its product page and links here.
Where this dose comes from
The trial dose above is our editorial pick from the published human trials for this ingredient. We choose the dose that the best-available studies used on the endpoint most relevant to longevity. The range shows the lowest and highest doses tested in published trials. The landmark studies below are the papers we read to set it. You can click through and check our work.
When new trials publish, our automated sweeps flag them. If a new study materially changes the dose, we update it through editorial review and record the old dose, new dose, and the triggering study in every affected product's recommendation history. The dose is never changed automatically.
Regelverk status
Timeline
Regelverk events, evidence grade changes, and key research milestones for Melatonin, most recent first. Every entry links to its primär source.
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EU classifies melatonin as prescription drug at doses >=2 mgIn the EU, melatonin is classified as a prescription drug at doses of 2 mg or higher. Lower doses (0.5 to 1.9 mg) remain available as food supplements. The UK treats melatonin as a prescription drug entirely. The US allows melatonin as a dietary supplement without a prescription.
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EU Court sharpens the bar for botanical health claimsA Court of Justice of the European Union ruling in april 2025 further tightened the requirements for how botanical ingredients (herbs, plant extracts) can be marketed with health claims in the EU, effectively removing much of the flexibility of the on-hold list.
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EU heads of food safety agencies prioritize melatonin for restrictionThe HoA Working Group on Food Supplements identified melatonin among 12 substances prioritized for Article 8 restriction. French and Norwegian national risk assessments raised concerns about headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, and cardiovascular, neurological, digestive and psychological symptoms at supplement doses.
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EU report identifies 117 supplement substances as potential health risksThe HoA Working Group on Food Supplements (26 European countries) published its first report evaluating 117 substances used in food supplements. Of these, 65 were assessed as likely novel foods, 6 were already regulated, 34 had insufficient data, and 12 were prioritized for Article 8 restriction under Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006. The 12 priority substances include ashwagandha, curcumin, melatonin, piperine, St. John's wort, coumarin, p-synephrine, maca, holy basil, Melaleuca, black cohosh, and L-tryptophan. The report drew on 1,500 RASFF alerts reviewed between 2017 and mid-2022.
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HoA 2024 (BVL/NVWA, EU)26-country EU working group prioritized melatonin for Article 8 restriction. French and Norwegian risk assessments raised concerns about headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, and cardiovascular, neurological, digestive and psychological symptoms.
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Ferracioli-Oda 2013 (PLOS ONE)Meta-analysis: melatonin reduces sleep onset latency and improves total sleep time.
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EU Health Claims Regulation adoptedRegulation (EC) No 1924/2006 laid down harmonised rules for nutrition and health claims made on foods, including supplements. Only claims listed in the EU Register of authorised claims can be used. Rejected botanical claims are held in a separate on-hold list.
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EU introduces the Novel Food RegulationRegulation (EC) No 258/97 required any food or food ingredient without a history of consumption in the EU before 15 maj 1997 to be authorised before being placed on the market. This is the framework that captures NMN, spermidine as a supplement ingredient, urolithin A, and many other longevity actives.
Melatonin modestly shortens sleep onset in RCTs, but a 2025 observational study linking long-term nightly use to nearly double the risk of heart failure and death has raised new questions marketing has not addressed.
Verified 2026-07-12. We update this section as new peer-reviewed trials land.
Best-supported claim
Melatonin's most established human benefit is a modest reduction in the time it takes to fall asleep. Ferracioli-Oda et al.'s metaanalys of randomized controlled trials found melatonin significantly reduced sleep onset latency by about 7 minutes and increased total sleep time versus placebo in adults with primär sleep disorders (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23691095/). It is also well established for treating jet lag and shift-work-related circadian misalignment, with Cochrane-reviewed trials showing benefit when timed correctly relative to the target sleep window.
Not supported by the evidence base
Melatonin is marketed as a harmless nightly sleep aid, but a 2025 American Heart Association-presented observational study following patients using melatonin for at least a year found those with chronic insomnia who used melatonin long-term had nearly double the risk of new-onset heart failure (hazard ratio 1.90) and more than double the risk of death from any cause (hazard ratio 2.06) compared to non-users, even after adjustment for other factors (https://newsroom.heart.org/news/melatonin-may-be-tied-to-increased-risk-of-heart-failure-death). This is observational data, not a randomized trial, so it cannot prove melatonin causes these outcomes, but it directly contradicts marketing framing melatonin as risk-free for long-term nightly use, and the finding has not yet been addressed by most supplement sellers.
