Martyn Jones

Melatonin is the body’s natural bedtime reminder.

Produced in the brain’s pineal gland, the hormone helps regulate the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, otherwise known as circadian rhythm. Melatonin levels rise in the evening to promote drowsiness and fall in the morning to keep you awake throughout the day. 

While the brain produces melatonin on its own, more than one in four Americans (about 67 million) report taking a supplement form of the hormone to fall asleep. 

Sold over the counter without a prescription, dozens of brands and dosages line pharmacy shelves, each promising a restful night’s sleep without lingering drowsiness or side effects the next day. 

But for many users, the supplements have left them with a host of unwanted side effects ranging from grogginess to nausea and even trouble breathing.  

One user in a recent Reddit thread said in two separate instances after taking 2.5mg melatonin supplements, they would wake up four to six hours later ‘feeling extremely nauseous, clammy and with bad vertigo.’ 

They also claimed to have experienced low blood pressure, which over time deprives the brain and vital organs of oxygen. 

Another user explained that they took 3mg of melatonin and within 20 minutes, ‘the room was completely spinning and I wanted to vomit.’

About 25 to 30 million Americans experience insomnia at any given time. While melatonin supplements are common remedies, recent studies have raised concerns

‘I was miserable and in tears because I felt so sick,’ they added. ‘Every time I closed my eyes I got the spins and it made the nausea worse. 

‘I finally fell asleep around 11:30 and the next day I still felt so sick. Dizziness, nausea and upset stomach. At one point I thought I was coming down with the flu.’

Another user in the same thread claimed that melatonin supplements ‘make it super difficult for me to breathe,’ which may be because they relax muscles in the upper throat. 

Recent studies have also pointed to potential related dangers. 

In a study published last year, researchers found that, compared to people with insomnia who didn’t take the sleep supplement, melatonin users were 90 percent more likely to be diagnosed with heart failure within five years.

Users were also three times more likely to be hospitalized for heart failure than their peers who didn’t take it.

And those who used melatonin were nearly twice as likely to die from any cause in five years compared to non-users.

However, experts stress that it is important to note the findings showed only associations, not direct causes. Experts told the Daily Mail at the time that ‘there is no evidence that melatonin usage leads to heart failure.’ 

Additionally, Kristin Kuminski, a registered dietitian nutritionist at The Rx Index, told the Daily Mail that while melatonin supplements are likely effective in alleviating insomnia, the issue is in the fact ‘that the dosing is all over the place,’ which can be dangerous, especially for children.

A typical dose for melatonin supplements ranges from 1mg to 5mg, taken about 30 minutes before bedtime

Research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has pointed to 0.3mg of melatonin as an effective dose in treating insomnia in older adults – that is far less than the range seen in many supplements. 

 A 2023 study by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that almost half (46 percent) of parents have given melatonin to a child under the age of 13 to help them fall asleep.

And in 2022, the CDC revealed how, in the decade leading up to 2021, poison helplines dealt with 260,435 calls about children who had taken too much melatonin – a 530 percent increase from 2012.

In 2012, melatonin was responsible for one percent of pediatric poisonings. That rose to five percent in 2021.

Of the poison reports, two children died, five were put on a ventilator to help them breathe, nearly 300 ended up in intensive care and more than 4,000 were hospitalized.

Another issue with relying on a sleep supplement is that it can hurt the body’s natural ability to fall and stay asleep. 

‘Studies suggest effective doses are much lower than what’s in most supplements, and consistently high doses can blunt your body’s own production [of the hormone] over time,’ Kuminiski added. 

And as melatonin’s safety and side effects have been called into question, many Americans with insomnia are searching for more natural alternatives.

Now, dietitians and sleep experts have told the Daily Mail an unlikely grocery store item may fit the bill.

Dietitians and sleep experts told the Daily Mail that 100 percent tart cherry juice may be an effective natural swap for melatonin supplements

Tart cherry juice is a good source of two natural sleep aids and is ‘a worthwhile swap to try for a few weeks before reaching for a supplement,’ Kuminiski said. 

A 4oz to 8oz glass contains around 0.13 micrograms of melatonin. 

While this is six to 60 times less than a melatonin supplement, the juice also contains trace amounts of tryptophan, which has been linked to improved sleep time and quality. 

‘Tart cherry juice has real evidence behind it for sleep,’ Kuminski said. 

‘It also contains tryptophan and inhibits an enzyme that breaks down tryptophan in the body, so you get a compounding effect on melatonin production rather than just a direct dose.’ 

At about $6.50 per bottle or $1.60 per serving, the juice is also comparable in cost to melatonin supplements, which range in price from $5 to $30 depending on the brand and size. 

