How much melatonin should you take for insomnia?

Podcast: Download (Duration: 0:48 — 1.5MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Thinking of trying melatonin, and wondering how much to take? Johns Hopkins sleep specialist Luis Buenaver says that when it comes to using melatonin for occasional insomnia, less is more. He recommends you start with 1 to 3 milligrams, two hours before bedtime. If it helps, he says, using melatonin supplements every night for a month or two is safe for most people.

If you’re traveling, try taking melatonin two hours before bedtime in your destination’s time zone to ease jet lag. Buenaver says if the supplement doesn’t help after a week or two, stop using it and consult your health care provider. Talk to your doctor if you have diabetes or high blood pressure, and avoid melatonin altogether if you are pregnant, breast-feeding or living with an autoimmune disorder, depression or seizures.

For more details, check out Melatonin for Sleep: Does It Work?