Your natural sleep hormone, melatonin, helps you fall asleep in the evening. If stress is making it difficult to sleep, melatonin supplementation is an option. Learn more about the melatonin dosage you should choose and other considerations here.
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1. Who is melatonin suitable for?
Taking melatonin is relevant for you if you have trouble falling asleep due to an imbalance in melatonin levels . Melatonin deficiency commonly affects the following people:
- Office athletes who work a lot on the computer
If you spend a lot of time in front of screens like TV, computers, tablets, or smartphones, you are exposed to a lot of blue light emitted from the monitors, which can negatively impact your melatonin production, especially in the evening. Therefore, taking melatonin may be a good option for you. [1]
- Older people
Melatonin is produced in the pineal gland . As we age, this function becomes less effective, resulting in a decrease in sleep quality. Taking melatonin as a supplement can help alleviate this. [2]
- travelers
After a long flight, jet lag keeps you from sleeping, even though you desperately need to rest? Taking melatonin supplements can increase your chances of getting some well-deserved rest. [3]
- People who work at night or in the dark
Whether in retail, the catering industry, or during the night shift in a hospital, many shift workers are deprived of daylight for extended periods, which can disrupt their sleep-wake cycle . Taking melatonin can help. [4]
In addition, taking melatonin can be considered if stress, worries or the consumption of stimulants cause problems falling asleep and a balanced diet is neglected.
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2. How should melatonin be dosed?
Melatonin is measured in milligrams (mg) . To help you fall asleep, a melatonin dosage of between 1 and 5 mg is recommended . [5]
In Germany, you can buy melatonin as a dietary supplement , usually with a dosage of 1 mg of melatonin per daily dose . It is available in capsule, tablet, or spray form.
Keep in mind: Everyone reacts differently . If you are very sensitive, you should start with a low dose of melatonin and see if and how it works. If the desired effect doesn't occur, you can increase the dose to the recommended 1 mg.
What dosage of melatonin should be chosen and what should one pay attention to?
The amount of melatonin you choose depends on your sleep-wake cycle and how difficult it is for you to fall asleep. The dosage also depends on how strongly you respond to melatonin.
When is a dosage of 1 mg melatonin useful?
In cases of acute difficulty falling asleep , for example due to jet lag , or in cases of mild difficulty falling asleep , a dose of 1 mg melatonin is usually enough .
BRAINEFFECT HACK : Both the BRAINEFFECT SLEEP capsules and the SLEEP SPRAY GENTLE allow you to dose to the milligram , so you can easily and precisely determine how much melatonin you are taking. Two SLEEP capsules or eight sprays of the spray correspond to 1 mg, the recommended daily dose.
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When is a dosage of 2 or 3 mg melatonin useful?
If you regularly complain about trouble falling asleep , or if the low dose of 1 mg doesn't produce the desired effect, increasing it to 2 or 3 mg may be beneficial . Studies show that regularly taking 2 mg of melatonin can shorten the time it takes to fall asleep. This way, you'll feel rested the next morning and start the day with renewed energy. SLEEP SPRAY STRONG therefore delivers 2 mg of melatonin per dose. [6]
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Is a dosage of 5 mg melatonin advisable?
A dose of 5 mg melatonin is recommended if you want to fall asleep very quickly . [7] However, before attempting such a high melatonin dosage, try other holistic solutions , such as the following sleep tips :
- Establish evening routines
- Avoid screen work in the evening
- In the evening, do a short, relaxing yoga session to unwind after a stressful day at work.
What is the maximum recommended dosage of melatonin?
Doctors and sleep experts recommend a maximum dosage of about 5 mg. However, individuals respond very individually to melatonin , so the recommended maximum amount can vary from person to person. Therefore, listen to yourself and carefully observe the feedback your body is giving you.
What should be considered when dosing melatonin?
You can't make any major mistakes when it comes to dosing melatonin. The capsule and spray formulations allow you to precisely determine the dose, ensuring you only take as much as you actually want and need .
Adverse side effects from overdose have not been observed to date. Occasionally, headaches or nausea have occurred. [8]
3. Is it possible to overdose when taking melatonin?
There are currently no warnings regarding melatonin or its use. However, most experts recommend not exceeding a melatonin dosage of 5 mg.
According to scientific evidence, sleep time does not improve if the 5 mg limit is exceeded. The principle of "more is better" does not apply here . [7]
BRAINEFFECT HACK: If you're an office athlete or high-performer who demands a lot of effort and struggles with falling asleep, you might want to consider a melatonin supplement. We offer practical SLEEP capsules and SLEEP SPRAY GENTLE with 1 mg of melatonin, or the more potent SLEEP SPRAY STRONG with 2 mg of melatonin.
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4. Conclusion
Supplements enriched with the sleep hormone melatonin can help you fall asleep faster. Make sure you take a dosage that works for you.
Do you finally want to fall asleep faster but don't know how? Our coach will tell you how. He'll be there with advice and support and recommend the right products for your goal.
5. Sources
[1] West, K.; Jablonski, M. et al. (2011) Journal of Applied Physiology. Vol. 110, No. 3, p. 619-626. Blue light from light-emitting diodes elicits a dose-dependent suppression of melatonin in humans. [https://www.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.01413.2009]
[2] Corvese, R. (2018) American Pharmacists Association. Pharmacy today. Low doses of melatonin may be best for older adults with insomnia. [https://www.pharmacytoday.org/article/S1042-0991(18)31491-9/pdf]
[3] Srinivasan, V.; Spence, DW (2008) Travel medicine and infectious diseases. Vol. 6, Issue 1-2, p.17-28. Jet lag: therapeutic use of melatonin and possible application of melatonin analogs. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18342269]
[4] Sadeghniiat-Haghighi, K.; Aminian, O. (2008) Journal of Circadian Rhythm. Vol. 6, Issue 10, Efficacy and hypnotic effects of melatonin in shift-work nurses: double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2584099/]
[5] National Sleep Foundation (2019) Just the right dose can help you sleep peacefully. [https://www.sleep.org/articles/how-much-melatonin-to-take/], accessed on August 20, 2019
[6] Wade, AG; Ford, I. (2007) Current medical research and opinion. Vol. 23, Issue 10, p. 2597-2605. Efficacy of prolonged release melatonin in insomnia patients aged 55-80 years: quality of sleep and next-day alertness outcomes. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17875243?dopt=Abstract]
[7] Herxheimer, A.; Petrie, KJ (2002) Database of Systematic Reviews. Issue 2. Melatonin for the prevention and treatment of jet lag. [https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD001520/full]
[8] Andersen, L.P.; Gögenur, I. (2016) Clinical drug investigation. Vol. 36, Issue 3, p. 169-175. The Safety of Melatonin in Humans. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26692007]
