How long does melatonin stay in your system

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Duration of Melatonin in the Human System

Melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland, plays a crucial role in regulating sleep and circadian rhythms. Understanding how long melatonin stays in the system is essential for optimizing its use in treating sleep disorders and other conditions.

Melatonin Metabolism and Half-Life

Metabolism of Melatonin

Melatonin is rapidly absorbed and metabolized in the body. After oral administration, melatonin reaches peak plasma concentrations within 30 to 60 minutes. The liver primarily metabolizes melatonin, converting it into 6-sulphatoxymelatonin (6-SMT), which is then excreted in the urine .

Half-Life of Melatonin

The half-life of melatonin in the bloodstream is relatively short, typically ranging from 30 to 50 minutes. This short half-life means that melatonin levels in the blood decrease significantly within a few hours after ingestion 12. Consequently, melatonin is usually cleared from the system within 4 to 8 hours, depending on individual metabolic rates and dosages.

Prolonged Release Melatonin (PRM)

Efficacy and Duration

Prolonged release melatonin (PRM) formulations are designed to extend the duration of melatonin's effects, making them particularly useful for treating insomnia in older adults. Studies have shown that PRM can maintain therapeutic levels of melatonin in the bloodstream for a more extended period compared to immediate-release formulations . This extended release helps improve sleep latency and quality over a more extended period, typically lasting throughout the night.

Long-Term Use and Safety

Research indicates that PRM is effective and safe for long-term use, particularly in elderly patients with insomnia. A study involving 791 adults aged 18-80 years demonstrated that PRM significantly reduced sleep latency and improved sleep quality over a six-month period without signs of tolerance or severe adverse effects . This suggests that PRM can be a viable long-term treatment option for sleep disorders.

Conclusion

Melatonin, particularly in its prolonged release form, can stay in the system for several hours, providing extended benefits for sleep regulation. While the half-life of immediate-release melatonin is relatively short, PRM formulations can maintain therapeutic levels throughout the night, making them effective for treating insomnia, especially in older adults. Further research is warranted to explore the long-term effects and optimal dosages of melatonin supplementation.

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Most relevant research papers on this topic

Nightly treatment of primary insomnia with prolonged release melatonin for 6 months: a randomized placebo controlled trial on age and endogenous melatonin as predictors of efficacy and safety

Prolonged release melatonin (PRM) is a short- and long-term effective and safe treatment for primary insomnia in elderly patients, regardless of low melatonin levels.

RCTLarge Human TrialVery Rigorous JournalHighly Cited

2010·

154citations

·A. Wade et al.

Melatonin Supplementation for Six Weeks Had No Effect on Arterial Stiffness and Mitochondrial DNA in Women Aged 55 Years and Older with Insomnia: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Study

Melatonin supplementation improved sleep quality but did not significantly affect cardiometabolic parameters like arterial stiffness and mitochondrial DNA in women aged 55 years and older with insomnia.

RCTRigorous Journal

2021·

6citations

·Yonghwan Kim et al.

The half-life of melatonin elimination from rat plasma.

Melatonin has a half-life of 23 minutes and 17 minutes in rat plasma, respectively, when measured by tritiated melatonin and RIA methods.

Non-RCTAnimal StudyHighly Cited

1981·

96citations

·F. P. Gibbs et al.

Effects of low oral doses of melatonin, given 2-4 hours before habitual bedtime, on sleep in normal young humans.

Low oral doses of melatonin, given 2-4 hours before bedtime, can facilitate sleep onset and stage 2 sleep without significantly altering sleep architecture in normal young adults.

RCTHighly Cited

1996·

229citations

·I. Zhdanova et al.

Sleep, Growth, and Puberty After 2 Years of Prolonged-Release Melatonin in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Nightly PedPRM at optimal dose (2, 5, or 10 mg) is safe and effective for long-term treatment of insomnia in children with autism spectrum disorder, with no observed detrimental effects on growth or pubertal development.

RCTHighly Cited

2020·

88citations

·B. Malow et al.

[Melatonin: Physiological and pharmacological aspects related to sleep: The interest of a prolonged-release formulation (Circadin®) in insomnia].

Circadin®, a prolonged-release melatonin preparation, can improve sleep quality and life quality in insomnia patients aged 55 years and older without rebound effects or safety concerns.

Literature Review

2018·

37citations

·M. Quera-Salva et al.

Melatonin and insomnia

Melatonin is probably of no clinical value in managing psychophysiological insomnia, with side effects including headache and odd taste in the mouth.

RCTHighly Cited

1996·

94citations

·C. M. Ellis et al.

A phase II, single‐center, double‐blind, randomized placebo‐controlled trial to explore the efficacy and safety of intravenous melatonin in surgical patients with severe sepsis admitted to the intensive care unit

Intravenous melatonin therapy improves redox status and reduces inflammation in surgical patients with severe sepsis, reducing hospital stays and mortality rates without side effects.

RCT

2022·

4citations

·A. Mansilla-Roselló et al.

Delayed sleep phase syndrome: A placebo‐controlled cross‐over study on the effects of melatonin administered five hours before the individual dim light melatonin onset

Melatonin administered five hours before the individual dim light melatonin onset significantly advances the nocturnal melatonin profile and improves sleep quality in patients with Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome.

RCTHighly Cited

1998·

222citations

·J. E. Nagtegaal et al.

Melatonin possesses time-dependent hypnotic effects.

Melatonin has a time-dependent hypnotic effect, increasing sleep propensity and subjective sleepiness when administered at various times, suggesting its role in sleep-wake regulation.

RCTHighly Cited

1994·

207citations

·O. Tzischinsky et al.

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