Experts warn of risks for teenagers taking melatonin without medical guidance

Sleep specialists caution that widespread availability of melatonin supplements, especially in gummy form, poses potential hormonal and safety risks for developing teenagers, urging caution and further research.

Melatonin may seem harmless because it is sold widely and often marketed as a simple sleep aid, but sleep specialist Alena Mikhailova warned that it can pose risks for teenagers whose hormonal systems are still developing. In remarks carried by RIAMO, she said regular outside use can train the body to rely on an external sleep signal rather than producing enough of the hormone on its own.

Mikhailova also cautioned that young people may take more than intended, especially when melatonin comes in gummy form and is treated like candy. She noted that the supplement is available not only in pharmacies but also on online marketplaces, where it can be bought without a prescription and without the kind of strict oversight applied to medicines.

That warning is in line with broader advice from sleep and nutrition experts. Healthline says melatonin has not been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for children and that its safety in younger age groups is still not fully understood. The Sleep Foundation similarly says research on long-term use is limited and advises parents not to give it to children unless a doctor has recommended it.

Experts also stress that insomnia in teenagers should be investigated rather than masked with supplements. The Sleep Foundation notes that melatonin is generally considered safe for short-term use in adults and some adolescents when taken as directed, but questions remain about possible effects on puberty and other hormone-related processes. Inhaling melatonin through vapes or similar products has also been flagged as unproven and potentially unsafe by GoodRx, which said there is no clinical evidence showing those methods are effective.