The Light and Dark Side of Melatonin
There are pros and cons to supplementing with melatonin; here’s what you should consider when it comes to this hormone
August 14, 2023
“Short-term melatonin use is generally safe in adults, but there is less known about long-term use,” says Abigail Strang, MD, sleep medicine doctor, Wilmington, Delaware.
“Unfortunately, there has been insufficient research to confirm the long-term safety of melatonin,” says David Neubauer, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Melatonin supplementation has increased since the beginning of the pandemic when insomnia cases exploded. “While there had been a steady rise in melatonin use from about 2010 to 2019, in 2020, there was a huge sales increase of 42% over the previous year,” reports Neubauer.
When daylight decreases, the brain’s pineal gland produces melatonin to prepare the body for sleep. | Credit: Getty
What Is Melatonin?
Melatonin is a hormone produced in the brain’s pineal gland in response to darkness. It assists with the timing of our circadian rhythm (our 24-hour internal clock) and with sleep. When daylight decreases, the pineal gland produces melatonin to prepare the body for sleep.
