I’ve been taking 10mg every night for the past couple of weeks. The problem is, I don’t get tired until around 12:30am, and I wake up at 7:30am. I need at least 9 hours of sleep, so this isn’t working for me. The 10mg doesn’t make me tired, but it helps me feel more rested. I’d like to try doubling the dose, but I came across a warning about melatonin overdose. I don’t really trust Google though, so I’m hoping to hear opinions from people who take higher doses.
It’s safe. It’s probably not a great idea for long term use. Unfortunately, there’s not much research on higher doses. Studies show that there is great variability in bioavailability, which might explain why some people need higher doses.
I would weigh the risks of sleep deprivation versus extra melatonin. You may experience benign side effects like grogginess the next day. I’d consider alternative sleep aids and focus on long term solutions.
I’d suggest trying 15mg before jumping to 20mg. Doubling it is quite the leap.
You can check out this paper:
Menczel Schrire, Zoe et al. “Safety of higher doses of melatonin in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.” Journal of pineal research vol. 72,2 (2022): e12782. doi:10.1111/jpi.12782
@Nuri
Thank you! I’m not sure if I should lower my dose or increase it now. I’m hearing both sides. I appreciate the paper too.
Blayne said:
@Nuri
Thank you! I’m not sure if I should lower my dose or increase it now. I’m hearing both sides. I appreciate the paper too.
What time do you take it? You might try taking it earlier. There’s also extended-release melatonin, but I haven’t tried it myself.
@Nuri
I usually take it an hour before I want to sleep. I’ve tried different times, but none of them make me tired. I want to be the kind of tired where, as soon as I lay down, I fall asleep. On weeknights, I find myself tossing around for about 30 minutes.
@Blayne
I’m not sure more melatonin will do what you want. You can try it, but I recommend trying magnesium glycinate or valerian root. Also, reducing blue light exposure, switching to a warm-colored lamp, meditating or breathing before sleep, and exercising to tire yourself out might help.
@Nuri
Good ideas, I’ve heard a lot of that helps. Thanks!
Yes, that’s an insane amount. 10mg is too much. Melatonin is a hormone, not a drug, which means that increasing the dose does NOT lead to more sleep benefits.
I read a study years ago that said the human brain naturally releases less than 1mg (I think it was around 0.3 - 0.8mg) each night, and melatonin works best when taken in amounts similar to that since it’s what the brain is used to.
I personally wouldn’t go beyond 1mg for that reason, although some people here might disagree. Keep in mind that melatonin isn’t a magic bullet for knocking you out for 9 hours; it can help sometimes but not always.
@Jesse
Very interesting, I didn’t know this. So, is it a case of ‘less is more’? Or would 1mg be just as useful as 10mg?
Blayne said:
@Jesse
Very interesting, I didn’t know this. So, is it a case of ‘less is more’? Or would 1mg be just as useful as 10mg?
Pretty much, yeah. But it’s different for everyone. Higher doses can even disrupt sleep. The study I read found that people got the best results with melatonin when they took amounts that closely matched what the brain naturally produces for sleep.
I’ll try to find it for you to link, but it was a few years ago.
@Jesse
If you can’t find it, no worries. You’ve been helpful enough. I’ve already taken the 10mg tonight, but I’ll try a much smaller dose tomorrow. Thanks!
Yes.