Can melatonin help you sleep? “Melatonin supplements may help some people get to sleep sooner, particularly those with chronic sleeping problems, but don’t just buy any supplement—they vary significantly in strength, dosage, and cost,” says ConsumerLab.com president, Tod Cooperman, MD.
 
ConsumerLab.com recently selected and tested nine different melatonin supplements. The testing showed that all contained their labeled amounts of melatonin, but the suggested daily dosage ranged from 1 mg to 50 mg; and cost ranged from just 4 cents to $1.36 for an equivalent dose of melatonin. This means you may not be using the right dose for your needs and you could be paying as much as 33 times more than necessary. ConsumerLab.com also found that one supplement failed to properly disclose all of its ingredients.
 
The melatonin test results and product comparisons are found in a new report, which includes information on how to choose a melatonin supplement, dosage for different uses, and potential side effects of melatonin. The report includes information about 21 melatonin supplements—nine selected for testing by ConsumerLab.com, 10 that passed the same testing in ConsumerLab.com’s Voluntary Certification Program, and two products similar to others that passed testing.