Melatonin and Nightmares: What Users Say

• Now...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 27, 2020

For Insomnia "Well. I have taken Circadin 2mg for three nights now. Dr. prescribed these for me as for many years I have nightmares, talking, screaming in my sleep, thrashing around, night tremors, in other words. Vivid dreams. Also take antidepressants. No trouble falling asleep. Need to sleep 12 hours to feel normal as my dream life is so hectic! After taking this med, nightmares are worse! Heart is racing, waking up at 2 am and like I've drunk 20 cans of Red Bull. Talking so fast I can't hear what I'm saying. Don't know what will work for me, but this ain't the stuff! Never again!!!"

• Car...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 15, 2020

For Insomnia "I took melatonin 5 mg every other night for three nights. It did help me fall asleep 2 - 3 hours earlier than my normal sleeping time, but it was always a poor quality sleep, very light, tossing and turning in the bed all night long, having weird nightmares and being half-awake. It is close to not sleeping at all. All things considered, I prefer to get some good deep sleep 3 hours later than get 'melatonin sleep' earlier."

• Anonymous
• September 6, 2011

For Insomnia "I've tried many different cures for insomnia, including OTC, homeopathic, and prescription drugs. Of them all, melatonin has the least bad side effects and most natural feeling sleep and rest. It's like being a teenager again... remember how easy it was to fall asleep at any time during the day back when you were 15? It's just like that, and sometimes I dream too, though these dreams can often be vivid and disturbing. I take time-release pills, one 3 mg pill per night is sufficient for a full, undisturbed 8 hours of sound sleep."

• Jen...
• September 23, 2019

For Insomnia "Circadian 2 mg. I took for 3 nights, crazy nightmares, woke exhausted, irritable, and anxious. Have also taken herbal melatonin, also useless, no nightmares, but no sleep either. Might be effective for some people, but not for me."

• zzz...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 16, 2020

For Insomnia "I have had chronic insomnia for 20 years and usually coped by taking afternoon naps when I had to work through a day on 4-6 hours of sleep or exercising extremely hard to tire myself out (neither is a long-term good solution). Melatonin works extremely well for me. I would recommend carefully starting with 1 mg and increasing 1 mg at a time only to the extent that it's necessary. If I take 2 mg, I'm asleep in an hour with a 50% likelihood, and if I take 5 mg, I'm asleep in 45 minutes with a 90% likelihood. But the vivid, often disturbing dreams are more common on nights when I take the larger dose. Still worth it to me even with the dreams. I personally have not had any of the side effects from melatonin other people have mentioned, like an increase in depression or suicidal thoughts, and I'm extremely prone to both of those. Aside from marijuana, this is my best option for getting 8 hours of sleep regularly."

• Ada...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 5, 2022

For Insomnia "Was prescribed melatonin to help me sleep. I do suffer from anxiety and depression. I was on mirtazapine on a very low dose, which has a sedative effect, which worked, however, my GP decided to put me on melatonin. Horrible experience. Couldn't sleep, but when I did, I had horrible dreams. Tossing and turning. I don't know why I kept taking it. The last few nights, I was taking more tablets to help me sleep, which obviously made it worse. I thought it was my anxiety causing this. I had really bad suicidal thoughts and even visited a place I thought I could jump off. I finally realized it was the melatonin. It's now in the bin. Be careful if you notice anything different in your thought patterns and sleep patterns, especially if you have anxiety and/or depression."

• Por...
• May 2, 2009

For Insomnia "Melatonin works under some circumstances and with some side effects. First off, it's useless unless taken at night. Daylight will counter the narcotic effect. Secondly, it can enhance dreaming. If you have a history of nightmares, don't use this."

• Pin...
• December 21, 2019

For Insomnia "I take this medication to help me sleep, and it works great. It puts me right to sleep. I tend to have weird dreams and nightmares sometimes, but usually I am able to sleep through the whole night! I recommend this medication if you have insomnia."

• shi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 18, 2020

For Insomnia "My GP prescribed this melatonin medicine as I am having trouble sleeping when I change my shift from night to morning, plus some nights I am just awake and can't sleep although very tired. For me, it's a real waste of money, did not help me fall asleep, and if I got lucky falling asleep, I have nightmares, and my mind is awake but I can't move! Very weird, uncomfortable, and useless, to be honest."

• Nob...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 4, 2015

For Insomnia "Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. The effects are not as obvious to me as prescription medications. 6 mg seems to be my sweet spot; any more and it has no effect. I try taking it when I know my sleep schedule needs fixing and that I'll be awake late otherwise, and it can work like that when taken infrequently. But it's not my first choice. Can give me nightmares also. As a younger man (22 years old), I've read that melatonin supplements work more effectively on older individuals, which may explain my hit-or-miss case with it."

• Nig...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 10, 2022

Melatonin Time Release (melatonin) for Insomnia "The time-released melatonin gave me nightmares, interrupted sleep, and was less useful than the normal melatonin available over the counter. Woke in the middle of the night with a sore throat and a massive headache. I was on the low dose and couldn't tolerate it!"

• ano...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 10, 2022

For Insomnia "I started taking it in late elementary school for insomnia, and for eight years (thereabouts), it worked great with my sleep. However, I began to get side effects at the start of my first year of college. It started with me being easily agitated and forgetful, which later turned to being drowsy at times when I needed to be alert and talking to myself all the time. I tried it again as needed near the end of my semester, and it worked fine until winter break, when I started having nightmares from it that put me in a bad headspace for the whole day. It was odd because I took 3 mg the whole time, which is a low dose."

• iha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 12, 2012

For Insomnia "Not a good experience. Nightmares and restless sleep."

• Sig...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 22, 2018

For Insomnia "Unable to fall asleep. Terrible nightmares. Headaches and drowsiness the next day."

• Anonymous
• August 21, 2011

"I had nightmares with melatonin. Spouse had a hard time waking me up, and then I was afraid to go back to sleep. I do not have a history of bad dreams or nightmares."

• Big...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 12, 2016

"Intense dreams, nightmares."