Safety Profile
Overall safety rating: Generally Safe
Melatonin Side Effects & Safety
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement. Full disclaimer
Potential Side Effects
- Generally very well tolerated at standard doses
- Morning drowsiness or grogginess (more common at higher doses >3mg)
- Vivid dreams or nightmares (uncommon)
- Headache (uncommon)
- Mild dizziness (rare)
- Temporary feelings of depression (rare, at higher doses)
- May suppress endogenous production temporarily with long-term high-dose use (though evidence for this is weak)
Drug & Supplement Interactions
- Sedative medications (benzodiazepines, zolpidem) — additive sedation effects, use caution
- Anticoagulants (warfarin) — melatonin may increase bleeding risk
- Immunosuppressants — melatonin has immunostimulatory properties that may counteract immunosuppression
- Diabetes medications — melatonin may affect blood sugar levels
- Fluvoxamine — strongly inhibits melatonin metabolism (CYP1A2), dramatically increasing melatonin levels
- Caffeine — may reduce melatonin production; avoid caffeine after 2 PM
Maximum Dose
Do not exceed: 10mg/day (higher doses are not more effective and may cause morning grogginess)
References
- Ferracioli-Oda E, Qawasmi A, Bloch MH (2013). Meta-analysis: melatonin for the treatment of primary sleep disorders. PLoS ONE. DOI PubMed
- Herxheimer A, Petrie KJ (2002). Melatonin for the prevention and treatment of jet lag. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. DOI PubMed
- Brzezinski A, Vangel MG, Wurtman RJ, et al. (2005). Effects of exogenous melatonin on sleep: a meta-analysis. Sleep Medicine Reviews. DOI PubMed
- Zhdanova IV, Wurtman RJ, Regan MM, Taylor JA, Shi JP, Leclair OU (2001). Melatonin treatment for age-related insomnia. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. DOI PubMed