Melatonin dosage of 1 mg to 5 mg is considered to be safe and sufficient. It is recommended to start taking melatonin supplements at low dosage from 0.3 mg then gradually increase your dosage up to 5mg until you find the effective dose. This method is used so that you can minimize the side effects of melatonin. Melatonin is available as Melatonin Tablets, Melatonin Sublingual Tablets and Liquid Melatonin. The effects of taking regular high doses of melatonin are still not fully researched. But there is one study in Holland that tested 75mg of melatonin on 5000 women. The test lasted over a period of 5 years and the researchers concluded that it was safe even at high levels.
It is important to note that there are no standard doses that have been well established for melatonin. Melatonin works well if you take it before bedtime. Taking melatonin during the day can cause drowsiness and decreased alertness.If you find out that melatonin is not working quickly enough for you, you can take it earlier at night. Like other sleep disorder treatments, long term use of melatonin is not necessary. You may be able to normalize your sleep cycle after only a few weeks of melatonin use. If you feel groggy in the morning or if you experience other Melatonin Side Effects, lower your dosage. If melatonin is working but not well enough, you may need a higher dose. A safe maximum dose for melatonin has not yet been established.
Melatonin Dosage for Adults
- Insomnia: Taking 1 mg to 3 mg at least 1 hour before going to bed is usually effective. Some people will only require 0.1 to 0.3 mg of Melatonin to sleep better. If using 3 mg per night is not effective after 3 days, try increasing your dosage to 5 – 6 mg 1 hour before going to bed. The correct dose should give you a restful sleep without daytime irritability or drowsiness.
- Jet lag: 0.5 – 5 mg of melatonin 1 hour before going to bed at final destination. Another approach is to use 1 – 5 mg 1 hour before going to bed for 2 days before departure and for 2 – 3 days upon arrival at your final destination.
- Seasonal affective disorder: 0.25 to 5 mg daily
- Sleep enhancement: 0.1 to 6mg taken 30 – 60 minutes before going to bed.
Melatonin Dosage for Children
- Preoperative anxiety: 0.1, 0.25 or 0.5 mg per kilogram of body weight
- Seizure disorder in children: 5 to 10 mg every night
- Sleep Disturbance in Children Suffering from Neuro Pyschiatric Disorders: ( autism, mental retardation and other psychiatric disorders ) – 0.5 mg to 10 mg every night
Melatonin References:
Webb SM, Puig-Domingo M. Role of melatonin in health and disease. Clin Endocrinol . 1995;42:221-234.
Cowley G. Melatonin. Newsweek . 1995;Aug 7:46. laustrat, B., Brun, J., David, M., Sassolas, G., & Chazot,
G. (1992).
Melatonin and Jet Lag: Confirmatory Result Using a Simplified Protocol. Biological Psychiatry, 32,
705-711.
Jan, J. (1994). The Treatment of Sleep Disorders With Melatonin.
Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 36, 97-107.
Lino, A., Silvy, S., Condorelli, L., & Rusconi, A. (1993). Melatonin and Jet Lag: Treatment Schedule. Biological Psychiatry, 34, 587.
Zhdanova, I. (1995). Sleep – inducing effects of low doses of melatonin ingested in the evening. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 57, 552-558.
Arendt J. Melatonin. Clin Endocrinol . 1988;29:205-229.
Borbely AA. Commentary on the articles by Arendt, Weaver, Mahle, et al, and Guardiola-Lemaitre. J Biol Rhythms . 1997;12:707-708.
Pharmacology and physiology of melatonin in the reduction of oxidative stress in vivo. Biol Signals Recept 2000 May-Aug; 9(3-4):160-71.
Differential growth inhibitory effect of melatonin on two endometrial cancer cell lines. J Pineal Res 2000 28(4):227-33.
I have a grandson with ADHD, so I just want to tell these people whom have not experienced a child that won’t sleep at night, don’t judge until you have lived it.
for 4 years my daughter was sleep deprived and myself she would be awake from 0730 until 0500 the next day there wasn’t nothing that i didnt try i was reluctant to put her on melatonin or anything else until i had exhausted all resources sleep patterns,positions and anythingelse people suggested. but the day finally came she had started school …and since that first night , that first dose our life is now normal for the first time we both wake refreshed and more importantly go to bed when the moon is still up. my daughter is now almost 5 and is smart as a whip, she loves homework she can read 3rd grade readers and do division she loves headstart, and the kids love her.her behavior has changed for the better, she is now sassy and social, whereas before she was angry,violent and inappropriatly verbal.
