The fall-asleep one
Immediate-release tablets or capsules
Best for falling asleep and resetting your body clock.
Good for: Sleep & stress
What variations of melatonin exist?
The hormone your brain releases in the evening to signal that it's time to sleep. Supplements mainly help shift the timing of sleep rather than knock you out. It comes in 3 forms, and they aren't all the same. Here's how they differ.
For education only. What's right for you depends on your health and your medications, so check with your provider before you start or switch. Book a consult
Our top pick
Every form, in plain words
The fall-asleep one
Immediate-release tablets or capsules
Best for falling asleep and resetting your body clock.
Good for: Sleep & stress
The stay-asleep one
Extended-release
Can help if you wake in the night, but more likely to leave you groggy in the morning.
Good for: Sleep & stress
Usually skip
- The guessing game (Gummies)Testing has found the real amount often differs a lot from the label.
Spotting a good one on the shelf
Look for
- Look for 'Immediate-release tablets or capsules' on the label (the fall-asleep one)
Watch out for
- No outside testing (melatonin amounts often don't match the label)
- 'Extra strength' products (more isn't better for sleep timing)
Check with your provider first if…
- You're pregnant or breastfeeding
- You have an autoimmune condition or take medicines that calm the immune system (melatonin affects immune activity)
- You take blood thinners, seizure medicine, diabetes medicine, or sedatives
- You have depression (it may make symptoms worse for some people)
- Next-day grogginess. Don't drive until you know how it affects you.
Ready to find the root cause?
Dr. Lesher is a Naturopathic Doctor who focuses on autoimmune and chronic conditions in women. Since 2020, she's helped hundreds of patients stop managing symptoms and start healing.