Lauri Leadley, clinical sleep educator and founder and president of Valley Sleep Center in Arizona, pointed to a 2012 European Journal of Sleep Medicine study, which followed 20 participants who were asked to drink tart cherry juice twice daily for a week. 

Participants drinking the juice ended up napping less and sleeping longer at night than those who received a different drink. 

‘Additionally, the tart cherry juice group showed increased levels of melatonin… indicating that drinking this juice boosts the body’s melatonin levels, which may explain how it helps with sleep,’ Leadley told the Daily Mail. 

Another 2019 study found drinking 30mL (1oz) of tart cherry juice twice per day increased sleep time by an hour in older adults with insomnia. 

Just don’t overdo it, as even too much of a good thing can be an issue. 

Leadley noted that tart cherry juice is high in natural sugar, with about 25g of sugar in an 8oz glass. She suggested opting for a smaller glass, around 2oz, and making sure to buy 100 percent tart cherry juice to avoid added sugars. 

A new ranking has exposed the UK’s least healthy snacks – with even so–called ‘better for you’ options scoring poorly. 

The Which? investigation analysed more than 60 popular savoury snacks, from Walkers crisps to lentil and quinoa chips marketed as healthier alternatives.

It found that more than half failed the government’s official health scoring system, Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM), raising concerns that shoppers could be misled by ‘health halo’ branding.

Some snacks performed far worse than others. 

The snack that fared the worst was Jacob’s Mini Cheddars Original, scoring just 20 out of 100 in the NPM, scaled score.

The audit found a packet of Mini Cheddars contained 14.4g per 100g of saturated fat.  By contrast, one of the better–performing snacks, Kettle Chips lightly salted, contains 2g of saturated fat per 100g.

What’s more, Mini Cheddars are high in salt (2.4g per 100g) and low in fibre (2.6g per 100g). 

This means that while they’re relatively high in protein with 10.3g per 100g, there are not enough positives to outweigh the negatives. 

A new ranking has revealed the least healthy snacks – and it’s bad news for fans of Mini Cheddars and Pom Bears 

The NPM is a tool that determines what are ‘less healthy’ foods and drinks by calculating the balance of beneficial nutrients against less beneficial ones per 100 grams of a product. 

In the UK, foods that fail these thresholds are often referred to as High in Fat, Salt, or Sugar (HFSS). 

Which? also found that some snacks with a ‘health halo’ (marketed with ingredients like lentils, quinoa, or vegetables) still failed the NPM. 

Researchers found some of these products relied heavily on salt to make them more palatable, compromising their nutritional value.

Among the worst, Proper Chips Lentil Chips Barbecue only scored 36 out of 100 – joint second worst with Skips and Wotsits Really Cheesy. 

Despite the brand’s claim on its website that its snacks are ‘not just better for you, but better than anything,’ they have high salt levels (2.55g per 100g), which gives it a large number of ‘negative’ points in the NPM. 

Although lentil flour makes up just over a quarter of this product, contributing to its decent protein levels, the fibre is extremely low (0.7g – the lowest of the dataset), meaning the protein benefits are not enough to offset the high salt and 4.5g of sugar per 100g.

Pom–Bear Original, another common lunchbox item and children’s party snack, received an NPM of 54. 

Which? found these crisps offer minimal nutritional benefit beyond simple calories, containing virtually no fibre (0.8g). 

They are high in calories and are further penalised for their salt content, which is 1.3g per 100g or 0.17g in a 13g bag (classed as medium or amber).

Also among the famous crisps failing Which?’s NPM audit were Skips, Cheesy Wotsits, Frazzles, Quavers Cheesy, Monster Munch roast beef, sweet and spicy, McCoy’s salt & malt vinegar ridge cut and Hula Hoops Original Salted.

Walkers Sensations scored surprisingly well in multiple flavours including balsamic vinegar and caramelised onion and the Thai sweet chilli.

Shefalee Loth, a nutritionist at Which?, said: ‘We all know crisps aren’t the healthiest snack, but our audit shows some can be a much healthier option than others. 

‘However, it is concerning to see that many childhood favourites are actually some of the least healthy options on the shelf.

‘With half–term and summer holidays coming up, it’s easy to be misled by a ‘health halo’ on packaging when you’re just trying to grab a quick snack on a day out. 

‘Look for the front–of–pack traffic light labels to easily spot the healthier greens and ambers over the high–salt and high–fat reds.

‘However, because this system is currently voluntary, shoppers are left completely in the dark on far too many products. 

‘We are calling on the government to update the scheme so it is simpler and make front–of–pack traffic light labelling mandatory across all food and drink products. 

‘Consumers shouldn’t need a degree in nutrition just to understand what’s in their shopping basket; we need a compulsory system so everyone can see exactly what they are buying.’