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Melatonin

A young child asleep under a white duvet with soft toys beside the bed

Melatonin use in children tracked with less REM sleep

A JAMA Network Open study matched 342 pairs of children at a sleep clinic. Those prescribed melatonin had a lower share of REM sleep, and no other measure differed.

Aug 6, 2026

White tablets and an open bottle on a yellow background

News

Melatonin worsened blood sugar, but only in gene carriers

A tightly controlled Diabetes Care trial gave the same 21 adults both 5 mg of melatonin and a placebo. Glucose tolerance worsened in the 10 who carry a common diabetes risk variant, and not in the 11 who do not.

Aug 6, 2026

A person asleep in bed under warm low light

verdict

Melatonin: uses, evidence, dosing and safety

Melatonin shifts the body clock rather than causing sleep, which is why it works well for jet lag and badly for ordinary insomnia. In adults it cuts time-to-sleep by about five minutes.

Aug 5, 2026