How many melatonin should i take

Consult your health care provider for more information. Continue to check back on the Nature Made blog for the latest science-backed articles to help you take ownership of your health.

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General Wellness. This is why you generally feel sleepy around the same time every night. Normally, melatonin levels increase at night. The reasons why are varied; some people struggle to sleep well when they have certain medical or mental health conditions, like anxiety or depression , while others can trace their sleeplessness to situational or environmental causes. Not making enough melatonin can lead to the occasional sleepless night, but it can also cause primary sleep disorders like insomnia, sleep apnea, circadian rhythm sleep disorder, and restless leg syndrome.

Sign up for Melatonin price alerts and find out when the price changes! Get Price Alerts. Melatonin may be used to improve sleep onset, sleep time, or sleep quality. There are several scenarios where you might benefit from taking melatonin for sleep, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health NIH.

These include:. Some healthcare professionals also recommend that children who experience difficulty sleeping due to other health conditions, like autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, take melatonin—although experts are still unsure about the overall safety and effectiveness of this approach.

Melatonin supplements are available in a wide range of dosages, from 1 milligram up to 10 milligrams, and can be taken as pills, dissolvable tablets, liquid drops, or even gummies. However you take it, the best time to use melatonin is about 30 minutes before bedtime. For adults, Dr. While side effects of melatonin are generally mild, you may experience grogginess; while sleepiness before bed is desirable, taking a high melatonin dosage may cause drowsiness the next day.

If you experience melatonin side effects, talk with your doctor. They may recommend to start with a lower melatonin dose until you find what works best with your body.

Melatonin may interact with other medications that are also metabolized by the same liver enzymes, leading to higher plasma melatonin concentrations. It is recommended to consult with your healthcare provider if you are currently on a prescription medication and plan on using melatonin supplements. While severe side effects are unlikely, taking too much melatonin at once can disrupt your sleep-wake cycle and could result in next day grogginess.

Studies have shown that taking melatonin nightly is safe and effective. However, you should talk to your health care professional about long-term solutions. You do not need to taper off your use of melatonin.

You can discontinue use at any time as well as use it only when needed. If you have a long flight, you can take it beforehand to help yourself go to sleep on the plane. Because there have not been sufficient studies on the effects of melatonin dosage while pregnant or breastfeeding, we recommend talking to your doctor just like we say on the back of our label.

Johns Hopkins sleep expert Luis F. But if he has to work in the evening or answer emails, he uses filters to screen out the blue and green wavelengths of light emitted by his smartphone and computer. A filter can help. Take 1 to 3 milligrams two hours before bedtime. To ease jet lag, try taking melatonin two hours before your bedtime at your destination, starting a few days before your trip.