How Does Melatonin Work?

Melatonin is a hormone produced by your body to help regulate sleepfulness and wakefulness. It is often referred to as the "sleep hormone" as it has a big contribution to being able to get a good night's sleep. Melatonin itself does not cause sleepfulness, however, it lets your body know that it is night-time so that you can relax and sleep better.

Melatonin tablets are popular with people who experience insomnia. This is because Melatonin does not develop tolerance, meaning it does not become less effective the longer you use it. Most other sleeping tablets will eventually have diminishing returns because of the tolerance effect.

Key Takeaways

Melatonin and sleep support

Melatonin, often called the "sleep hormone," helps signal to your body that it's night-time, making it easier to relax and sleep, especially helpful for those with insomnia. Unlike many sleeping pills, melatonin doesn’t lose effectiveness over time, so it’s a reliable, long-term option.

How to take melatonin effectively

Melatonin tablets start working in about 30 minutes, so it’s best to take them half an hour before bed. While safe, it can cause mild side effects like headaches or irritability, especially in higher doses, so starting with a lower dose can help minimise these effects.

Additional health benefits of melatonin

Melatonin supports more than sleep; it’s helpful for jet lag, adjusting sleep-wake cycles in shift work, and even managing anxiety around surgery. It’s also effective for sleep disorders in children, such as those with autism or ADHD, by helping them fall asleep faster and sleep longer.

How long does it take for melatonin to kick in?

When taken as a tablet, Melatonin reaches the maximum concentration in your blood after approximately 30 minutes. Therefore, you should take Melatonin a half hour before you wish to fall asleep.

Is melatonin safe?

Melatonin is generally considered safe. There are potential side effects including headache, short-term feelings of depression, daytime sleepiness, dizziness, stomach cramps, and irritability. None of these side-effects are considered serious, however, they may be exacerbated by larger doses of Melatonin. Therefore, it is a good idea to experiment with lower doses if you experience any of the above symptoms.

What are melatonin side effects?

Melatonin is generally considered safe. People can take Melatonin for years without experiencing addiction and without diminishing effectiveness because of tolerance. There are no serious side effects from taking Melatonin, though you may experience some of the following when taking it:

• headache

• short-term feelings of depression

• daytime sleepiness

• dizziness

• stomach cramps

• irritability

Can you overdose taking melatonin?

While taking too much Melatonin may not be dangerous, it could disrupt your sleeping patterns. It also may exacerbate side effects such as headache, dizziness or irritability. To keep it safe, only use melatonin as directed by your doctor and only take it approximately 30 minutes prior to going to sleep.

Other health benefits of melatonin

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health has the following list of health benefits for people who take Melatonin:

• Jet Lag

  Jet lag prevents people who travel from getting a good sleep at night. It also contributes to not feeling well, disturbed sleep, daytime tiredness and impaired functioning and digestion. Studies have shown that Melatonin reduces symptoms of jet lag.

• Delayed sleep-wake phase disorder (DSWPD)

  People with DSWPD find it difficult to go to sleep prior to 2am and would prefer to sleep until 10am (or as late as 1pm). Melatonin appears to help people who suffer from DSWPD.

• Sleep disorders in children

  According to studies listed at the NIH website, children with autism were able to sleep 37 minutes earlier when taking Melatonin, and slept on average 48 minutes longer. Children with ADHD fell asleep 20 minutes earlier and 33 minutes longer. Children with atopic dermatitis slept 6.8 minutes earlier and 35 minutes longer. Children with chronic sleep-onset insomnia slept 24 minutes earlier and 25 minutes longer.

• Anxiety before and after surgery

  Up to 80% of patients suffer from anxiety before and after surgery. Melatonin appears to be helpful in reducing anxiety before surgery, based on 744 people who took Melatonin prior to their surgery. More information on this is available at the above-linked NIH website.

Does melatonin treat insomnia?

Melatonin is commonly used in the treatment of insomnia and improving sleep where insomnia is due to various conditions. For example, it can be used for jet lag, adjusting sleep-wake cycles in people who have daily work schedule changes (shift-work disorder), and by helping people establish a day and night sleep cycle.

I've taken melatonin but still have insomnia, what can I do?

If you are suffering from insomnia and are looking for short-term relief, you may consider using various sleeping medications such as Zopiclone or Zolpidem. These are prescription-only medications.

If you don't have a prescription for these medications, simply add them to your cart and check out. Our online prescription service will guide you into obtaining a prescription for sleeping medications online. We are a UK online clinic that can help you get prescription medication shipped to your door overnight most nights of the week.

If you are interested in over-the-counter sleep medication, Nytol is an option that you can discuss with your doctor or pharmacist.

Sources

Melatonin - NHS

Melatonin - NICE