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March 3, 2022, 2:33 PM UTC / Source: TODAY [ A. Pawlowski](https://www.today.com/author/pawlowski-tdpn1281) Skip to table of contents  A rise in sleep problems and clever marketing are both likely driving the rising popularity of melatonin supplements, experts say.Getty Images  Create your free account or log in to save this article [Add TODAY to Google](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=today.com) More Americans than ever report taking [melatonin](https://www.today.com/health/what-melatonin-what-are-side-effects-melatonin-t181269) supplements, a habit that has “significantly increased” over 20 years and may raise safety concerns, a new analysis has found. Many are using the substance as an over-the-counter sleep aid despite a lack of evidence it can help them sleep better, researchers [wrote in JAMA](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788539). Melatonin can also come with adverse side effects, and some people may be ingesting much more of it than they realize because the supplements aren’t strictly regulated and may contain several times the amount listed on the label, they warned. “It’s somehow concerning because it’s a self-medication and people are not entirely aware what they’re taking,” Naima Covassin, co-author of the paper and assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, told TODAY. “After the paper came out, many people came to me and said, ‘I didn’t know it was a hormone.’ They think it’s an herbal supplement or something like that. I think that they have to be more aware.” 0 seconds of 4 minutes, 45 secondsVolume 90% Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts Keyboard Shortcuts EnabledDisabled Play/PauseSPACE Increase Volume↑ Decrease Volume↓ Seek Forward→ Seek Backward← Captions On/Offc Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf Mute/Unmutem Decrease Caption Size\- Increase Caption Size\+ or = Seek %0-9 Settings Off CC English Font Color White Font Opacity 100% Font Size 100% Font Family Arial Character Edge None Background Color Black Background Opacity 50% Window Color Black Window Opacity 0% Reset White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan 100% 75% 50% 25% 200% 175% 150% 125% 100% 75% 50% Arial Courier Georgia Impact Lucida Console Tahoma Times New Roman Trebuchet MS Verdana None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop Shadow White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% Auto270p (254 kbps) 1080p (5820 kbps) 720p (2852 kbps) 540p (1503 kbps) 360p (838 kbps) 270p (449 kbps) 270p (254 kbps) Live 00:00 04:45 04:45  - [Add TODAY to Google](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=today.com) [Everything you need to know about vitamins and supplements](https://www.today.com/video/everything-you-need-to-know-about-vitamins-and-supplements-109793861690) 04:46 ## What is melatonin? Melatonin is a hormone that the brain produces in response to darkness, which helps regulate the body’s internal clock and sleep-wake cycle, according to the [National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health](https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/melatonin-what-you-need-to-know). The supplements are usually synthetically made. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the new analysis found the prevalence of U.S. adults who reported taking melatonin supplements jumped from 0.4% in 1999 to more than 2% in 2018 — a five-fold increase. The prevalence of people taking high-dose melatonin supplements — over 5 milligrams — remained low, but also increased over time. A rise in [sleep problems](https://www.today.com/health/could-sleep-doctor-help-solve-your-sleep-problems-t211732) and clever marketing are both likely driving melatonin’s rising popularity, Covassin said. “We know that sleep disturbances have been increasing over time, and people tend to underreport them and they tend to self-medicate. And because melatonin is available over the counter in the U.S., then it’s a simple solution,” she noted. “But (just) because it’s available without a prescription, it doesn’t mean that it’s harmless.” 0 seconds of 4 minutes, 55 secondsVolume 90% Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts Keyboard Shortcuts EnabledDisabled Play/PauseSPACE Increase Volume↑ Decrease Volume↓ Seek Forward→ Seek Backward← Captions On/Offc Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf Mute/Unmutem Decrease Caption Size\- Increase Caption Size\+ or = Seek %0-9 Settings Off CC English Font Color White Font Opacity 100% Font Size 100% Font Family Arial Character Edge None Background Color Black Background Opacity 50% Window Color Black Window Opacity 0% Reset White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan 100% 75% 50% 25% 200% 175% 150% 125% 100% 75% 50% Arial Courier Georgia Impact Lucida Console Tahoma Times New Roman Trebuchet MS Verdana None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop Shadow White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% Auto270p (263 kbps) 1080p (4435 kbps) 720p (3153 kbps) 540p (1609 kbps) 360p (878 kbps) 270p (465 kbps) 270p (263 kbps) Live 00:00 04:55 04:55  - [Add TODAY to Google](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=today.com) [Why going outside could help you sleep better](https://www.today.com/video/why-going-outside-could-help-you-sleep-better-131827269721) 04:56 ## The concerns about melatonin use Melatonin