Melatonin - Substance Search

Summary TheDrug.Wiki Erowid TripSit PsychonautWiki

Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone produced by the pineal gland that regulates circadian rhythms and sleep-wake cycles. Commercial supplements often contain much higher doses than needed; effective doses start as low as 0.25 mg. Higher doses may increase next-day drowsiness and do not necessarily improve effectiveness.

Perspectives

“I took one tablet sub-lingually just before I lay down to sleep, and I slept very well. I was not tired the next day.”

— Alexander Shulgin, TiHKAL (with 2.5 mg, orally)

Dose Information TheDrug.Wiki TripSit PsychonautWiki

ROA	Light	Common	Strong	Heavy
Oral	0.5-1mg	1-3mg	3-6mg	6mg+
Sublingual	0.5-1mg	1-3mg	3-6mg	6mg+

Light Common Strong Heavy

Onset, Duration & After-effects TheDrug.Wiki TripSit PsychonautWiki

ROA	Onset	Comeup	Peak	Offset	After Effects	Total
Oral	5-20 min	20-70 min	1-2 hrs	2-3 hrs	1-2 hrs	3.4-6.5 hrs
Sublingual	5-15 min	15-30 min	1-2 hrs	2-3 hrs	1-2 hrs	3.3-5.8 hrs

Tolerance

Build-up develops rapidly after a single use

Reset 7–14 days for baseline

Tolerance Decay

Full tolerance 0h Half tolerance 0d Baseline ~0d

Clinically meaningful tolerance to nightly melatonin is not well established. Loss of effect is more often due to suboptimal timing, light exposure, or inappropriate formulation rather than receptor desensitization. Short breaks (several days) may restore perceived efficacy if habituation is suspected. Data quality is limited and largely anecdotal.

Effects Erowid

Aggregated from 335 Erowid experience reports

Positive Effects 11

Stimulation 46.6% 70%

Euphoria 39.7% 70%

Color Enhancement 30.4% 70%

Empathy 29.3% 70%

Focus Enhancement 24.2% 70%

Music Enhancement 20.9% 70%

Tactile Enhancement 19.1% 70%

Introspection 11.9% 70%

Body High 11.3% 70%

Creativity Enhancement 8.1% 70%

Pain Relief 3.3% 70%

Adverse Effects 13

Anxiety 43.9% 70%

Confusion 24.2% 70%

Nausea 16.4% 70%

Memory Suppression 13.7% 70%

Headache 8.4% 70%

Psychosis 8.1% 70%

Increased Heart Rate 7.8% 70%

Jaw Clenching 6.9% 70%

Pupil Dilation 4.8% 70%

Motor Impairment 4.5% 70%

Sweating 3.9% 70%

Muscle Tension 3.6% 70%

Seizure 2.4% 70%

Combinations TripSit

PiHKAL / TiHKAL Shulgin

TiHKAL #35: Melatonin

“I took one tablet sub-lingually just before I lay down to sleep, and I slept very well. I was not tired the next day.”

— Alexander Shulgin, TiHKAL (with 2.5 mg, orally)

Melatonin's nerd page Pharmacology, chemical data, effect profiles, and more

→

Helpful Links

📘 Experience Reports 📖 TheDrug.Wiki 📖 TripSit 📖 PsychonautWiki