The Hormone You Can Buy at the Grocery Store
In the United States, Melatonin is the only hormone you can buy over the counter without a prescription. You can buy it in gummy form, chocolate form, or liquid form. Because it is sold next to Vitamin C, we assume it is a gentle supplement. In reality, Melatonin is a powerful signaling molecule that controls the timing of your entire biology (Chronobiology).
The Physiological Dose
Under normal conditions, as the sun goes down, your pineal gland begins to secrete melatonin. The amount it produces is tiny: roughly 0.3 mg (300 micrograms). This small amount is sufficient to bind to receptors in the brain and tell the body: "It is dark. Prepare for sleep."
The Commercial Overdose
If you look at a bottle of ZzzQuil or Natrol, the standard dosage is 5 mg or 10 mg.
- 5 mg = ~16x the natural dose.
- 10 mg = ~33x the natural dose.
Why is it sold this way? Because of a patent quirk. MIT patented the use of low-dose melatonin (up to 1mg) for sleep years ago. To get around this patent, supplement companies started selling massive doses (3mg+) because they couldn't be sued for those amounts. We have been conditioned to think "More is Better," but with hormones, precision is better.
The Side Effects of "Supraphysiological" Doses
When you flood the brain with 30x the normal amount of melatonin, several things happen:
- The Hangover: The half-life of exogenous melatonin is short, but at high doses, "spillover" occurs. You wake up with high levels still in your blood, leading to morning grogginess and brain fog.
- Desensitization: Chronic exposure to high levels of a hormone can cause receptors to downregulate (become less sensitive). This creates a dependency where you struggle to sleep without the massive external spike.
- Hypothermia: Melatonin lowers body temperature. Excessive doses can lower it too much, causing shivering or discomfort during sleep.
The Quality Control Scandal
Even if you wanted to take a specific dose, you probably can't. A 2017 study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine analyzed 31 melatonin supplements from grocery stores and pharmacies. The findings were shocking:
- 71% of products did not meet the label claim within a 10% margin.
- The actual content ranged from -83% (almost nothing) to +478% (massive overdose).
- 26% of the samples contained Serotonin—a controlled substance that can have serious side effects.
The WellFact Protocol
- First Line of Defense: Darkness. Your body will make its own melatonin if you dim the lights and avoid blue light 2 hours before bed.
- The Swap: Use Magnesium Bisglycinate or Apigenin to promote relaxation. These work on the GABA system (calming) rather than the Melatonin system (timing).
- The Micro-Dose: If you are using melatonin for Jet Lag (its best use case), buy a 0.3 mg supplement (often sold as "low dose" or "pediatric").