supplements are generally pretty safe and well tolerated, but they can cause relatively mild side effects, including headaches, fatigue, dizziness or daytime sleepiness, Covassin said. There can also be more potentially severe side effects, such as the worsening of seizures, changes in blood pressure and heart rate, respiratory infections and decreased glucose tolerance, she noted. There have been reports of drug interactions with cardiovascular medications like blood thinners, and medications that work on the central nervous system like antidepressants or other sedatives, she added. Consumers who continually take melatonin supplements should know the data on long-term use is scarce, the new paper cautioned. Then, there’s the problem of people misusing melatonin to treat general sleep problems. The supplements can be very helpful when people have sleep issues because their circadian rhythms are being disrupted — shift workers who work at night and sleep during the day, for example, or travelers who experience jet lag — because melatonin can help reset their body clock to an earlier or later time, Covassin said. 0 seconds of 5 minutes, 3 secondsVolume 90% Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts Keyboard Shortcuts EnabledDisabled Play/PauseSPACE Increase Volume↑ Decrease Volume↓ Seek Forward→ Seek Backward← Captions On/Offc Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf Mute/Unmutem Decrease Caption Size\- Increase Caption Size\+ or = Seek %0-9 Settings Off CC English Font Color White Font Opacity 100% Font Size 100% Font Family Arial Character Edge None Background Color Black Background Opacity 50% Window Color Black Window Opacity 0% Reset White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan 100% 75% 50% 25% 200% 175% 150% 125% 100% 75% 50% Arial Courier Georgia Impact Lucida Console Tahoma Times New Roman Trebuchet MS Verdana None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop Shadow White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% Auto270p (291 kbps) 1080p (5088 kbps) 720p (3661 kbps) 540p (1906 kbps) 360p (1025 kbps) 270p (513 kbps) 270p (291 kbps) Live 00:00 05:03 05:03  - [Add TODAY to Google](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=today.com) [Tips to build better sleep habits](https://www.today.com/video/tips-to-build-better-sleep-habits-119596101861) 05:03 But there’s little evidence melatonin supplements can help with [insomnia](https://www.today.com/health/4-tips-help-you-beat-insomnia-fall-asleep-today-t209017) or other sleep disturbances, she noted. “There have been quite a few clinical trials, and most of them fail to find melatonin is better than a placebo,” Philip Richard Gehrman, an associate professor of clinical psychology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, [told TODAY](https://www.today.com/health/what-melatonin-what-are-side-effects-melatonin-t181269). “If it has any effect as a sleeping pill, they are very modest.” Some countries consider melatonin a drug, but it’s classified as a dietary supplement in the U.S. and therefore not regulated as strictly by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a medicine would be, so the purity, content and quality may vary. Studies have found the actual content of melatonin in supplements can be [up to 478% higher](https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.6462) than what’s on the label. The chances that people experience side effects are higher with higher doses, Covassin warned. “If you take a higher dose, especially late at night, it may make you feel sleepy during the day when you’re supposed to be up, and this can add important consequences, like drowsy driving,” she noted. ## **How to stay safe:** Before taking melatonin supplements, talk to your doctor about whether they can actually help you, what the best dosage is and when to take them. They should be taken one to two hours before the desired bedtime — not right before going to bed, Covassin advised. If you wake up in the middle of the night and you’re not able to fall back asleep or you wake up too early in the morning, it’s unlikely the supplements are going to help you much, she added. Always check with a pediatrician before giving melatonin supplements to a child or teen. When choosing melatonin supplements, the [American Academy of Sleep Medicine](https://aasm.org/study-finds-that-melatonin-content-of-supplements-varies-widely/) advises consumers to look for the [“USP Verified” mark](https://www.usp.org/verification-services/verified-mark), which means the formulation meets the requirements of the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention — a scientific nonprofit organization that sets quality standards for dietary supplements. [Melatonin can be obtained from food](https://www.today.com/health/best-foods-better-sleep-t109308), but generally is not as effective as supplements, Covassin said. [Food sources](https://ift.