Melatonin

Pineal hormone that regulates circadian rhythms; reduces sleep latency & helps with jet lag & shift work at low doses.

sleepcircadianjet-lag

Evidence last reviewed: 04 Apr 2026

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Biomarkers studied

Outcomes directly measured across the evidence records below

Sleep

Sleep LatencySleep DurationSleep Quality (subjective)

Evidence

2 records

Primary sleep disorders (sleep latency, total sleep time, sleep quality)

Adults with primary sleep disorders (19 studies, n=1,683) • Meta-analysis

PUBMEDModerate

Melatonin decreased sleep onset latency (−7 min), increased total sleep time (+8 min), & improved overall sleep quality vs. placebo; statistically significant but modest effect sizes.

Dose: 3 mgDuration: 2–12 weeks

Citation: Ferracioli-Oda E et al. PLoS ONE. 2013;8(5):e63773.

Doses 0.5–5 mg are similarly effective; higher doses not more effective but may cause next-day grogginess.

Jet lag prevention & treatment

Adult air travelers crossing ≥5 time zones • Cochrane systematic review (10 RCTs)

COCHRANEHigh

8 of 10 RCTs found significant reduction in jet lag symptoms with melatonin; 2–5 mg at local bedtime after eastward travel is effective. Timing of dose is critical — wrong timing delays adaptation.

Dose: 5 mgDuration: 2–4 days at destinationTiming: local bedtime after eastward travel

Citation: Herxheimer A & Petrie KJ. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2002;(2):CD001520.

Particularly beneficial for eastward travel across ≥5 time zones. Taking melatonin early in the day can cause sleepiness & delay adaptation.

Forms

Immediate-release melatonin

Most studied; 0.5–3 mg typical effective range.

Extended-release melatonin

May help with sleep maintenance; less data vs. IR.