How Much Melatonin Should You Take? Dose, Timing and Jet Lag

The published research on jet lag points to 5 milligrams as the top of the useful range. Our gummy has 5 milligrams of melatonin with vitamin B6 in each serving. I am Jan, I run Be Happy Be You, and this is how I would read a melatonin label if I were buying one.

Quick facts

• A 2002 Cochrane review of jet lag trials found daily doses from 0.5 to 5 milligrams worked about equally well, and that people fell asleep faster on 5 milligrams than on 0.5.
• The same review found doses above 5 milligrams did no better.
• The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says short-term use looks safe for most adults and that long-term safety has not been studied enough.
• Timing counts as much as dose. Take it about 30 minutes before bed, as the label directs.

What the dose research says

The best single source is the 2002 Cochrane review of melatonin for jet lag. The reviewers pooled the controlled trials and reported that melatonin taken close to bedtime at the destination reduced jet lag for travellers crossing five or more time zones. They also compared doses. Between 0.5 and 5 milligrams the effect on jet lag was similar, 5 milligrams helped people fall asleep faster, and going above 5 added nothing.

So a higher number on the bottle does not buy you more. Our label serving is one 5 milligram gummy, and the trials found nothing extra above 5 milligrams, so start with one.

When to take it

Melatonin is a timing signal. Your body releases its own as the evening gets dark, and a supplement moves that signal earlier. Take it about 30 minutes before bed, as the label directs. A morning or midday dose works against you, because it tells your body that night has started.

Melatonin works the night you take it. You can use it on the nights you need it and skip the others.

Jet lag

For a trip east across several time zones, the trials in the Cochrane review had travellers take melatonin at the local bedtime after they landed, usually between 10 p.m. and midnight, for the first few nights. Taking it earlier in the day made people sleepy at the wrong time. Flying west is easier on most people and the benefit there was smaller.

If you take medication

Melatonin can interact with blood thinners, blood pressure medicine, diabetes medicine and some seizure medicine. If you take any of those, ask your doctor or pharmacist first.

Our melatonin gummies are for adults 18 and over. Keep them out of reach of children, and do not give melatonin to a child unless their doctor says so.

A few quick answers

Is 5 milligrams too much? For jet lag, the Cochrane reviewers found 0.5 to 5 mg worked about equally well. For everyday sleep, many people need less, so ask your doctor what amount suits you. Can I take it every night? Short-term use looks safe for most adults according to NCCIH. If you have needed it nightly for more than a few weeks, that is worth a conversation with your doctor. Is it habit forming? Melatonin is not known to cause dependence. Why is there B6 in ours? Your body uses vitamin B6 when it turns tryptophan into serotonin, and serotonin is what it makes melatonin from.*

What to check on the label

Look for the milligrams of melatonin per serving and the serving size, then take it at the right time. You can see the full panel on our Melatonin Gummies with Vitamin B6. If you would rather skip melatonin, our Magnesium with L-Theanine gummies are the non-melatonin option.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your healthcare provider before starting any supplement, especially if you are pregnant or nursing, take medication, or have a health condition.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.