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1750-3841.14952) include milk, sour cherries, eggs, fish, meat, nuts and seeds. [](https://www.today.com/author/pawlowski-tdpn1281) [A. Pawlowski](https://www.today.com/author/pawlowski-tdpn1281) A. Pawlowski is a TODAY health reporter focusing on health news and features. Previously, she was a writer, producer and editor at CNN. -  - [Add TODAY to Google](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=today.com) ## Related [Oleg Breslavtsev / Getty Images](https://www.today.com/health/sleep/worry-sleep-expert-tip-rcna266864)  ### [Worries Keeping You Awake? Add This 1 Thing to Your Schedule for Better Sleep](https://www.today.com/health/sleep/worry-sleep-expert-tip-rcna266864) ## Expert Tip of the Day / Updated April 10, 2026 [Macy Sinreich / TODAY Illustration / Getty Images](https://www.today.com/health/sleep/sleep-anxiety-bedtime-ritual-expert-tip-rcna265282)  ### [Beat Sleep Anxiety With This Doctor-Recommended Night Time Ritual](https://www.today.com/health/sleep/sleep-anxiety-bedtime-ritual-expert-tip-rcna265282) ## Expert Tip of the Day / Updated March 27, 2026 [Ekaterina Goncharova / Getty Images](https://www.today.com/health/sleep/daylight-saving-time-headache-rcna142420)  ### [Why Daylight Saving Time Can Give You a Headache and How to Avoid It](https://www.today.com/health/sleep/daylight-saving-time-headache-rcna142420) ## Wellness / Updated March 6, 2026 [Macy Sinreich / TODAY Illustration / Getty Images](https://www.today.com/health/sleep/how-much-sleep-long-term-health-expert-rcna260614)  ### [Going to Sleep This Much Earlier Can Drastically Improve Long-Term Health](https://www.today.com/health/sleep/how-much-sleep-long-term-health-expert-rcna260614) ## Sleep / Updated Feb. 27, 2026 [Kilito Chan / Getty Images](https://www.today.com/health/sleep/stretch-for-better-sleep-olympic-physical-therapist-rcna258557)  ### [Olympic Physical Therapist Always Recommends This 1 Stretch for Better Sleep](https://www.today.com/health/sleep/stretch-for-better-sleep-olympic-physical-therapist-rcna258557) ## Sleep / Updated Feb. 19, 2026 [Imgorthand / Getty Images/iStockphoto](https://www.today.com/health/sleep/dark-showering-rcna257401)  ### ['Dark Showering' for Better Sleep Is Going Viral. Does It Work?](https://www.today.com/health/sleep/dark-showering-rcna257401) ## Sleep / Updated Feb. 9, 2026 [Vivian Le / TODAY](https://www.today.com/shop/best-sleep-products-2025-shop-today-sleep-awards-rcna233062)  ### [The Best Sleep Products of 2025, According to Shop TODAY Editors](https://www.today.com/shop/best-sleep-products-2025-shop-today-sleep-awards-rcna233062) ## Shop TODAY Sleep Awards / Updated Feb. 4, 2026 [Natalia Rusanova / Getty Images](https://www.today.com/health/sleep/melatonin-heart-failure-new-study-rcna241809)  ### [Does Melatonin Increase Heart Failure Risk? New Study Reveals Surprising Link](https://www.today.com/health/sleep/melatonin-heart-failure-new-study-rcna241809) ## Sleep / Updated Nov. 7, 2025 [Macy Sinreich / TODAY Illustration / Getty Images](https://www.today.com/health/sleep/why-is-sleep-important-heart-health-cardiologist-explains-rcna236351)  ### [This 1 Overlooked Lifestyle Habit Is 'Crucial' for Heart Health, Cardiologist Says](https://www.today.com/health/sleep/why-is-sleep-important-heart-health-cardiologist-explains-rcna236351) ## Expert Tip of the Day / Updated Oct. 9, 2025 [pepifoto / Getty Images](https://www.today.com/health/diet-fitness/fruits-with-high-melatonin-rcna233957)  ### [9 Fruits With the Most Melatonin, According to Dietitians](https://www.today.com/health/diet-fitness/fruits-with-high-melatonin-rcna233957) ## Diet / Updated Sept. 29, 2025 [See More](https://www.today.com/health/sleep-better-today) - [About](https://www.today.com/about) - [Contact](https://www.today.com/information/contact-us-send-today-your-questions-comments-t215381) - [Help](https://nbcnews.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/categories/45174508085651-TODAY) - [Visit](https://www.today.com/information/join-today-live-plaza-t250868) - [TODAY Apps](https://apps.today.com/mobile/) - [AD Choices](https://www.nbcuniversal.com/privacy/cookies#accordionheader2) - [Privacy Policy](https://www.nbcuniversal.com/privacy?intake=NBC_News) - [Your Privacy Choices](https://www.nbcuniversal.com/privacy/notrtoo/?intake=NBC_News) - [CA Notice](https://www.nbcuniversal.com/privacy/california-consumer-privacy-act?intake=NBC_News) - [TERMS OF SERVICE](https://www.nbcuniversal.com/terms) - [TERMS OF SERVICE](http://www.today.com/start-today/app/supplemental-terms) - [Careers](https://www.nbcunicareers.com/) - [Closed Captioning](https://www.today.com/information/closed-captioning-t215383) - [TODAY Sitemap](https://www.today.com/archive/) - [Advertise](https://together.nbcuni.com/advertise/?utm_source=today&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=property_ad_pages) - [TODAY Store](https://www.nbcstore.com/pages/today-show) - [Shop TODAY](https://www.today.com/shop) © 2026 NBCUniversal Media, LLCApple®, Apple logo® and App Store® are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. 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More Americans than ever report taking [melatonin](https://www.today.com/health/what-melatonin-what-are-side-effects-melatonin-t181269) supplements, a habit that has “significantly increased” over 20 years and may raise safety concerns, a new analysis has found. Many are using the substance as an over-the-counter sleep aid despite a lack of evidence it can help them sleep better, researchers [wrote in JAMA](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788539). Melatonin can also come with adverse side effects, and some people may be ingesting much more of it than they realize because the supplements aren’t strictly regulated and may contain several times the amount listed on the label, they warned. “It’s somehow concerning because it’s a self-medication and people are not entirely aware what they’re taking,” Naima Covassin, co-author of the paper and assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, told TODAY. “After the paper came out, many people came to me and said, ‘I didn’t know it was a hormone.’ They think it’s an herbal supplement or something like that. I think that they have to be more aware.”  04:46 Melatonin is a hormone that the brain produces in response to darkness, which helps regulate the body’s internal clock and sleep-wake cycle, according to the [National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health](https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/melatonin-what-you-need-to-know). The supplements are usually synthetically made. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the new analysis found the prevalence of U.S. adults who reported taking melatonin supplements jumped from 0.4% in 1999 to more than 2% in 2018 — a five-fold increase. The prevalence of people taking high-dose melatonin supplements — over 5 milligrams — remained low, but also increased over time. A rise in [sleep problems](https://www.today.com/health/could-sleep-doctor-help-solve-your-sleep-problems-t211732) and clever marketing are both likely driving melatonin’s rising popularity, Covassin said. “We know that sleep disturbances have been increasing over time, and people tend to underreport them and they tend to self-medicate. And because melatonin is available over the counter in the U.S., then it’s a simple solution,” she noted. “But (just) because it’s available without a prescription, it doesn’t mean that it’s harmless.”  04:56 ## The concerns about melatonin use Melatonin supplements are generally pretty safe and well tolerated, but they can cause relatively mild side effects, including headaches, fatigue, dizziness or daytime sleepiness, Covassin said. There can also be more potentially severe side effects, such as the worsening of seizures, changes in blood pressure and heart rate, respiratory infections and decreased glucose tolerance, she noted. There have been reports of drug interactions with cardiovascular medications like blood thinners, and medications that work on the central nervous system like antidepressants or other sedatives, she added. Consumers who continually take melatonin supplements should know the data on long-term use is scarce, the new paper cautioned. Then, there’s the problem of people misusing melatonin to treat general sleep problems. The supplements can be very helpful when people have sleep issues because their circadian rhythms are being disrupted — shift workers who work at night and sleep during the day, for example, or travelers who experience jet lag — because melatonin can help reset their body clock to an earlier or later time, Covassin said.  05:03 But there’s little evidence melatonin supplements can help with [insomnia](https://www.today.com/health/4-tips-help-you-beat-insomnia-fall-asleep-today-t209017) or other sleep disturbances, she noted. “There have been quite a few clinical trials, and most of them fail to find melatonin is better than a placebo,” Philip Richard Gehrman, an associate professor of clinical psychology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, [told TODAY](https://www.today.com/health/what-melatonin-what-are-side-effects-melatonin-t181269). “If it has any effect as a sleeping pill, they are very modest.” Some countries consider melatonin a drug, but it’s classified as a dietary supplement in the U.S. and therefore not regulated as strictly by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a medicine would be, so the purity, content and quality may vary. Studies have found the actual content of melatonin in supplements can be [up to 478% higher](https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.6462) than what’s on the label. The chances that people experience side effects are higher with higher doses, Covassin warned. “If you take a higher dose, especially late at night, it may make you feel sleepy during the day when you’re supposed to be up, and this can add important consequences, like drowsy driving,” she noted. ## **How to stay safe:** Before taking melatonin supplements, talk to your doctor about whether they can actually help you, what the best dosage is and when to take them. They should be taken one to two hours before the desired bedtime — not right before going to bed, Covassin advised. If you wake up in the middle of the night and you’re not able to fall back asleep or you wake up too early in the morning, it’s unlikely the supplements are going to help you much, she added. Always check with a pediatrician before giving melatonin supplements to a child or teen. When choosing melatonin supplements, the [American Academy of Sleep Medicine](https://aasm.org/study-finds-that-melatonin-content-of-supplements-varies-widely/) advises consumers to look for the [“USP Verified” mark](https://www.usp.org/verification-services/verified-mark), which means the formulation meets the requirements of the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention — a scientific nonprofit organization that sets quality standards for dietary supplements. [Melatonin can be obtained from food](https://www.today.com/health/best-foods-better-sleep-t109308), but generally is not as effective as supplements, Covassin said. [Food sources](https://ift.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1750-3841.14952) include milk, sour cherries, eggs, fish, meat, nuts and seeds.