What dose do you give your son?
What dose do you give him?
I know someone who takes melatonin that is an adult and takes two pills almost every night. She has problems sleeping and if she doesnt take them she has problems falling asleep and she wakes up in the middle of the night for no apparent reason. She is healthy and has no alternative health reasons for this to be happening. What i am asking is if there is any alternative to help her sleep, and although she has no side effects is this safe for her to be doing this?
We use Melatonin or my 6 yr old son that has insomnia due to his ADHD meds. I would rather use this natural supplement, than a sleeping pill, where the side effects are way more substantial that melationin. He wakes up refreshed, just as if he didnt take it.
Melatonin is NOT drugging your child. Its for his benefit if we give him a med that HELPS him fall asleep!!
lol ya melatonin isnt drugging your child and neither is giving a 6 year old amphetamines…
I have a 6 1/2 yr old son who was diagnosed in August of 2011 with ADHD. I was TOTALLY against any meds for him as I had heard so many horror stories…Also, he was on 3 different allergy meds every evening as we couldnt find just 1 that worked…At the time of the ADHD diagnosis,we were in the process of switching over to allergy shots because I hated giving him all those meds. The Dr advised that my son was a good cantidate for meds but I told him absolutly not..I would try any and everything else pkus get my son off the meds he was on, before I would even consider it…between myself,his teacher,his occupatinal therapist, his pediatrician and his attention deficit therapist we tried EVERYTHING…and nothing worked..he would get to school and absolutly could not pay attention to do his work..I was extremely reluctant, but I called the dev. pediatrician and requested meds for him. It took me a week to even fill the prescription because I DID NOT want to give them to him..but I didn’t know what else to do for him…I finally filled it…we tried it on the weekend to make sure he was ok on it…Then we gave it to him last monday and every day this past week…He is a completely different kid…He has done ALL of his work this week and even finished before all of the other kids….I know that meds don’t work for all children…but they helped with mine..The meds that he is on are anphetamines, and he is VERY closely monitored…So unless you have an ADHD child…Or you have a solution for it..don’t talk about what you don’t know!!!
Thank you for your post…We just put my son on ADHD meds..and u til now we have never had a problem with him going to sleep..I was wondering about giving him melatonin, and saw your post..I’ll try it on Monday…what dose do you give him, if you don’t mind me asking…
I use this to sleep because of insomnia caused by ADD meds. I am healthy so to the person saying nobody healthy should take this is ignorant your body produces melatonin naturally this is probably the best “drug” to try out first before any of the rest of the sleeping aid drugs
i think any parents that give this medication to healthy kids are just wrong u got to try different methods with them
my daughter has no “true” medical problems that would explain sleep deprivation yet she will not sleep or will be extremely violent when she does not sleep so I believe in trying melatonin and hoping she gets some sleep. Live with a healthy child who cannot sleep peacefully and tell me there are other methods when we have tried them!
My 7 year old son is also “healthy” and “normal” but truly has difficulty sleeping at night.
I take melatonin and love how easily it makes me fall asleep as well as feeling refreshed in the morning.
Tonight for the first time, because I’m running out of options and patience, I gave him melatonin to try. I hope this will be a safe and effective way to cure him of his insomnia! I don’t believe I am “drugging” my child as this is a natural herbal supplement that is already being produced in the body.
I work in the pharmaceutical business, believe me, there are people that “drug” their children just to get them to cooperate on a daily basis which I believe is wrong. I know ADHD is rampant in our society, but I don’t believe all the diagnoses are justified. It seems to me like more and more parents, especially younger age groups, are confused on what exactly the role of a parent entails and uses mediaction as a justification to “control” their child.
At any rate, I believe in the uses of herbal supplements and believe there are valid reasons to use it in a chikd, especially if it benefits that child to have a productive day following a good nights sleep!
What is the best time at night to take Melantonin? What about the long term effects of Melatonin?
Larry Scott
the best time to take melatonin is 30 minutes before bedtime. there are no data about the long term side effects of melatonin.