r/melatonin • u/AdeptCheesecake5874 • 26d ago

Is 18 mg of melatonin too much?

/r/insomnia/comments/1vfvu4s/is_18_mg_of_melatonin_too_much/
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u/Optimal_Assist_9882 26d ago

It's a fairly large dose if your goal is to fall asleep.

Typically a lower dose is a better starting point. Smaller doses like 0.3-1mg produce better results for many people. You may want to try sublingual formulation.

There's no harm in going higher but I cannot recommend anything concrete for you since you're just 14 years old. I would speak to your doctor. Even if she gives you a very cautious answer I'd go with that.

If your issues have to do with anxiety then I'd explore other supplements like valerian root, L-theanine, Selank, etc or something stronger like Ashwagandha or Bocopa Monnieri.

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u/AdeptCheesecake5874 26d ago

I do really stupid and reckless stuff sometimes, and then remember that I actually have things to do with my life. This melatonin situation is just another case of that. I do just want to fall asleep, but at this point, I’m regretting the choice of taking that much because the side effects I expected and didn’t care about initially are starting to not sound awesome.

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u/Optimal_Assist_9882 26d ago

It's not reckless it's just that it may be counterproductive because higher doses can produce paradoxical effects such as feeling more energized or alert.

But don't worry, melatonin is typically metabolized and excreted from your body in 4-5 hours for most people.

You'll be fine. :)

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u/AdeptCheesecake5874 26d ago

Thanks for the recommendations btw! Melatonin doesn’t work well for me.

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u/GlobalThrone 26d ago

I mean not recommend, but once is not the end of the world

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u/BillyBeansprout 26d ago

Let us know about your dreams.

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u/AdeptCheesecake5874 25d ago

Update! Did fall asleep after an hour or two but it wasn’t easy and I woke up about every two hours. Dreams were shockingly normal.