Melatonin 3mg by Now Foods

Melatonin suits people whose problem is the timing of sleep more than its depth: jet lag, shift changes, a body clock that runs late, or trouble falling asleep at a new bedtime. It also fits some older adults, whose own melatonin output tends to decline. It is less useful for waking in the middle of the night, and long-standing insomnia deserves a conversation with your clinician first. No lab test is needed before trying it.

Melatonin is the hormone the pineal gland releases as darkness falls. It does not sedate you the way a sleep medicine does; it tells the body clock that night has begun, which brings sleepiness forward. This is a plain capsule: melatonin with rice flour in a cellulose capsule, labeled vegetarian and vegan. The label also calls melatonin a free radical scavenger and mentions gastrointestinal support; the evidence in people for those roles is much thinner than for sleep timing.

Each capsule provides 3 mg of melatonin. The label says to take 1 capsule near bedtime with water. About 30–60 minutes before you want to fall asleep works for most people; then keep the lights low, since bright light and screens work against it. For jet lag, take it at bedtime in the new time zone for the first few nights. More is not better: many people do as well on less than 3 mg, so there is no reason to double up.

The label is for adults only and not for pregnant or nursing women. It warns that melatonin may cause drowsiness: do not take it with alcohol, and do not drive or operate machinery afterward. It adds to the effect of sedatives and sleep medicines, and the label says to consult a physician if you take medication, especially sedatives or antidepressants. Fluvoxamine sharply raises melatonin levels, and melatonin may affect warfarin, blood pressure medicines, diabetes medicines and immunosuppressants. Ask first, as the label also says, if you have a medical condition such as depression, high blood pressure or epilepsy.

Expect to fall asleep somewhat sooner on the nights you take it, often from the first night; the average effect in studies is modest. Morning grogginess, vivid dreams or a headache suggest the dose is too much for you or taken too late. Long-term nightly use has been studied less than short-term use, so reassess after a few weeks. Extended-release melatonin is the usual alternative when staying asleep is the issue; magnesium glycinate and glycine are non-hormonal options.