Should I Take Melatonin for a 5 Hour Flight?

If you normally have difficulty sleeping on planes and want to experiment with melatonin, a very low dose taken about 30 to 60 minutes before you want to sleep can be worth a try on a five‐hour flight. However, if you don’t usually have trouble or aren’t concerned about a short nap, you might not need to add any supplement for such a trip.

Whether to take melatonin for a five‐hour flight depends on your personal sleep habits, expectations for in‐flight rest, and the extent to which a short trip disrupts your normal schedule. Here are some points to help you decide:

• Melatonin is most often used to help shift your sleep–wake cycle for longer flights that cross multiple time zones or when your sleep routine is significantly disrupted (jet lag). On a five‐hour flight, if you aren’t planning to sleep long or change time zones considerably, you may not need it.
  
  
• If you’re someone who struggles to sleep on planes and you want to try melatonin to help you take a short nap, using a low dose, around 0.5 to 1 milligram, about 30 to 60 minutes before you plan to sleep can serve as a gentle way to test its effects. It’s important to start with a low dose the first time so you can see how your body reacts without feeling overly groggy afterward.
  
  
• Melatonin isn’t a strong sedative. It simply nudges your brain’s natural signal for sleep. For a flight lasting only five hours, the benefit might be limited, especially if your goal is simply a brief rest rather than significant circadian adjustment.
  
  
• If you decide to try it, consider practicing at home on a day when you can afford to assess the effect. Many people find that a short nap on a relatively short flight isn’t as disruptive as you might fear, and in such cases, melatonin may be more likely to leave you feeling groggy upon landing rather than refreshed.

Where to buy Melatonin

Here are the most reliable and trusted sites where you can purchase Melatonin (Sleepy Owl):