News About Melatonin

There has been a lot of buzz the past couple of days about a new study looking at long term use of Melatonin. Previously, Melatonin has been viewed as a safe and mildly effective sleep aid. Many people reach for something like Melatonin to help with insomnia, because it is marketed as a natural, herbal remedy and available over the counter. While I often counsel patients about the potential risks of supplements, given that they bypass the regulation and safety monitoring provided by the FDA, I (like many physicians) have given the green light to using Melatonin for sleep. This new study is preliminary, as only the abstract is available and has yet to be peer reviewed, but it certainly does call the safety of Melatonin into question: the reachers found an association between Melatonin use and heart failure.

A few things to consider though - the trial is observational, and so not something that can really prove cause and effect. Also, the study looked at patients on long term treatment with melatonin, which they defined as one year of use. This means the findings cannot automatically be extrapolated to those who take melatonin occasionally.

I don’t think a change in management is warranted right away, and it is likely safe to continue to use Melatonin on an as needed basis. But if you have been relying on Melatonin for sleep every night, then it’s a good idea to talk to your DPC provider about alternative approaches to improving sleep.

Though many people rely on medications, studies do show that lifestyle approaches to insomnia are much more effective and certainly safer. I wrote about this earlier, but as a refresher - set a consistent sleep/wake schedule along with a bedtime routine, stop watching TV or looking at screens about 30 minutes before bed and keep the screens out of the bed room, have a decluttered and clean sleep space that is dark and cool with an ambient noise, and stick to a regular exercise schedule during the day!