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- Melatonin causes side effects like dizziness, headaches, nausea, and next-day drowsiness.
- It can also cause less-common side effects like anxiety, confusion, abdominal pain, and more.
- Melatonin can interact with hormonal birth control, blood thinners, diabetes medication, and more.
Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone your brain makes. Your brain releases melatonin primarily at night, in response to darkness. This helps lull your body to sleep. It's responsible for your circadian rhythm, AKA your sleep-wake cycle. The release of melatonin at night in response to darkness helps your body know it's time to go to sleep. However,
But sleep doesn't come so easily to everybody. Around 70 million Americans have chronic sleep problems, and it's become increasingly popular to turn to melatonin supplements as a remedy.
As with any other supplement, it's possible that you'll experience side effects or drug interactions when you take melatonin.Here's what you need to know about the side effects, drug interactions, and instructions for taking melatonin.
What are the side effects of melatonin?
While melatonin is a supplement that's generally considered safe to take, it's still important to consider potential side effects, says Dr. Leila Kheirandish-Gozal, a sleep specialist at University of Missouri Health Care.
Kheirandish-Gozal says common short-term side effects of melatonin supplements are:
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Next-day drowsiness
A 2019 systematic review found that these side effects typically subside on their own within a few days if you continue to take melatonin.
There are also side effects that are more rare, but could occur. Kheirandish-Gozal says some possibilities are:
- Anxiety
- Abdominal pain
- Confusion
- Depression
- Irritability
- Low blood pressure
The side effects and risks of taking melatonin long-term are not fully known, due to limited long-term studies on continued melatonin use, says Dr. Jairo Hernando Barrantes-Perez, sleep specialist and assistant professor in the department of pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.
The studies which have been conducted are low quality and have not looked at effects past a few years of continued use, Barrantes-Perez says. That being said, a 2016 review of these studies found that compared to a placebo, it appears that melatonin only causes mild long-term side effects.
Furthermore, Barrantes-Perez says long-term risks are not fully understood in children who continuously take melatonin, so use caution.
There's no standard dosing for children by age or weight. "It is recommended to consult a pediatric sleep specialist to determine what dosage of melatonin and timing is right for your child," says Kheirandish-Gozal.
Medications that interact with melatonin
Some common medications that might interact with melatonin supplements are:
- Blood pressure medications: If you mix melatonin with certain blood pressure meds, there may be negative effects leading to poor blood pressure control, Kheirandish-Gozal says.
- Blood thinners: Anticoagulants and antiplatelet medications taken with melatonin may increase your risk of bleeding, and there may be decreased ability for the blood to clot and stop external bleeding, says Kheirandish-Gozal.
- Diabetes medications: Kheirandish-Gozal says taking certain medications that control diabetes along with melatonin can possibly affect your blood sugar, causing it to drop too low.
- Immunosuppressants: Melatonin can affect the immune system, which may counteract the effects of immunosuppressant medications, Kheirandish-Gozal says.
- Fluvoxamine: Barrantes-Perez says this specific antidepressant (brand name Luvox) has been shown to increase levels of melatonin in the blood. This can lead to further drowsiness.
- Hormonal birth control: While melatonin won't make your birth control less effective, Kheirandish-Gozal says combining contraception with melatonin may cause extra drowsiness.
- Sedatives: Taking certain sedatives or tranquilizers may result in an additive sedative effect, Kheirandish-Gozal says.
- Seizure medications: Melatonin may interact with certain seizure meds, resulting in an increased risk of seizures, Barrantes-Perez says.
The list above does not include every single drug interaction possible with melatonin. Learn more about additional interactions here and here. It's always better to be safe than sorry. If you aren't sure if your medications are safe to take with melatonin, be sure to ask your doctor.
How to take melatonin
"There is no standardized melatonin dosage chart by age or weight in the United States.
It is recommended to consult a sleep specialist to determine what dosage of melatonin and timing is right for you," Kheirandish-Gozal says.
But here are some general guidelines:
- Take melatonin around two hours or so before bedtime so it has time to kick in and start to make you sleepy.
- Start with one milligram, and increase as needed.
- Do not take more than 10 milligrams in a 24-hour period.
Melatonin has different effects on different individuals, so you may not know exactly how it affects you until you try it.
Insider's takeaway
Mild side effects ranging from nausea to headaches may result from taking melatonin.
Additionally, various medications may interact with melatonin and result in adverse effects. As with any supplement, it's best to consult with your doctor first to determine if there are any contraindications.
Furthermore, if you're having chronic insomnia, Barrantes-Perez suggests improving your sleep hygiene or looking into cognitive behavioral therapy, as these approaches can be more effective than melatonin in the long run.
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