Dangerous truth about melatonin side effects… the astonishing dose you SHOULD be

Melatonin is the body’s natural bedtime reminder.

Produced in the brain’s pineal gland, the hormone helps regulate the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, otherwise known as circadian rhythm. Melatonin levels rise in the evening to promote drowsiness and fall in the morning to keep you awake throughout the day. 

While the brain produces melatonin on its own, more than one in four Americans (about 67 million) report taking a supplement form of the hormone to fall asleep. 

Sold over the counter without a prescription, dozens of brands and dosages line pharmacy shelves, each promising a restful night’s sleep without lingering drowsiness or side effects the next day. 

But for many users, the supplements have left them with a host of unwanted side effects ranging from grogginess to nausea and even trouble breathing.  

One user in a recent Reddit thread said in two separate instances after taking 2.5mg melatonin supplements, they would wake up four to six hours later ‘feeling extremely nauseous, clammy and with bad vertigo.’ 

They also claimed to have experienced low blood pressure, which over time deprives the brain and vital organs of oxygen. 

Another user explained that they took 3mg of melatonin and within 20 minutes, ‘the room was completely spinning and I wanted to vomit.’

About 25 to 30 million Americans experience insomnia at any given time. While melatonin supplements are common remedies, recent studies have raised concerns

‘I was miserable and in tears because I felt so sick,’ they added. ‘Every time I closed my eyes I got the spins and it made the nausea worse. 

‘I finally fell asleep around 11:30 and the next day I still felt so sick. Dizziness, nausea and upset stomach. At one point I thought I was coming down with the flu.’

Another user in the same thread claimed that melatonin supplements ‘make it super difficult for me to breathe,’ which may be because they relax muscles in the upper throat. 

Recent studies have also pointed to potential related dangers. 

In a study published last year, researchers found that, compared to people with insomnia who didn’t take the sleep supplement, melatonin users were 90 percent more likely to be diagnosed with heart failure within five years.

Users were also three times more likely to be hospitalized for heart failure than their peers who didn’t take it.

And those who used melatonin were nearly twice as likely to die from any cause in five years compared to non-users.

However, experts stress that it is important to note the findings showed only associations, not direct causes. Experts told the Daily Mail at the time that ‘there is no evidence that melatonin usage leads to heart failure.’ 

Additionally, Kristin Kuminski, a registered dietitian nutritionist at The Rx Index, told the Daily Mail that while melatonin supplements are likely effective in alleviating insomnia, the issue is in the fact ‘that the dosing is all over the place,’ which can be dangerous, especially for children.

A typical dose for melatonin supplements ranges from 1mg to 5mg, taken about 30 minutes before bedtime

Research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has pointed to 0.3mg of melatonin as an effective dose in treating insomnia in older adults – that is far less than the range seen in many supplements. 

 A 2023 study by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that almost half (46 percent) of parents have given melatonin to a child under the age of 13 to help them fall asleep.

And in 2022, the CDC revealed how, in the decade leading up to 2021, poison helplines dealt with 260,435 calls about children who had taken too much melatonin – a 530 percent increase from 2012.

In 2012, melatonin was responsible for one percent of pediatric poisonings. That rose to five percent in 2021.

Of the poison reports, two children died, five were put on a ventilator to help them breathe, nearly 300 ended up in intensive care and more than 4,000 were hospitalized.

Another issue with relying on a sleep supplement is that it can hurt the body’s natural ability to fall and stay asleep. 

‘Studies suggest effective doses are much lower than what’s in most supplements, and consistently high doses can blunt your body’s own production [of the hormone] over time,’ Kuminiski added. 

And as melatonin’s safety and side effects have been called into question, many Americans with insomnia are searching for more natural alternatives.

Now, dietitians and sleep experts have told the Daily Mail an unlikely grocery store item may fit the bill.

Dietitians and sleep experts told the Daily Mail that 100 percent tart cherry juice may be an effective natural swap for melatonin supplements

Tart cherry juice is a good source of two natural sleep aids and is ‘a worthwhile swap to try for a few weeks before reaching for a supplement,’ Kuminiski said. 

A 4oz to 8oz glass contains around 0.13 micrograms of melatonin. 

While this is six to 60 times less than a melatonin supplement, the juice also contains trace amounts of tryptophan, which has been linked to improved sleep time and quality. 

‘Tart cherry juice has real evidence behind it for sleep,’ Kuminski said. 

‘It also contains tryptophan and inhibits an enzyme that breaks down tryptophan in the body, so you get a compounding effect on melatonin production rather than just a direct dose.’ 

At about $6.50 per bottle or $1.60 per serving, the juice is also comparable in cost to melatonin supplements, which range in price from $5 to $30 depending on the brand and size. 

Lauri Leadley, clinical sleep educator and founder and president of Valley Sleep Center in Arizona, pointed to a 2012 European Journal of Sleep Medicine study, which followed 20 participants who were asked to drink tart cherry juice twice daily for a week. 

Participants drinking the juice ended up napping less and sleeping longer at night than those who received a different drink. 

‘Additionally, the tart cherry juice group showed increased levels of melatonin… indicating that drinking this juice boosts the body’s melatonin levels, which may explain how it helps with sleep,’ Leadley told the Daily Mail. 

Another 2019 study found drinking 30mL (1oz) of tart cherry juice twice per day increased sleep time by an hour in older adults with insomnia. 

Just don’t overdo it, as even too much of a good thing can be an issue. 

Leadley noted that tart cherry juice is high in natural sugar, with about 25g of sugar in an 8oz glass. She suggested opting for a smaller glass, around 2oz, and making sure to buy 100 percent tart cherry juice to avoid added sugars.