← The FormularyAfter hoursMelatonin
Close the night properly.
Melatonin is misunderstood: it's a timing signal, not a sedative. It won't club you unconscious — it tells your body the night has started, which is why it shines for shifting a schedule (jet lag, a wrecked sleep pattern, a late one) more than for ordinary insomnia. Lower doses work better than big ones, and it belongs to bedtime only.
The hormone your body uses to signal that it's night.
Melatonin is the hormone your brain releases as it gets dark to cue sleep. Supplementing nudges that signal earlier or stronger, helping you feel ready for bed — it sets the timer, it doesn't force the shutdown.
Used to help support a normal bedtime routine and ease into sleep.
Men resetting a broken sleep schedule, crossing time zones, or landing after a late night. Bedtime use only — and explicitly not for use with alcohol or after recreational substances.
One strip before bed — low doses are more effective than high ones, so respect the maximum. Take it as you actually wind down, not hours early, so the timing signal lands right.
An easier drift into sleep and a better-timed body clock over a few nights, especially when your schedule is off. It supports the onset; it doesn't guarantee a full night, and it's no substitute for a real wind-down.
Grade A — well established for sleep timing and jet lag, with strong support for onset and schedule-shifting. Safety copy, deadpan: bedtime only, not with alcohol or after recreational substances, and keep to the labelled dose.
Read the labelBedtime only. Not with alcohol or after recreational substances.
Evidence grades describe how well an ingredient is studied — A well-supported, C emerging — not a promise of results. Educational, not medical advice. Doses are typical ranges; follow the label on the product.