Melatonin and alcohol: risks and side effects

Have you ever started to wind down for the night and picked up your bottle of melatonin tablets, only to remember that you drank a few glasses of wine earlier that evening? If so, you probably wondered if it’s safe to combine melatonin and alcohol. 

As a general rule of thumb, it is a good idea to avoid taking any sleep aids, including melatonin, after consuming alcohol. Read on to learn more about the risks of combining melatonin and alcohol.

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Melatonin, also called the sleep hormone, is made by the pineal gland in your brain. Melatonin levels naturally rise and fall in your body in a 24-hour pattern that determines your sleep-wake cycle. It regulates your internal clock or circadian rhythm (Savage, 2021).

Melatonin is available over-the-counter as a dietary supplement. It’s a common natural sleep aid that people take to help with trouble sleeping due to jet lag, insomnia, or other sleep disorders. Overall, melatonin is considered a safe supplement when taken in the dosage range of 0.1 to 10 mg per day (Savage, 2021). 

Melatonin supplements do not usually cause negative side effects, but that can change if they are combined with alcohol. The following side effects of melatonin have been reported, especially in high doses and extended-release formulations (Savage, 2021):

• Drowsiness

• Daytime sleepiness

• Headaches

• Nausea

• Nightmares

• Rash

• Stomach upset

Alcohol causes some of the same side effects, especially in excessive amounts. So, taking melatonin with alcohol in your system can possibly make side effects like drowsiness more severe. 

To date, there haven’t been any rigorous clinical studies to explore the effects of consuming alcohol with melatonin supplements, so the advice against taking melatonin supplements with alcohol is based on how each of these substances affects the body and their potential to interact. 

Melatonin supplements are generally safe and do not usually cause severe side effects. But, mixing them with alcohol could raise the risk of becoming too drowsy beyond a safe level of sedation (Abrahao, 2017). 

Alcohol is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant, which is defined as a substance that slows down brain activity and its control over your vital functions. Consuming large amounts of alcohol or other CNS depressants can cause severe drowsiness, trouble breathing, and slowed heart rate—effects that can become life-threatening (Abrahao, 2017).

The other main concern of combining melatonin with alcohol is just the opposite problem: trouble sleeping. Drinking alcohol may make you feel sleepy at first, especially in excessive amounts. But, alcohol is known to interfere with your body’s natural sleep cycle, causing you to wake up frequently during the night. This can cause your sleep quality to suffer and make you feel exhausted the next day (Park, 2015; Ebrahim, 2013).

This happens because of alcohol’s impact on your body’s natural melatonin. Drinking alcohol is known to suppress or curb your brain’s natural production of melatonin. Research shows that even moderate alcohol consumption before bedtime causes melatonin levels in the body to drop within a few hours (Rupp, 2007). With less natural melatonin in your body due to alcohol, taking a melatonin supplement may not work as well (EMA, 2012).

Additionally, alcohol relaxes your upper airway muscles, increasing the risk of snoring-related sleep disruptions and other breathing problems during sleep, such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) (Park, 2015).

So, it is best to take melatonin when there’s no alcohol in your system. Drinking alcohol with (or within several hours of) melatonin may reduce the supplement’s effectiveness and cause you to get less restorative sleep (EMA, 2012; Cederbaum, 2012).

Melatonin is a dietary supplement and does not have a standard dosage, as it’s not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Based on study data, melatonin doses of 0.1 mg to 5 mg are generally safe and modestly effective for sleep (Ferracioli-Oda, 2013; Costello, 2014). 

Be sure to follow the directions on the product label for how to take your melatonin supplement. Formulations can vary, with instructions ranging from 30 minutes to two hours before bedtime (Ferracioli-Oda, 2013; Savage, 2021).

To get the most benefit from a melatonin supplement and avoid unnecessary risks, avoid drinking alcohol with it. Instead, consider trying sleep hygiene tips to help improve sleep, such as limiting your pre-bedtime use of smartphones and other devices that emit blue light (Wahl, 2019). 

It is best not to mix melatonin or any sleeping pills with alcohol. The combination may cause negative side effects. If you struggle with excessive alcohol use or frequently have trouble sleeping, consider seeing a healthcare provider. They can guide you with personalized medical advice and help you get started with therapy or find a treatment that’s right for you.

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Every article on Health Guide goes through rigorous fact-checking by our team of medical reviewers. Our reviewers are trained medical professionals who ensure each article contains the most up-to-date information, and that medical details have been correctly interpreted by the writer.

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Current version

September 16, 2021

Written by

Patricia Weiser, PharmD

Fact checked by

Felix Gussone, MD

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About the medical reviewer

Felix Gussone, MD, Ro

Felix Gussone is a physician, health journalist and a Manager, Medical Content & Education at Ro.