Melatonin and Vivid Dreams: What Users Say

• Nat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 5, 2018

For Insomnia "I’m a nurse, so lots of shift work, not willing to go for anything too hard. Got some Circadin (melatonin slow release) 2 mg, took for a few days just so I can have a decent sleep. First night/day slept like 16 hours on and off, next few days kind of 6-8 hours, but crazy vivid dreams. Another two days-depressed as anything, feeling like a zombie, no jokes, worst anxiety, depression ever, never again."

• PHL...
• June 30, 2018

For Insomnia "I have delayed sleep phase syndrome. I basically hate this condition. I am simply unable to start sleeping before 4 a.m. no matter how tired I am and how early I go to bed. Research indicates this is a genetic, irreversible condition. Before entering medication, I tried every possible trick to fall asleep at a normal time, nothing ever worked. This was before I started taking 1 mg of melatonin less than 1 month ago. It worked wonders since day one. I go to bed 3 hours after taking it, in a darkened room, and fall asleep in less than 30 minutes. I wake up the following day at a normal time without any grogginess. It is true that it gives crazy, vivid dreams, though. This might be too much for most people. Not in my case, I got used to it after a while, and I really don’t mind given the overall benefit. Just keep in mind this is not a drug to make you sleep. That is why it does not work in most insomnia cases. This is a drug to regulate your sleep-wake cycle, simple as that."

• Eca...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 3, 2017

For Insomnia "I got some of this from my doc as I was having bad dreams about my father, who had recently passed. My experience has been absolutely awful. Dreams out of this world! It takes the first 2 hours of the day getting over the wild, vivid craziness that happened in your supposed deep sleep. Then came the DEPRESSION!! I have never been depressed and never fully understood how others felt, now I do!! I knew it was the melatonin, so I stopped and I was fine. I am not going to ramble on, but be so careful, it's an insidious drug, for me anyway."

• Bel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 18, 2019

For Insomnia "I have tried melatonin three times. It is truly awful! It made me go into a very light sleep, but it still felt like I haven't slept. It gave me headaches, very low mood, sadness, eye twitching, anxiety, weird dreams, and felt completely out of it and dazed all day, which isn't good for life or work. I'm going to seek natural methods. Never taking it again. I heard today that staying really hydrated helps sleep. I'm also going to try the following: valerian root, lavender oil, ginkgo biloba, magnesium, and passion flower tea."

• bmg...
• February 17, 2010

For Insomnia "32 years old. Have been taking melatonin about 4 years now. It works great. I started off at 3 mg and now take 9 mg a few times a month to help with sleep issues. I haven't noticed weird dreams. What I like is that I fall asleep, and if I had to get up for an emergency (3 young children), that there is no grogginess or medicine head feeling."

• 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."

• Ros...
• January 24, 2017

For Insomnia "Have never experienced such a high quality of sleep in 8 years, was very promising. Experienced night sweats and vivid dreams at the beginning. But I didn't mind at all because I thought finally I could stop taking benzos and go with this healthier alternative. After the 3rd day and increasing with each day, my preexisting stuttering condition worsened significantly, and I began to experience severe anxiety and felt dizzy during the day. My doctor saw me during treatment and a week after stopping and was shocked at how much my stuttering decreased and anxiety reduction. I am so disappointed it didn't work for me. I still recommend people try it."

• 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."

• Lil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 21, 2018

For Insomnia "I tried it for a couple of nights when I had trouble falling asleep, and it didn’t work at all! I was still awake for more than an hour after taking it and had a lot of dreams. I even fell into sleep finally, then woke up earlier than usual with a heavy head feeling! My husband is a good sleeper who usually falls into sleep quickly and sleeps soundly. He tried to test it for me one night, and the next morning he complained that he woke up earlier with a light headache. So I have to throw it away to avoid making my sleep problem even worse! Drugs like this should be tested before putting them into the market!"

• Loa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 18, 2020

For Insomnia "My doctor recommended Circadin 2 mg for me because it is also safe to take with my antidepressants, unlike the promethazine sleeping pills I had in my room, which I was going to take. I’ve been taking it for over a week now, and I find that it only really works (and when it does, I’m passed out) when I set the mood - dim lights, comfortable bedding, and space with light music/silence, otherwise, I just procrastinate sleeping for hours if the mood isn’t set. I do have wild, vivid dreams, but I’ve had them even before taking this, so I’m used to it. But I do find that I need to sleep for 9-12+ hours to feel like sleep is complete. If I get up and going before, I will then feel like some time during the day that it is incomplete and it needs to be finished. I think I would like to try another pill."

• Joh...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 14, 2020

"Melatonin, the other brand, is fine, the 3mg ones. These 2mg Circadin ones are crazy. I'm 32, and I swear these give me crazy vivid nightmares every time I take them. The Circadin are not the same as the other brand of melatonin I take. Not taking these again, man, lol."

• nee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 27, 2020

For Insomnia "Be careful when taking melatonin with birth control. I was aware that there is a possible interaction, but there is not much info that’s accessible that goes into detail about it. I have tried taking melatonin 3 times, for a couple of days each month apart, and each time has triggered a period to happen, which never occurs otherwise, since I am on a progestin-only pill, which is continuous and doesn’t have any breaks for withdrawal bleeding. I know spotting can happen regardless of drug interactions, but the only time it has for me (after being on that birth control for almost a year) is after taking melatonin, even as small an amount as 1 mg. I don’t know how it interacts with other kinds of birth control. As for the drug itself, it works well, I think taking the smallest possible amount you need is the best way to go because a little can go a long way. It did result in more vivid dreams for me, but they were not unwelcome."

• Wor...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 18, 2024

For Insomnia "I've always been unable to sleep a full 7 or 8 hours. Taking 10 mg, the first few nights gave me very vivid dreams all night. It took some getting used to, but now I sleep 7.5 hours, with some long, weak dreams, and feel perfect all day long."

• Sis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 9, 2019

For Insomnia "Melatonin caused very vivid nightmares as a side effect."

• Anonymous
• January 27, 2010

For Insomnia "Very good for sleep issues. I have had some problems with vivid dreams, but overall, it has helped, and it usually doesn't cause next-day drowsiness."

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

"Intense dreams, nightmares."