The Effects of Overusing Melatonin: Risks, Side Effects, and Safe Usage

Melatonin, once a gentle sleep aid, is now overused, leading to next-day grogginess and disrupted natural rhythms. High doses can blur night and day, causing vivid dreams and difficulty concentrating. Long-term excessive use risks circadian rhythm disruption and dependency. Experts advise using the lowest effective dose, taken before bed, and prioritizing healthy sleep habits over constant reliance. Melatonin has quietly slipped into night-time routines across households, becoming a go-to choice for people hoping to fall asleep faster or recover from late-night scrolling. Many view it as a gentle, harmless shortcut to better sleep, especially because it is marketed as a ‘natural hormone.’ Yet patterns of heavy and frequent use are becoming increasingly common, and so are the complaints that follow the next morning. In a widely discussed Instagram video, Dr Kunal Sood warned, ‘When you find out overusing melatonin, especially in high doses, can cause next-day grogginess, vivid dreams and throw you off your natural sleep rhythm.’ His statement captures what sleep researchers have been highlighting for years, prompting renewed interest in how melatonin actually behaves inside the body and why some doses may do more harm than good.