Melatonin is the hormone that tells your body it’s night. A short course, taken 1–2 hours before bed, can help reset a sleep pattern that’s drifted — without the hangover of older sleeping tablets.
A 15-minute consultation with a GPhC-registered pharmacist. Supplied under a Patient Group Direction — the same medicine a GP would prescribe.
When the problem started, what your nights look like, shift work, screens, caffeine — the things that usually matter most.
Melatonin interacts with a few medicines and isn’t used in pregnancy or with some conditions.
One tablet 1–2 hours before bed, alongside simple sleep-hygiene changes that make the effect stick.
The pharmacist checks the full criteria at your consultation. If this service isn’t right for you, we’ll tell you what is — and there’s nothing to pay.
Only branches that offer this service are shown. Prefer to walk in? Just come to the counter — a booking guarantees the pharmacist is free.
No. Melatonin is a hormone your body already makes; it doesn’t cause dependence or withdrawal like benzodiazepines or Z-drugs.
It isn’t a sedative. It nudges your body clock so you fall asleep more easily at the time you want to — it works best combined with a consistent bedtime and less screen light.
Long-standing insomnia is best treated with CBT-I (a talking therapy for sleep), which your GP can refer you for. Melatonin is a short-term tool.
Read more: Melatonin, sleep hygiene and what actually resets a bad sleep pattern · Melatonin vs sleeping tablets: what a pharmacist can and can’t give you for insomnia
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