NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A study published in the medical journal JAMA shows melatonin use in U.S. adults has significantly increased. This is across all demographics and is within the 1`999-2000 to 2017-2018 time frame.
"Although it remained very low, prevalence of self-reported use of greater than 5 mg/d of melatonin also increased over time. These estimates may raise safety concerns, especially given that the actual content of melatonin in marketed supplements may be up to 478% higher than the labeled content and that evidence supporting melatonin use for sleep disturbances is weak," the study said.
CNN reports overall use of melatonin is relatively low but sleep specialist Rebecca Robins says the study documents a significant increase in use in the past few years. She told CNN, experts worry about a possible additional increase in people relying on sleep aids because of the pandemic's negative impact on sleep.
She added, some studies have linked sleep aids to the development of dementia and early death.
