If you've ever struggled with insomnia—and who hasn't?—you know you'll try just about anything to secure a little shut-eye. But if you're reaching for melatonin after a few restless hours in bed, or even just before turning out your light, you're not going to have good results.
"Melatonin is not an insomnia cure," says Michael Grandner, PhD, a psychiatrist and sleep expert at the University of Pennsylvania. "The tossing and turning in bed, and the inability to turn off your brain—melatonin won't help with that."
Melatonin is a hormone your body produces naturally. And Grandner says your body's melatonin production should start to ramp up around the time the sun goes down. Basically, melatonin is like Paul Revere—a messenger that flows through your body and alerts all your cells and systems that sleep is coming.
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If taken an hour or two before you hit the sack, however, a melatonin supplement can help promote your body's natural sleep-hormone production. "But if it's bedtime or late at night, when your body has already been producing melatonin for hours, taking more of it won't do anything," Grandner says. "It's more a clock-shifter than a sleep-inducer."
If you feel like your natural sleep clock is miscalibrated, swallowing a little melatonin in the evening may help get your sleep back on schedule. (The dose doesn't seem to matter, Grandner says. Like pushing down the first domino in a long line, a little nudge is as effective as a big push.)
On the other hand, if you usually feel tired when you go to bed, but still struggle to sleep, melatonin isn't your solution, Grandner says. You're much better off establishing a set sleep routine, exposing yourself to lots of AM light, or trying another of these 11 Ways to Sleep Better Tonight.
You also shouldn't waste your time on these popular insomnia cures that don't really work:
Sleeping Pills
Most prescription sleep aids are "GABA boosters" that help calm your brain, Grandner says. They also inhibit memory formation. "With these, you're probably only adding 20 to 30 minutes of sleep, but you won't remember lying awake in bed throughout the night," he says. While they could be helpful every once in a while—or to help calm your sleep anxieties—they won't leave you feeling sharp or alert the way you would after natural sleep. "Also, if you take these all the time and have these chemicals in your systems, you can feel like you're always in a fog," Grander adds.
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"PM" Pain Medications and Antihistamines
These can make you drowsy or groggy, which could be helpful for falling asleep if used sparingly, Grandner says. But again, if you're popping one of these pills every night, you're not going to get good, restful sleep, and you'll feel out of sorts during the day.
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Insomnia-Fighting Foods
While a crappy diet can definitely mess with your sleep by causing acid reflux or other issues, Grandner says there isn't much data showing certain foods can promote better sleep. "The placebo response is huge when it comes to sleep aids, so a lot of people report benefits from a whole range or things," he adds. "But foods or teas probably won't keep working in the long run."
