A Practical Guide to Navigating Melatonin Quality in Clinical Practice
A Clinician’s Reference Guide to 3rd Party Tested Melatonin Supplements
Designed to help physicians, NPs, PAs, and sleep coaches thoughtfully guide patients amid widespread variability in OTC supplements.
Created by Nishi Bhopal, MD
Board-Certified in Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine
Harvard-trained | Educator to 1,000+ clinicians in sleep medicine
Here's What's Inside:
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A curated list of quality-verified melatonin products
Third-party tested options, including professional-grade formulations, selected to help clinicians navigate variability in labeling and manufacturing standards. -
Formulations and dose ranges at a glance
Clear reference tables outlining available doses and delivery forms (capsules, lozenges, sprays, liquids, and more), so you can quickly orient without cross-checking multiple sources. -
A clinic-ready reference for patient conversations
Designed to support thoughtful, individualized guidance when patients ask about melatonin, without positioning supplements as a primary treatment or one-size-fits-all solution.
This guide addresses product quality and formulation variability. Clinical decision-making, including when, whether, and how to use melatonin, is covered in more depth in Melatonin Mastery, our clinician education program.
Who This Guide Is For
This guide is designed for clinicians who take a measured, evidence-based approach to integrative care, especially when patients are already using supplements.
- Physicians, NPs, and PAs who want a quality-focused reference to support nuanced, individualized conversations about melatonin
- Sleep coaches who aim to align their guidance with clinical standards while acknowledging real-world supplement use
- Clinicians interested in integrative treatment options that are grounded in evidence, safety, and clinical judgment
Who This Guide Is Not For
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Consumers seeking supplement advice
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Clinicians seeking one-size-fits-all sleep treatment solutionsÂ
Does melatonin quality really matter?
Yes. Independent studies show that many over-the-counter melatonin products are inaccurately labeled, with some containing significantly more or less melatonin than stated, and some containing none at all.
Given how commonly melatonin is used, often without clinician oversight, patients still expect guidance.
This guide helps clinicians navigate product quality when those questions arise.
References: JAMA (2023); J Clin Sleep Med (2017)
A Note from Nishi Bhopal MD
One of the most common questions I hear from physician colleagues is about melatonin, including how to think about product quality and where to find reliable low-dose formulations commonly used in sleep and circadian disorders.
Melatonin isn’t a stand-alone solution for sleep problems, but it comes up frequently in practice. Patients are already using it, and clinicians are often asked to weigh in whether or not they initiated it.
I created this guide to make that part easier. It focuses on third-party tested melatonin products, so you have a practical reference when questions arise and can respond with clarity and clinical judgment
I hope you find it as useful in your clinical work as I have in mine.
To your sleep education,
Nishi
Nishi Bhopal MD, ABPN Board Certified in Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine
