Melatonin
A hormone that helps time the body clock; trials show modest help with falling asleep and less jet lag.
What it is
A hormone the brain produces in response to darkness, often described as a pineal hormone. It helps time the body's roughly 24-hour circadian rhythms and sleep; light at night can block its production.
What it is studied for
Researchers study melatonin for insomnia, other sleep disorders, jet lag and body-clock problems. A 2013 meta-analysis pooled 19 placebo-controlled trials involving 1,683 children and adults with primary sleep disorders.
What the evidence says
Randomized human trials; modest effects
Benefits are modest: the meta-analysis found sleep began about 7 minutes sooner and lasted about 8 minutes longer than with placebo. A Cochrane review found less jet lag after flights crossing five or more time zones. US guidelines find too little strong evidence to recommend it for chronic insomnia, and supplement labels are often inaccurate.
How it was studied
The trials in the jet-lag review gave melatonin by mouth. A small company-funded study in 14 healthy men measured blood levels after a sublingual spray, not sleep outcomes; no study of this four-ingredient spray was found.
Regulatory status
In the US, melatonin is regulated as a dietary supplement, under less strict FDA rules than prescription or over-the-counter drugs. In several other countries it is available only with a prescription and is treated as a drug.
Where to find it
Deep Sleep
- Spray DSIP 10 mg, pinealon 10 mg, melatonin 50 mg and GABA 250 mg per 10 mL bottle
Sold by USA Standard Research, the team behind PeptidesGenie, for research use only. Not for human or veterinary use.
Sources
- 1PubChem: Melatonin, CID 896 Chemical reference
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- 4NCCIH (2024): Melatonin: What You Need To Know US government health information
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Source-checked · 27 Oct 2026