Newslifestylehealth-and-fitnessTaking Melatonin Every Night? You Might Have A 90% Higher Risk Of Heart Failure, According To New Study
Taking Melatonin Every Night? You Might Have A 90% Higher Risk Of Heart Failure, According To New Study
Written By :
- Mallika Bhagat
- ,News18.com
Last Updated:August 31, 2026, 11:41 IST
A preliminary study found that adults with chronic insomnia who had documented long-term melatonin use had a roughly 90% higher risk of developing heart failure over five years
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Taking Melatonin Every Night? You Might Have A 90% Higher Risk Of Heart Failure, According To New Study
Melatonin is often seen as the gentler alternative when sleep refuses to come. It is a hormone the body naturally produces, it is widely available as a supplement and its reputation as a “natural” sleep aid has made it a popular choice for people struggling to fall asleep or stay asleep. But new preliminary research is raising questions about what happens when melatonin moves from an occasional sleep aid to a long-term habit
The study found that adults with chronic insomnia who had documented melatonin use for at least 12 months had about a 90% higher risk of developing heart failure over the following five years compared with similar people who had insomnia but no documented melatonin use. Heart failure occurred in 4.6% of the melatonin group, compared with 2.7% of the comparison group
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Importantly, the findings do not prove that melatonin causes heart failure. The research is preliminary and shows an association rather than a cause-and-effect relationship
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Why Is Melatonin So Popular?
Melatonin is a hormone produced naturally by the pineal gland in the brain. It helps regulate the body’s sleep-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm. The body’s melatonin levels generally rise as it gets dark and fall during daylight. Synthetic melatonin is chemically identical to the hormone produced naturally by the body. It is commonly used to help with sleep difficulties and jet lag
Because it is naturally produced by the body and is widely marketed as a sleep supplement, melatonin is often perceived as a relatively harmless option. But “natural” does not necessarily mean that a substance is risk-free, particularly when it is taken regularly over a long period
“Melatonin supplements may not be as harmless as commonly assumed. If our study is confirmed, this could affect how doctors counsel patients about sleep aids,” said Ekenedilichukwu Nnadi, M.D., lead author of the study and chief resident in internal medicine at SUNY Downstate/Kings County Primary Care in Brooklyn, New York
What Did The Researchers Study?
Researchers used information from the TriNetX Global Research Network, a large international database containing de-identified electronic health records. They examined five years of records from adults with chronic insomnia. Participants whose medical records showed at least one year of melatonin use were placed in the melatonin group. They were compared with people who also had insomnia but had no documented melatonin use
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People who already had heart failure or had been prescribed other sleep medications were excluded from the analysis. The researchers then looked at whether the two groups differed in their rates of heart failure and other serious health outcomes
The Heart Failure Risk Was Nearly 90% Higher
Adults with insomnia who had documented melatonin use for 12 months or longer had about a 90% higher chance of developing heart failure during the next five years than matched people without documented melatonin use. Heart failure occurred in 4.6% of people in the melatonin group, compared with 2.7% in the comparison group
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The researchers conducted another analysis to make sure they were looking at people with evidence of longer-term melatonin use. When they limited the group to people who had filled at least two melatonin prescriptions at least 90 days apart, the association remained. That group had an 82% higher risk of heart failure
However, these figures should not be interpreted as proof that taking melatonin causes heart failure. People who use melatonin chronically may differ from nonusers in ways that are difficult to completely account for in observational medical-record research. The study can identify an association, but it cannot establish why that association exists
Hospitalisation And Death Were Also More Common
The researchers also looked beyond heart failure diagnoses. People in the melatonin group were nearly 3.5 times as likely to be hospitalised for heart failure. The hospitalisation rates were 19.0% among melatonin users compared with 6.6% among those in the comparison group. Deaths from any cause were also more common. Over the five-year period, 7.8% of participants in the melatonin group died compared with 4.3% of people in the non-melatonin group
That translates to a nearly twofold difference in the risk of death from any cause
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Again, however, the finding does not establish that melatonin was responsible for these outcomes
“Melatonin supplements are widely thought of as a safe and ‘natural’ option to support better sleep, so it was striking to see such consistent and significant increases in serious health outcomes, even after balancing for many other risk factors,” Nnadi said
Experts Say Long-Term Use Deserves A Closer Look
The findings have also raised questions about whether melatonin is being used for longer than it was intended to be
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Sleep researcher Marie-Pierre St-Onge, who who was not involved in the study, questioned the practice of using melatonin chronically for insomnia. “I’m surprised that physicians would prescribe melatonin for insomnia and have patients use it for more than 365 days, since melatonin, at least in the U.S., is not indicated for the treatment of insomnia. In the U.S., melatonin can be taken as an over-the-counter supplement and people should be aware that it should not be taken chronically without a proper indication,” said Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Ph.D., C.C.S.H., FAHA, chair of the writing group for the American Heart Association’s 2025 scientific statement, Multidimensional Sleep Health: Definitions and Implications for Cardiometabolic Health.
Her comments point to an important distinction: the question is not necessarily whether taking melatonin occasionally is dangerous, but whether taking it continuously for months or years is appropriate
About the Author
Mallika BhagatMallika Bhagat is a Deputy News Editor at News18, where she leads the Lifestyle and Viral desks. A seasoned journalist and content strategist, she brings a decade of high-impact experience from India’s premier newsrooms, including The Times of India, Hindustan Times, The Indian Express, Outlook Traveller and Times Now. With a portfolio of over 500 long-form bylines, she specialises in the intersection of travel, culture, and digital trends. At News18, she spearheads coverage across food, fashion, beauty, and viral internet culture. Connect with her: mallika.bhagat@nw18.com
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tags :melatonin side effects
Location :New Delhi, India, India
First Published:August 31, 2026, 11:41 IST
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