Melatonin 1 mg
It is not a sleeping pill: it is a clock signal. The dose and the timing matter more than the brand.
The short version
What it does It is a clock signal. At a low dose and the right hour, it brings forward the moment sleep arrives.
What it does not do It is not a sleeping pill: you will not drop off. And it does nothing for night waking — only for falling asleep.
What the studies say
Ferracioli-Oda’s meta-analysis pooled 19 randomised trials, around 1,700 participants: melatonin shortens time to fall asleep by about 7 minutes and lengthens total sleep by about 8 minutes, with an improvement in perceived quality. For jet lag and shift work, the effect on resetting the clock is clearer than the sedative effect.
Seven minutes is small. This is not a sleeping pill: if you are expecting to drop off, you will be disappointed. The French food safety agency has also issued an opinion on at-risk groups — pregnant women, children, people on medication.
It is a clock signal. When you take it matters more than how much, and the useful dose is far lower than what is sold on the shelf.
How to take it
Relevant if you take more than 30 minutes to fall asleep because your clock has drifted, when travelling east, or on shift work. Useless if you wake during the night: it does nothing for sleep maintenance.
0.5 to 1 mg, 30 to 60 minutes before your target bedtime. To genuinely shift your clock forward: 3 to 5 hours before your current sleep onset, at a low dose. Dim the lights after taking it, or you cancel the effect.
Judge it over a week. If you are groggy on waking, your dose is too high — go down, not up. If nothing moves, your problem is probably not circadian.
What is inside
Synthetic melatonin, identical to the human molecule. Common excipients: microcrystalline cellulose, magnesium stearate, sometimes maltodextrin.
Look for a low dose that is genuinely dosed — many products claim 1 mg but are loosely formulated. Prolonged-release forms target sleep maintenance, not sleep onset: that is a different use.
5 or 10 mg doses: above 1 to 2 mg nothing improves and residual grogginess increases. In France, above 2 mg the product is classed as a medicine. Gummies, often very sugary and poorly dosed.
Cautions
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Epilepsy
- Autoimmune or inflammatory disease
- Anticoagulant or antidiabetic medication
- Children and adolescents without medical advice
The three options
1 mg, controlled dose
1 mg, and no added plants
A French laboratory, a short list. That is rare in this aisle: most melatonins slip in valerian or passionflower, whose effect is not established.
For whom — Anyone who wants the low dose right, not an approximation.
Two ingredients, nothing else
“Acacia fibre, melatonin”
That is the entire list — the shortest in the whole catalogue. 365 tablets, 3,613 reviews. We removed the product that used to hold this slot: its vanilla-aniseed flavourings CONTAINED MILK, which nothing on the front made obvious, and it then went out of stock.
For whom — The default choice: the right dose, and nothing around it.
Long format at 1 mg
400 tablets, more than a year
1 mg per micro-tablet, 710 reviews. An honest list: cellulose, maltodextrin, plant-based anti-caking agents. No added plant, no milk-derived flavouring.
For whom — Frequent travel, shift work — never beyond 1 to 2 mg.
Amazon affiliate links. We earn a commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you: it changes neither the ranking nor the level of evidence shown.
* Budget bands are indicative and change often. Only the price shown on Amazon at the moment you buy counts: check it before you order.