• Your brain makes <0.1 mg at night
• Supplements? 1–20 mg (10–200x higher)
• Some products even have 347% more than the label claimed!
So... you might be overdosing your circadian clock.
But how much melatonin should you take? 🧵
2/ First, know melatonin = body’s night signal
1. Secreted by pineal gland 2. Tells the hypothalamus to wind down. 3. Lowers body temp, blood pressure, and alertness. 4. Reduces retinal sensitivity to light (morning sunlight = “off switch") 5. Peaks around 3AM, gone by sunrise.
3/ Melatonin works in two ways:
😴 Hypnotic (weak): nudges you to fall asleep a little faster (≈10 min).
⏰ Chronobiotic (strong): shifts your circadian rhythm (when your body thinks sleep should happen).
The 2nd effect is why it works for jet lag, night owls, or shift work.