Typical dose
0.5-5 mg/day taken 30-60 minutes before bedtime, or lower doses (0.3-1 mg) for jet lag and circadian adjustment
Säkerhet
Melatonin is well tolerated in short-term RCTs, with drowsiness, headache, dizziness, and mild nausea as the most common side effects (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23691095/). The 2025 observational data linking long-term (12+ months) nightly use to increased heart failure and mortality risk has not been confirmed by randomized trials, but given the scale of the finding, people with existing cardiovascular disease should discuss long-term nightly use with a physician rather than assuming it is risk-free (https://newsroom.heart.org/news/melatonin-may-be-tied-to-increased-risk-of-heart-failure-death). Children, pregnant or breastfeeding people, and those with autoimmune conditions should use melatonin only under medical guidance given limited long-term safety data in these groups.
Interactions worth flagging
- Can enhance sedative effects of benzodiazepines and other sleep medications, increasing drowsiness risk
- maj increase bleeding risk when combined with anticoagulants like warfarin
- Can reduce the effectiveness of immunosuppressant drugs due to melatonin's immune-stimulating properties
- maj interact with blood pressure medications, altering their effect
Three recent studies to know
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Melatonin use and risk of incident heart failure and all-cause mortality in adults with chronic insomnia
Long-term (12+ months) melatonin use in adults with chronic insomnia was associated with nearly double the risk of incident heart failure and more than double the risk of all-cause mortality compared to non-users, in an observational cohort.
Läs studie → -
Melatonin for sleep and cognitive outcomes in older adults with cognitive impairment: a metaanalys of randomised controlled trials
Meta-analysis of 10 RCTs in older adults with cognitive impairment found melatonin increased total sleep time by 12.4 minutes and modestly improved MMSE scores, though effects fell short of definitive clinical significance.
Läs studie → -
A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial of Sublingual Melatonin for Sleep Onset Delay in Children with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
A small pilot crossover trial in children with or at risk of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder found sublingual melatonin significantly reduced sleep onset latency and bedtime resistance versus placebo, with no serious adverse events.
Läs studie →
Landmark studies
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HoA 2024 (BVL/NVWA, EU)
26-country EU working group prioritized melatonin for Article 8 restriction. French and Norwegian risk assessments raised concerns about headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, and cardiovascular, neurological, digestive and psychological symptoms.
Läs studie → -
Ferracioli-Oda 2013 (PLOS ONE)
Meta-analysis: melatonin reduces sleep onset latency and improves total sleep time.
Läs studie →
Found in these produkter (1)
Alla produkter in our catalog that contain Melatonin, ranked by our overall score. Ranking is editorial, never paid.
Buying guides and comparisons
Related ingredients
Se alla in Sleep / Circadian →Molekyler in the same class, plus the actives most often formulated alongside Melatonin in our catalogue.
Frequently asked questions
What is Melatonin?
A hormone your pineal gland makes at night to signal 'time to sleep'. Levels drop with age.
What dose of Melatonin should I take?
The trial dose in published human studies is 0.5 mg per dag, with a range of 0.3 to 2 mg per dag. Always consult a qualified clinician before starting any supplement.
Is Melatonin safe?
Rx in EU, OTC in US. US dietary-supplement melatonin is often mislabeled by 3 to 4× the stated dose (2017 audit).
What is the best Melatonin supplement?
We track 1 produkter containing Melatonin. The top-ranked product scores 5.4 out of 10 on our composite scale, which evaluates dose, evidence, price, third-party testing, and transparency. See the comparison table above. Scores are editorial judgments, not a scientific standard.
What is the evidence grade for Melatonin?
Melatonin has evidence grade A, meaning it is well-supported by replicated human trials. Grade A means replicated human RCTs with hard endpoints. Grade B means human RCTs with biomarker outcomes. Grade C means mixed or small human trials. See our evidence grading methodology.
Data verification
Bevisning grades are reviewed when new human RCTs are published. Product counts update automatically as new produkter are added. Dose ranges reflect published trial data, not brand recommendations. Read how we verify.