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Melatonin for People Over 60: What the Research Says

By Candid Wellness Reviews Editorial · November 2, 2026

For people over 60, studies have found only small average effects from melatonin on sleep. In a 2013 pooled analysis of children and adults, people fell asleep about 7 minutes faster on average than with a placebo, and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests doctors not use it for long-lasting sleep problems in adults. NIH says short-term use appears safe for most people, but melatonin may stay active longer in older adults and cause daytime drowsiness, so talk with your doctor or pharmacist first, especially if you take other medicines.

This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting any supplement, especially if you take other medicines.

Melatonin is a widely sold sleep supplement in America, and it is easy to find in any pharmacy aisle. But if you are over 60, the questions are a little different: Does it actually help? How much did researchers use? And is it safe with the other medicines you take? Here is what the research and official health bodies say, in plain English.

What is melatonin?

Melatonin is a hormone your brain makes in response to darkness. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), part of the National Institutes of Health, it helps set the timing of your body clock and your sleep. Light at night can block its production.

The melatonin you buy in a store is most often a man-made (synthetic) version of that hormone, sold as tablets, gummies, liquids and more.

Does your body make less melatonin as you age?

The answer is less clear than many ads suggest. A 2016 systematic review of healthy people 65 and older concluded that total melatonin production over 24 hours "seems not to change in healthy ageing," but that the highest nighttime level "might decline." The authors also found that peak levels varied widely from study to study.

In other words, a lower nighttime peak is possible, but the research does not show that every older adult is simply "low" on melatonin.

What do studies say about melatonin and sleep in older adults?

Here are the main sources, with the numbers exactly as they report them.

Based on this kind of evidence, the AASM's 2017 guideline on sleep medicines suggests that doctors not use melatonin for long-lasting trouble falling asleep or staying asleep in adults. This is a "weak" recommendation, meaning the panel was not highly certain. The American College of Physicians (ACP) also found the evidence too limited to judge melatonin's benefit, as summarized in the AASM guideline and by NCCIH.

How much melatonin did studies use, and how much is in store products?

The three trials the AASM pooled for its melatonin analysis, all in adults over 55, used 2 mg. (Other trials it reviewed used doses from 0.1 mg to 5 mg.) Europe's prescription version, Circadin, is also a 2 mg prolonged-release tablet, used for up to 13 weeks, according to the European Medicines Agency. The Cochrane review of people with dementia covered doses up to 10 mg.

Store products can be very different from their labels:

• 2023, U.S. gummies: A study published in JAMA tested 25 melatonin gummy products. 22 of them (88%) were inaccurately labeled. Actual melatonin ranged from 74% to 347% of the labeled amount, or 1.3 mg to 13.1 mg per serving, and one product had no detectable melatonin. NCCIH adds that most held 1.2 to 1.7 times the labeled amount.
• 2017, Canadian supplements: A study of 31 supplements bought in Ontario, Canada, found that more than 71% missed their label by more than 10%. Content ranged from 83% less to 478% more than the label, and 26% contained serotonin, which was not listed, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Some sleep blends use smaller amounts. For example, YU SLEEP contains 0.9 mg of melatonin plus other ingredients, per its maker (see our YU SLEEP review). We do not recommend any dose. Your doctor or pharmacist is the right person to ask.

Is melatonin safe for older adults?

According to NCCIH:

• Short-term use appears to be safe for most people, but information on long-term safety is lacking.
• In a 2015 review of short-term studies in adults, side effects were mild: headache, dizziness, nausea and sleepiness.
• Melatonin may stay active longer in older people than in younger people and cause daytime drowsiness.
• People with epilepsy and people who take blood thinners need to be under medical supervision when taking melatonin.
• The AASM's 2015 guidelines recommend against melatonin for people with dementia.

Morning grogginess and falls

Daytime drowsiness matters more as we age. The CDC reports that 1 in 4 adults 65 and older report falling every year, and falls are the leading cause of injury in that age group. We did not find a clinical trial that tested whether melatonin itself raises fall risk. But Europe's medicine regulator warns that prescription melatonin "can cause drowsiness" and should be used with caution when that could be a safety risk, and that people should avoid alcohol around the time they take it (EMA). If you feel foggy or unsteady in the morning, tell your doctor.

Can melatonin interact with my medicines?

Yes. The UK's NHS says some medicines and melatonin can affect each other and raise the risk of side effects, and that many medicines may increase or decrease melatonin's drowsy effects. It asks you to tell your doctor or pharmacist before taking melatonin if you take medicines including:

• Antidepressants such as fluvoxamine or amitriptyline
• Benzodiazepines such as temazepam or diazepam
• Medicines that lower blood pressure
• NSAID pain relievers such as ibuprofen, naproxen or diclofenac
• Estrogens, including hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
• Opioid painkillers such as codeine or morphine
• Warfarin, a blood thinner
• Some antibiotics (quinolones, rifampicin), carbamazepine, cimetidine and thioridazine
• Sleep medicines such as zolpidem, zopiclone or zaleplon

The NHS also advises avoiding herbal remedies that cause drowsiness while taking melatonin. NCCIH says anyone taking any medicine should check with a health care provider before using melatonin. A pharmacist can review your full list, including vitamins and supplements.

Why is melatonin a prescription medicine in other countries?

In the United States, melatonin is sold as a dietary supplement, so the FDA regulates it less strictly than prescription or over-the-counter drugs, according to NCCIH. The FDA states that it "does not have the authority to approve dietary supplements before they are marketed." Makers are responsible for the safety and labeling of their own products.

In several other countries, melatonin is available only by prescription (NCCIH). In the European Union, Circadin is a 2 mg prolonged-release prescription tablet for short-term use in adults 55 and older with poor-quality sleep that has no other identified cause (EMA). The EMA concluded its effect was small, but that its benefits outweigh its risks.

What do guidelines put first for long-lasting sleep problems?

Both major U.S. guidelines point first to CBT-I, a form of cognitive behavioral therapy built for sleep problems:

• The American College of Physicians (2016) recommends that all adults with long-lasting sleep problems receive CBT-I first. That is a strong recommendation based on moderate-quality evidence.
• The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (2020) gives CBT-I its one strong recommendation among behavioral approaches. A typical course runs about 4 to 8 sessions.

According to the AASM, CBT-I combines:

• One or more cognitive (thinking) strategies
• Education about how sleep is regulated
• Behavioral methods, such as stimulus control and sleep restriction therapy

The AASM also suggests shorter multi-part therapies, or stimulus control, sleep restriction or relaxation therapy on their own, as options. It advises that general sleep-hygiene tips should not be used as the only approach for long-lasting sleep problems.

If you are comparing products, our guide to sleep aid types explains how melatonin differs from other options.

When should you see a doctor?

Talk with your doctor or pharmacist before trying melatonin, and see your doctor if:

• Your sleep problems last for weeks or keep coming back
• You take blood thinners, blood pressure medicines, antidepressants, sedatives or other prescription medicines
• You have epilepsy
• You care for someone with dementia who is having trouble sleeping
• You feel drowsy, foggy or unsteady during the day

Ask your doctor about CBT-I, too. It is the approach both major U.S. guidelines put first.

The bottom line

For adults over 60, studies found only a small average effect of melatonin on how fast people fell asleep, and the evidence in older adults was rated very low quality. The main U.S. sleep guideline suggests doctors not use it for long-lasting sleep problems. It appears safe short term for most people, but it may linger longer in older bodies, store labels are often off, and it can interact with common medicines. Start with a conversation with your doctor, and ask about CBT-I.