For these affected by insomnia and jet lag, a well-liked remedy nowadays is melatonin dietary supplements. These over-the-counter medicine or ‘sleep gummies’ are extensively out there on-line and offline and promise ‘blissful sleep’ and ‘restful nights’, however consultants are actually warning towards their unregulated use.
What’s melatonin?
Melatonin is a hormone that happens naturally within the human physique and controls sleep-wake cycles in every day life. Melatonin ranges rise within the night and promote sleep. Most individuals’s our bodies produce sufficient melatonin to sleep on their very own, however melatonin sleep aids have gotten more and more in style amongst individuals whose sleep is suboptimal or who regularly journey throughout time zones.
Their speedy rise in recognition, their advertising as “innocent and pure” by way of life manufacturers, and their availability on platforms that require no prescription and may be delivered in 10 minutes, have medical doctors elevating considerations that many individuals are taking them with out medical supervision. Medical doctors warn that extreme use could cause everlasting injury to pure sleep patterns.
Medical doctors stress warning
Ayan Basak, Guide Psychiatrist at Kolkata’s Charnock Hospital, explains: “Clinically, melatonin ought to solely be taken underneath medical supervision and for short-term, focused remedy. I often advocate a low dose (2-5mg) earlier than mattress, together with good sleep hygiene and addressing underlying stressors.” He added that as a result of melatonin is classed as a meals complement relatively than a drug by the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA), it’s available over-the-counter in a number of varieties, together with tablets, gummies, sprays, and syrups, which regularly encourages self-medication and raises medical considerations.
Overuse of melatonin could cause complications, hormonal adjustments, or temper swings, and might disrupt the very rhythms and sleep cycles that melatonin is making an attempt to revive, Dr. Basak says. “Melatonin might assist individuals really feel rested, however with out steering it could possibly take away the physique’s pure rhythms,” Basak famous.
Psychiatrists additionally famous that many younger individuals who take melatonin dietary supplements with out medical recommendation run the chance of suppressing underlying well being points, which might pose a major threat to their long-term well being.
“Sleep issues could be a symptom of extra critical psychological well being points, comparable to nervousness or melancholy. When individuals self-medicate, they will conceal these issues relatively than tackle them. Over time, individuals additionally come to consider that they can not sleep with out aids,” says Deboshira Bose, a counseling psychologist at Fortis Hospital in Anandpur, Kolkata.
For instance, that is the case of a 29-year-old faculty instructor who struggles with sleep as a result of melancholy. “I discovered a retailer with melatonin out there on-line. I do know it is not preferrred, however this drug has helped me escape my ideas, get some sleep, and have the ability to go to work the subsequent day,” she mentioned.
appropriate the pure cycle
Melatonin is mostly protected for short-term use and doesn’t often trigger dependancy issues, however over time, medical doctors say, the thoughts involves affiliate taking the tablet with sleep, forming a conditioned habits.
Some individuals are already doing that. A advertising skilled in his 30s mentioned he began buying melatonin after a pal really helpful it. He suffered from lengthy working hours and night time shifts that disrupted his sleep cycle. “Now I am unable to sleep with out it. I began with a once-a-week complement, however now it is a every day dose,” he mentioned.
“If melatonin is taken in extra or on the fallacious time, it could possibly disrupt pure sleep regulation, resulting in dizziness, fatigue, and even worsening sleep deprivation,” mentioned Devdeep Roy Chowdhury, senior scientific psychologist at psychological well being companies platform Monosiji.
Dr. Chowdhury additionally identified that melatonin use is a part of a rising tradition that seeks “fast fixes” relatively than choosing slower, simpler methods to control sleep cycles. “Individuals who take melatonin at night time additionally usually depend on caffeine within the morning or devour alcohol within the night to assist them loosen up,” Chaudhry famous. “This cycle of exterior dependence displaces the physique’s pure self-regulatory mechanisms and might finally undermine confidence in a single’s capacity to sleep naturally.”
Specialists mentioned there’s nothing fallacious with utilizing melatonin, however moderation and consciousness are necessary. The medical doctors additionally emphasised that melatonin use must be supplemented by behavioral adjustments comparable to following a constant sleep schedule, minimal display screen time earlier than mattress, common bodily exercise, and different rest methods that assist the physique and its circadian rhythms.
issued – November 2, 2025, 6:00 PM IST
