How does the sleeping aid melatonin work?

Since the 1980s, dietary supplement makers have billed melatonin made in a lab as a promising sleep aid. But its effects on occasional insomnia are not significant. It works for some people, but not for others. You just have to try it and find out which one you are. read more

Melatonin does the same thing as a sleep-aid, in pill form. You put a pill or two under your tongue, and they slowly dissolve. The absorbed melatonin can make you feel drowsy and help you fall asleep, but won't force you under. read more

If you’d like to harness melatonin’s sleep-inducing effects, Buenaver recommends taking these steps. Work with, not against, melatonin’s sleep-inducing signals. “Melatonin levels rise about two hours before bedtime,” Buenaver says. “Create optimal conditions for it to do its job by keeping the lights low before bed. read more