Melatonin
Of 1,618 on-market melatonin products in the January 2026 DSLD dump, the median declared dose is 3 mg, and 100.0% list Immediate-release melatonin as the primary form.
Form share
Of 1,614 products with an identifiable primary form, here is the share held by each form of Melatonin on the market today.
| Form | Quality tier | n | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immediate-release melatonin | Tier 1 | 1,614 | 100.0% |
Form share over time
Entry-year breakdown of the top forms, 2012–2025.
Dose distribution
Deciles of declared dose per serving (mg), among 1,512 products with a disclosed amount.
- 0.1% of products fall below the fairy-dust threshold (0.1 mg, 20% of the studied low dose).
- 6.3% of products don't disclose an amount because Melatonin is declared inside a proprietary blend.
By dosage form
By target group
Top brands
Forms explained
Rapid absorption (Tmax 15-90 min, half-life ~45 min) makes this the best-evidenced form for reducing sleep-onset latency, the primary endpoint in most RCTs. Nearly all trial material is synthetic (bioidentical to endogenous melatonin).
Source: Ferracioli-Oda E et al. 2013, PLoS One 8(5):e63773, PMID 23691095
Not "better/worse" than immediate-release in an absolute sense -- a different PK profile (maintains plasma levels ~8 hours), validated in RCTs specifically for sleep-maintenance in adults 55+ with primary insomnia (EU-registered for that indication).
Source: PMC11510348 (comparative PK)
Reference values
- RDA (adult): not established — Endogenous neurohormone, not an essential nutrient; no RDA/AI exists.
- Tolerable Upper Intake Level (adult): not established — No FDA-established maximum dose for adults; typical OTC products range 0.5-10mg. Wide safety margin short-term; long-term safety data are limited.
- Studied clinical dose range: 0.5–5 mg
- Ferracioli-Oda E et al. 2013, PLoS One 8(5):e63773, PMID 23691095 -- meta-analysis, 19 RCTs/1,683 subjects; significantly reduced sleep-onset latency (WMD 7.06 min) and increased total sleep time (WMD 8.25 min); higher doses and longer duration associated with greater effect.
- Note: Immediate-release vs extended-release is a release-mechanism distinction (sleep onset vs. sleep maintenance use-case), not an objective bioavailability ranking -- see forms.yaml. DSLD's "Form: as N-Acetyl-5-Methoxytryptamine" is just melatonin's systematic chemical name, normalized to plain "Melatonin," not a distinct form.