In this article:
- What’s considered a “normal” melatonin level?
- Melatonin dosage by weight
- Can you overdose on Melatonin
- Studies on Melatonin levels based on supplementation
- Summary Of Normal Melatonin Ranges
- Does melatonin cancel out birth control
- Symptoms of low melatonin levels
- Root cause of low melatonin levels
- Beyond “normal” goals: What’s an “optimal” melatonin level, and why does it matter?
- How can you get a Melatonin test?
If you’ve ever been scrolling through your Instagram feed in the wee hours of the night instead of sleeping (and let’s face it, we’ve all been there), you might have seen a targeted ad or two for melatonin vape pens. These pens are just the latest in a long line of melatonin supplements that are meant to help you relax, unwind, and fight off insomnia so that you can finally drift off into dreamland.
In a time when so many of us are dealing with stress, anxiety, and uncertainty, it’s no wonder that we’re turning to melatonin supplements in a bid to get a better night’s sleep. This “sleepy hormone” is responsible for helping us get drowsy at night, but some modern-day stressors mean that our bodies don’t always make enough of it.
That’s where melatonin supplements come into play. Here’s everything you need to know about this natural sleep aid.
Worried about your melatonin levels?
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Takeaways:
- Melatonin, a hormone that signals to your body that it’s time to sleep, is produced normally by your pineal gland but is highly dependent on outside factors like light and stress.
- You can take a melatonin supplement to increase your body’s level of this hormone and get a better night’s sleep, but there is no official dosage for this supplement as of now.
- Knowing how much melatonin you are currently producing, plus how much of the stress hormone cortisol you have, could be key to finding the right dose for a better night’s sleep.
What are considered “normal” melatonin levels?
Melatonin is a really interesting hormone because its release in our body is actually influenced by the amount of light around you - or rather, the lack of light.
Under normal circumstances, your body is naturally primed to release this drowsiness-inducing hormone as night falls. As the sun sets and it gets darker, receptors in your eye signal to your pineal gland to release melatonin to start the onset of sleepiness. As the night passes, your melatonin levels then continue to increase where it eventually peaks at around 2-4 am, then falls as you approach morning based on your natural circadian rhythms.
So your melatonin levels naturally shift depending on the time of day or night. Under normal circumstances, this means that young adults will see their melatonin levels at around 10 pg/mL during the early morning and a peak of around 60 pg/mL in the middle of the night when you should be sleeping.
If your melatonin levels are low during the evening, the natural consequence is that you could feel wide awake rather than sleepy. This is when you might consider taking a melatonin supplement to help you fall asleep.
Melatonin dosage by weight
You have a ton of melatonin supplement options if you want to enhance your sleep with this hormone. Besides those trending melatonin vapes, you can also get your sleep fix from melatonin gummies, tinctures, sprays, and more.
There’s no official dosage recommendation for melatonin as of right now. However, the general consensus is that small physiological doses that bring you back to your normal melatonin levels are usually sufficient. For most people, this means the right dose of melatonin for healthy adults falls somewhere between 0.5mg— 5mg.
Can you overdose on melatonin?
Now don’t get too excited and go for the highest possible dosage in the pursuit of a heavy sleep! Remember, your body already makes some melatonin on its own, even if those long and sleepless nights seem to suggest otherwise. So jumping immediately to the highest dose without knowing your sensitivity or needs is not exactly ideal.
According to The Sleep Foundation, overdosing on melatonin can come with some seriously unpleasant side effects like:
- Headache
- High or low blood pressure
- Excessive drowsiness
- Nausea/vomiting
- Depression
Some people also report a ”melatonin hangover” after taking too much, which could effectively cancel out the cognitive benefits of a better night’s sleep.
So when in doubt, go for the smallest recommended dosage for your height, weight, and age first to see how you react to it before increasing.
Studies on levels of melatonin after supplementation
Because melatonin supplements are so popular, there’s plenty of research around them. Here are some notable insights from clinical studies:
- A systematic review of studies conducted on older adults found that melatonin supplementation was indeed effective at raising melatonin levels in blood, urine, and saliva tests. Unsurprisingly, the higher the melatonin dose, the longer it stayed in their system.
- Researchers at MIT also found evidence that smaller doses are better in the case of melatonin. In a study published in the Journal Of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, they concluded that older adults with insomnia were able to get back to sleep with a small melatonin dose of just 0.3mg. On the other hand, they found that supplements with higher doses were less effective.
