Suggest Dosage For Melatonin Supplementation

Posted on Mon, 16 Nov 2015

Question: Hi there! I had a quick question about melatonin supplementation.

I've currently been taking a time-released 3mg melatonin supplement as I have a nights awake, days sleeping schedule (both for convenience purposes, and, frankly, preference), and because of it's antioxidant and sleep promoting qualities, decided it would be possibly be beneficial.

I'm considering moving to a lower dose of 3 mcg (or .300 mg) as I've read several articles that less can be more with melatonin supplementation. However, I've read a lot of competing things that have confused me to some degree.

Can you tell me how much melatonin the body produces in one 24 hour period for a person on a regular schedule (days up, nights sleeping)? My goal is to approximate that for my schedule. I did see some sources saying around 3 mcg (.300 mg) is about right with anything over 1 mg being too much, hence my thought to reduce. But I would like to get some of the antioxidant properties and make sure with my schedule that I'm getting enough, as I know it's highly speculated low melatonin is one of the reasons cancer rate is a bit higher in night shift workers.

Finally, I've also seen some commentary that dosage can be a bit higher for the synthetic stuff as natural melatonin is made in the brain, whereas melatonin you swallow needs to be digested/processed/put into the blood stream. So with that in mind, does that mean .300 mcg isn't what the brain would actually get?

I know this is a bit technical and probably tricky to research, so I appreciate any advice you can provide.

Thanks!

Answered by Dr. Vaishalee Punj (9 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Start with lowest dose possible

Detailed Answer:
Hi and thanks for your query.

I am a MD pharmacology and will try to help you with your query as best as I can

In my opinion, melatonin should be started with lowest dose possible that will just be enough to produce a relaxing sleep in you. Once you get a near normal sleep your immunity will boost up naturally.

Melatonin is naturally secreted more after 9 and 11 pm till 6 am and is thought to lower the alertness and bring on sleep. Melatonin is mostly useful in conditions with altered sleep onset times like jetlag. Melatonin at night causes a blood level of 40-100 pg/ml and during day it causes a blood level of only 1-10 pg/ml. A 3 mg dose of exogenous melatonin causes a much higher blood level of around 1000 pg/ml. So technically a 0.3 mg dose of melatonin will produce a blood level of 100 pg/ml. Frankly speaking I don't think a high dose is beneficial as natural secretion of melatonin is always the best. In your case natural melatonin does not seem to be deficient. Thus take it just enough to get a relaxing sleep. And once your sleep schedule is settled to day sleep and night awake cycle, please discontinue it.

As concerns its anti-oxidant effect, there are many other ways to have it. Secondly in an overall healthy person such anti-oxidants are not even needed.

I hope this answers your query.

Dr Vaishalee

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj