Can You Get Hooked on Melatonin?

Can You Get Hooked on Melatonin?

By Dani Blum 

Can you get involved with melatonin?

The sleep supplement is not physically addictive, but some people may find it difficult to fall asleep without it.

Whether you reached for melatonin to stave off the "coronasomnia" that emerged during the pandemic or have turned to the supplement for years, taking it can become a soothing nighttime ritual—almost like an insurance policy for restless sleepers.

However, for some, this ritual has become uncomfortable. With a growing number of people turning to melatonin and more reporting taking high doses of the supplement, those trying to quit may find the process harder than they anticipated.

On TikTok, the hashtag #melatoninaddict has garnered more than a million views, with people sharing stories of craving the supplement or being unable to sleep without it. People on Reddit forums are struggling with how to stop taking melatonin after years of nightly use.

Eric Brost, 33, started taking melatonin when he was in graduate school and struggling to sleep. Over the next five years, he yo-yoed between doses, trying to cut down to half a pill at a time before returning to one every night, or more than one on some nights. Every time he tried to wean off the melatonin, he found it coming back.

“I would go back to taking it just for anxiety,” he said. He eventually went to a sleep therapist who encouraged him to stop taking the supplement altogether. He started cognitive behavioral sleep therapy to help him get through the night. “I just went cold turkey,” he said.

Melatonin is not addictive, according to sleep experts and psychologists. There is no evidence that you can become physically dependent on the supplement, and you will usually not experience withdrawal symptoms if you stop using it. But if you've convinced yourself that taking melatonin is key to sleep, experts say you may still have trouble kicking the habit.

"You can become psychologically addicted to Tic Tacs if you think you have to have them," said Philip Gehrman, a clinical psychologist at the Penn Sleep Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

Someone who relies on melatonin may worry that they can't sleep without it — an anxiety that itself makes it harder to fall asleep, said Jennifer Martin, president of the board of trustees of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and a professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at U.C.L.A. She saw this pattern in a number of patients.

"People say, 'I try and try and try and then I give up and get something,'" she said. “But it's the surrender that helps them sleep, not the taking.

So what should you do if you want to wean off melatonin? Sleep experts and doctors have outlined what you should know about the supplement and offered some tips to keep in mind.

How Melatonin Works

Melatonin is a hormone produced primarily in a structure in the brain called the pineal gland that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. During the day, the gland does not produce melatonin. When the sun goes down, darkness triggers the release of a hormone that causes sleepiness and other signals that it's time to go to bed.

When you take a melatonin pill, liquid or gummy, "You're just supplementing what your body naturally does anyway," said Dr. Marri Horvat, a sleep disorder specialist at the Cleveland Clinic.

Some studies have shown that melatonin can help people fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. But in several clinical trials, the supplements were about as effective as a placebo, Dr. Martin, suggesting that the power of sleep aids may be partly psychological.

Is long-term use of melatonin safe?

Like most supplements sold in the United States, melatonin is not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as strictly as prescription or over-the-counter drugs — and the amount of melatonin in a pill or gum can vary drastically, said Dr. Charles A. Czeisler, chief of the division of sleep and circadian rhythm disorders at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

In general, experts consider melatonin safe for short-term use, say a few nights a week for one to four weeks, said Dr. Horvat. Most people don't experience side effects, she said, although some may feel groggy or slightly "hungover" after waking up. He usually tells patients to try taking it once or twice a week at first to see if it helps.

Doctors know much less about the long-term effects of melatonin. "Almost all drugs, whether prescription or over-the-counter, rarely have long-term studies," explained Dr. Gehrmann. Several reviews have attempted to quantify the long-term side effects of melatonin, but few data from rigorous studies have been found.

Taking the supplement for years probably poses minimal risk to the average person, experts said, but there isn't enough evidence to say for sure.

How to start sleeping at night without using melatonin

Trying to fall asleep without melatonin can be overwhelming, especially if you've been taking it for years, said Dr. Horvat. Experts offered tips to make the process a little easier:

Make a game plan before bed.

Rather than waiting until bedtime to decide whether or not to take a supplement, make a plan ahead of time. Otherwise, you may agonize over the decision and effectively quit when you should be resting, said Dr. Gehrmann. "There should be no guesswork," he added.

He suggested that people who give up their nighttime melatonin create a backup plan. You can tell yourself that if you still can't sleep by 11pm, for example, you'll take it.

"Sometimes it helps to know it's there," said Dr. Margarita Rohr, clinical assistant professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health.

Opt for the pillars of good sleep hygiene.

If you are trying to sleep without melatonin for the first time in a while, healthy sleep habits are especially important. Try to get up and go to bed at the same time every day, including weekends. Make sure your room is quiet and dark enough (a sleep mask can help block outside light), and avoid strenuous exercise at least an hour and a half before bed, said Dr. Rohr. (However, exercising earlier in the day can help you sleep.)

You should also limit your caffeine consumption during the day and avoid alcohol in the hours just before bed.

Because blue light suppresses your natural melatonin production, you should avoid screens one to two hours before bed, said Dr. Horvat. "Your phone shouldn't be in your bedroom," she added.

Instead, try journaling before bed, especially if you're afraid of falling asleep. You can make a list of your worries and write them down on paper instead of thinking about them.