- Another scientific review evaluating the efficacy of various melatonin doses suggested that 0.5 mg of melatonin is the cutoff for physiological doses - in other words, the range that mimics natural levels of melatonin normally made by the body. However, they did find evidence that higher doses may also be effective for various people.
Summary of normal melatonin ranges
So to sum up what we’ve learned so far:
- Your natural melatonin levels should be lowest in the morning and start increasing during the evening. If your melatonin levels aren’t increasing enough at night to bring on sleep, you can take melatonin supplements to move the process along.
- There’s no official guideline for appropriate melatonin supplement dosing as of now, but 0.5mg— 5mg seems to be a safe and effective range.
- More isn’t necessarily better: several studies have concluded that smaller doses that mimic normal melatonin levels in the body are effective and less likely to come with a “melatonin hangover.”
Does melatonin cancel out birth control?
Since melatonin is a hormone at the end of the day, it’s also worth considering how it might interact with other hormonal supplements and medications you’re on like birth control.
There isn’t a ton of research out there about how melatonin and birth control relate to each other, but it does seem that they have a relationship. After all, both melatonin and sex hormones are produced by your pineal gland. There’s no good evidence that taking melatonin can cancel out the contraceptive effects of birth control, but it may be better to err on the side of caution and talk to your doctor beforehand.
Interestingly enough, taking both at the same time might yield another effect. “The pill” generally increases your levels of the hormones progesterone and estrogen, both of which also play roles in helping you get a better night’s sleep. So interestingly enough, taking both hormonal birth control and melatonin at once could actually amplify that sleepiness-inducing effect.
Symptoms of low melatonin levels
The most obvious consequences of low melatonin levels are insomnia, low-quality sleep, and other sleep issues. Unfortunately, the resulting sleep deprivation can also come with a slew of other issues like poor cognition, bad moods, and even unhealthy weight gain.
In addition, melatonin deficiencies can also affect other areas of your health. A lack of melatonin and subsequent sleep has also been linked to metabolic issues like Type 2 diabetes and has even been attributed to higher incidences of certain cancers like prostate, endometrial, and breast. However, more research needs to be done here to understand the exact link.
Causes of low melatonin levels
At its root, our low melatonin levels could simply be a product of our modern-day lifestyles.
The first potential issue is that we simply have too much light, which is throwing off our normal circadian rhythms. The advent of electricity and electronics means that we are constantly being exposed to bright lights, which is a far cry from the natural day-night light cycle. Since the release of melatonin in our bodies is so dependent on dimness, staring at your TV and phone at all hours of the day is a likely culprit.
Chronic stress is another key piece of the puzzle here. Cortisol, your stress hormone, can actually be thought of as melatonin’s opposite. It’s one of the hormones responsible for waking you up and keeping you alert, and as such your body releases it in an almost opposite schedule to melatonin. If you’re dealing with high levels of mental and/or physical stress and your cortisol levels are constantly high as a result, it could be one of the reasons that you’re having such a hard time getting a good night’s sleep.
So in the end, melatonin supplementation on its own might not help if you don’t also pay attention to the root cause of your sleepless nights, stress. You can take as much melatonin as you want - even to unhealthy levels - but it can’t overwrite those elevated cortisol levels.
What are “optimal” melatonin levels, and why does it matter?
When it comes to an “optimal” melatonin level, the answer is highly specific to each person. Because there’s no official dosage guideline for melatonin supplements, it can be tricky to know the right amount of melatonin that you should take for a better night’s sleep.
All evidence points towards a melatonin dosage that closely mimics what your body would normally be producing, but you also need to know how much melatonin you are already producing in order to make an informed dosing decision.
Remember, more is not always better when it comes to melatonin. So the only way to know your own melatonin levels and evaluate how they affect your body is to take a melatonin panel test.
How to test your melatonin levels
Because your melatonin levels change throughout the day, the most accurate way to test your melatonin levels is to take multiple readings at different times. So the best way to test your melatonin levels is to use an at-home hormone test like Base’s Sleep Test which reads samples from the morning, evening, and night for the most accurate analysis.
In addition, the Sleep Test also comes with cortisol testing so you can determine whether your disrupted sleep cycle is being caused by excessive stress.
With the convenience and ease of an at-home saliva sample and personalized recommendations based on your initial results, you’ll be empowered to make better-informed decisions about your sleep cycles, melatonin use, and take control of your sleep for good.
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Worried about your melatonin levels?
Take our quiz to build a bespoke testing plan that will help you boost your melatonin and improve your sleep.
