Sleep Science Blog

The Melatonin Dose Most People Get Wrong

• The largest melatonin dose-response study ever conducted (26 RCTs, 1,689 people) found that 3mg is the sweet spot — total sleep time peaks at 3mg, and sleep onset is nearly maxed out
• Taking melatonin 2-3 hours before bed works better than the standard "30 minutes before bed" advice
• The "less is more" melatonin advice (0.3-1mg) comes from studies done before smartphones — when your endogenous melatonin wasn't being suppressed 50% by screen light