Melatonin: What It Is, How It Works, and What You Need to Know

When you struggle to fall asleep, melatonin, a hormone your brain makes naturally to signal it’s time to sleep. Also known as the sleep hormone, it’s not a sedative—it’s more like a quiet reminder to your body that night is here. Your body produces it in response to darkness, and levels rise in the evening, peak in the middle of the night, and drop as morning light hits your eyes. This rhythm is called your circadian rhythm, your body’s internal 24-hour clock that controls sleep, hunger, and hormone cycles. When that rhythm gets thrown off—by jet lag, shift work, or screens at night—melatonin supplements can help reset it.

But melatonin isn’t just for occasional sleep trouble. People with sleep disorders, like delayed sleep phase syndrome or insomnia linked to low natural melatonin. often find relief with low doses. It’s also used by kids with autism or ADHD who have trouble falling asleep, and by older adults whose bodies make less of it over time. Unlike prescription sleep pills, melatonin doesn’t cause grogginess the next day for most people, and it’s not addictive. But that doesn’t mean it’s harmless. Taking too much, taking it at the wrong time, or mixing it with other meds can backfire. Some people report vivid dreams, dizziness, or even worse sleep if they use it daily without a plan.

What you’ll find in the posts below isn’t just a list of articles—it’s a practical toolkit. You’ll see how melatonin interacts with other supplements like ginseng, how timing affects its effectiveness, and why some people swear by it while others feel nothing. There’s no fluff here. Just real talk about when it helps, when it doesn’t, and what to do if your sleep still won’t settle down. Whether you’re trying it for the first time or you’ve been using it for years, these guides will help you make smarter choices—without guessing.