Can it take a few days for melatonin to start helping me sleep?

My sleep neurologist has asked me to try taking 10 mgs of Melatonin for a month - to give the increased dose a good try. It's important to go outside, in the sunshine, soon after awakening to burn off any remaining melatonin off your brain. I take the Melatonin with Klonopin, amitriptyline, and a combo of herbs such as valerian root, passion flower, lettuce leaf extract, etc. I did use Trazodone, along with Klonopin for many years, and found it to work well. Sleep problems are very individualized - what works great for one person may do nothing for another. What does hold true for pretty much everyone is that the more you can standardize your schedule, and get out in the sunshine in the morning, eat at the same times, and wake and sleep at the same times every day - the better your sleep will be. Oh, and I left out exercise - that's important too. Your body needs to be able to count on YOu - for sleep, nutrition, a proper schedule - it's important to establish a routine, and then to stick to it!! ElizaJane

My psychiatrist suggested Melatonin instead of Dormonoct, which I have been taking for years- 2mg. I tried 3Mg with little success. Then he added the extended release one. Must say I had no improvement at all. I have battled with insomnia for decades, and I think that Melatonin was wishful thinking.. but what does help is to go to bed at the same time every night and make sure that your bedroom is peaceful and don't have any clocks visible. Seeing the time tick by stressed me out big time.
All the best

Hi, i found when i first starting to take Melatonin it did take a few days to kick in, for my body to get used to it. So it is quite normal for it not to work to the best of its potential for the first couple of nights. As already mentioned, your bedroom needs to be completely dark and as quiet as possible. I use a sleep mask and ear plugs. Maybe stick with it a bit longer and hopefully you will get more relief. Just bare in mind that although it is a natural remedy, it can be quite potent. Personally i wouldn't take any more than 6mg each night.

Yes and no. Some folks get the help after only a few hours, with others (like me) it can take a few days. Hope this helps.

I think it's more about your body getting used to sleeping normal that how quickly melatonin works. It's supposed to be used short term to get your body back to a regular pattern then stopped. Do you have trouble getting to sleep, staying asleep, or both? I take Immovane to get to sleep and elavil to keep me asleep.

While melatonin never worked for me some of the drugs like
Trazodone and Seroquel gave me a terrible start to the morning and took way to long to function (yes we are all different, there are low does's etc.) These are antidepressant medications that are also use for other things.
I would start off small you never know, with Tylenol PM and other over the counters. If they don't work fine try Ambien CR,or Lunesta, one's made for sleep. You do not want to become in need of these drugs. Benzodiazepines and barbiturates are not the answer if you can avoid it.
I have been on many and now I have such a high tolerance they can't do a slight sedation with me anymore! They have to put me under not useful, anyways good luck.

Hello mamaang32. It varies from person to person. Melatonin is (my own opinion) not a very successfull sleeping drug. I would not prescribe if I were a physician. If getting a solid nights rest, sleep is not what happens, I would recommend a benzodiazepine especially created for sleep. Halcion and Dalmane will give you six to eight hours of uninterupted sleep. Downside is that being a benzodiazepine, they can be habit forming. Trazodone (Antidepressant) is popular. Its prescribed off label to help regarding sleep, non habit forming and easy/kind in regards to side effects. Regards, pledge

No, just a few hours. How much do you take? I take it and I find that I need to take it about 2 -3 hours before I want to sleep. There are other tricks to sleeping that will help it work better. Like the room has to be totally dark, no computer or tv for 2 hrs before bedtime. Sometimes drinking a glass of milk helps, it doesn't have to be warm. If you have aches and pains, taking something for that helps too.