You may have noticed that melatonin supplements have recently been removed from sale in Australia. This decision followed concerns about inconsistent regulation of dosing and potential side effects, particularly in children.
Melatonin Isn’t a Fix for Sleep Problems
Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by your brain in response to darkness. It plays a role in initiating sleep, but it doesn’t influence the quality or duration of your rest. In other words, it can help you fall asleep, but it won’t keep you asleep or improve the depth of your sleep.
The real solution lies in addressing why you’re not sleeping well - late-night screen time, stress, irregular routines, stimulants, and dietary patterns are far more powerful drivers of poor sleep than a deficiency in melatonin.
Dosing Concerns and Side Effects
The amount of melatonin needed to support sleep onset is minuscule. Yet many supplements contain doses many times higher than what the body requires. Even more concerning, independent testing has shown that the actual content of these supplements often doesn’t match what’s stated on the label.
High doses, particularly in children, can interfere with the body’s natural production of melatonin and reduce sensitivity to the hormone over time. This creates a situation where the brain becomes less effective at producing or responding to melatonin on its own.
What About Older Adults?
In older adults, melatonin production naturally declines, and very small supplemental doses may be safe and useful in some cases. Still, we prefer to focus on the root causes of disrupted sleep rather than relying on a pill to override poor habits.
Our Approach: Sleep Hygiene First
Rather than masking sleep issues with melatonin, we encourage tackling the foundations of healthy sleep hygiene:
- Keeping a consistent bedtime and wake time
- Minimising screen exposure in the evening
- Limiting caffeine and alcohol
- Managing stress with relaxation techniques
- Optimising your diet to support stable energy and mood
By addressing these underlying issues, your body can restore its natural sleep rhythms without relying on artificial hormone supplementation.
Bottom line: Melatonin may have a role in very specific circumstances, but it isn’t a cure for poor sleep. At AstonRX, we’d rather empower you to fix the root cause - not just cover it up.
