An MD On One Downside Of Melatonin — And What To Take For Sleep Instead 

Most of us could probably use more (if not better) sleep, no? There's certainly no shortage of products designed to get us there. In pursuit of a good night's rest, many turn to sleep aids like melatonin. But according to functional medicine doctor Frank Lipman, M.D., it's not always the best one. Here's why.

But if your circadian rhythm isn't the issue, taking melatonin likely won't be the most effective option. In fact, he says, "Melatonin is a hormone. It can affect all the other hormones. And taking a lot of melatonin—a lot of people take 3 to 5 milligrams to sleep—over time is going to affect your other hormones and suppress your body's own ability to make melatonin."

"That can actually help with sleep way better than melatonin," Lipman says. Of course, everyone is different and will have their own way of achieving quality sleep—but if melatonin hasn't been doing the trick for you, sleep support+ is another tool to try.