The body’s night-time sleep hormone, taken in small doses.
iNot medical advice. We don’t recommend any dose. Every dose below is a quote from the person named, describing their views or their own use. Rules differ by country. Melatonin is prescription-only in the UK and some EU countries and sold as a supplement in others and in the US.
3 statements from 3 people. Each one is word for word: we add punctuation only and mark cuts with […]. The chips repeat the exact words used.
“As mentioned earlier, I do not use melatonin unless I’m traveling, in which case 1-3mg 30-60 minutes prior to bed can be useful for re-booting the circadian rhythm upon arriving at the final destination (1). I’d discourage using it until that point (e.g. on the airplane).”
Context: Own use, from a 2013 article. Later articles on his site describe much higher doses.
“So I use just 300 micrograms, enough to match levels naturally produced by the body. For melatonin to work properly, it’s crucial to take it about 2 hours before wanting to fall asleep, so that it has time to shift the sleep-wake cycle.”
Context: Own use. Melatonin is one ingredient of a sleep supplement he says he designed and takes before bed.
“I take 300 mcg of melatonin each night, but otherwise don't take anything for sleep.”
Context: Item 6 of his published evening routine. Own use.
2 statements from 2 people about risks and how strong the evidence is.
“I’m OK with using melatonin at a dosage of 1-3mg while you’re traveling, but I don’t recommend using it for long periods of time, since you don’t want to shut down your body’s natural ability to produce melatonin (1).”
Context: His view in 2013. The research reviews listed below found no clear evidence that short-term use stops the body making melatonin; long-term data are limited.
“Unfortunately, many melatonin supplements are anything but low dose. You can buy even up to 10 mg doses over the counter. Yet we have no idea the long-term consequences of taking such high doses of melatonin. All the studies we have at the moment are short term.”
Context:
Context, not a dosing guide. Melatonin has many randomised trials. They found small improvements in falling asleep and a clear benefit for jet lag. None of this sets a dose for you.
| Study | Studied in | What the study used | What it found |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zhdanova et al., 1995, Clin Pharmacol TherPubMed 7768078 | Healthy volunteers | 0.3 or 1.0 mg by mouth at 6, 8 or 9 pm vs placebo | Both doses shortened the time to fall asleep; no hangover effects the next morning |
| Ferracioli-Oda et al., 2013, PLoS OnePubMed 23691095 | 19 trials, 1,683 people with primary sleep disorders | Melatonin vs placebo | Fell asleep about 7 minutes faster and slept about 8 minutes longer; sleep quality improved |
| Herxheimer & Petrie, 2002, Cochrane reviewPubMed 12076414 | 10 trials in air travellers | 0.5 to 5 mg near bedtime at the destination | Reduced jet lag in 9 of 10 trials; 0.5–5 mg similarly effective; doses above 5 mg no better |
No. It is a small hormone made from tryptophan. It is listed here because it is sold alongside peptides.
Bryan Johnson and Dr Brad Stanfield both describe taking 300 micrograms; Dr Stanfield says that is “enough to match levels naturally produced by the body”.
We do not write our own dose ranges. The protocol cards show, word for word, what named people have publicly said, with their caveats and a link to the source.
Word-for-word statements about how melatonin is used, including own-use reports, each with a link to the source. Melatonin is not a peptide: it is a hormone the brain releases at night, also sold as tablets. The research is listed separately as context.
Last reviewed 11 Oct 2026 · Compiled by the Peptide Dosing editorial team · How we check quotes