Indeed, many people perceive vitamins and supplements to be healthy and natural and thus assume that they are safe — but this isn’t always true. There are no studies on the interaction of melatonin and alcohol, but, since they are both sedating, the combination of them can increase the potential risk of complications. For some, it can potentiate the sedative effects, while in others the sedative effects can be negated. The major safety concerns with taking alcohol and melatonin together include the possibility of extreme drowsiness , passing out, dizziness, and risk of falling. Potential side effects can include poor sleep, irritability, intense dreams, increased anxiety, fast heartbeat, and foggy thinking.

The sensor could detect body movement of the rat of at least 1.5 cm from one sample point to the successive one. The locomotor activity device was mounted above the home cage 3 days before drug treatment procedure and was continued for four more post-treatment days. The percentage of each rat’s locomotor activity during and after treatment days was calculated by using the ‘before treatment’ activity data sober living house as a reference. The data measured by each Mouse-E-Motion device were downloaded into a personal computer and processed with Microsoft Excel. Rosenwasser A, Clark J, Fixaris M, Belanger G, Foster J. Effects of repeated light-dark phase shifts on voluntrary ethanol and water intake in male and female Fischer and Lewis rats. Valerian is a flowering plant that’s also used as an herbal sedative supplement.

Consider listening to something relaxing, like petting your dog or cat, or doing a quiet activity to allow your brain to start shutting off well before your head hits the pillow. For difficulty sleeping during this period , melatonin supplements have unfortunately not been shown to be very effective . However, given the low cost and risk of side effects, it may be worth a try if other lifestyle measures haven’t helped to improve sleep. For those with alcohol use disorder who stop drinking, the withdrawal effect can also temporarily disrupt circadian rhythms. However, abstaining from alcohol for about a month has been shown to lead to the re-synchronization of that sleep-wake cycle.

AD participants met past-year DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence as determined by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Diagnoses (First et al. 1997). When mixed with alcohol, though, melatonin is not as safe as you may assume. Alcohol is known to disrupt the body’s natural sleep cycle, so at best, it will likely cancel out the effects of a melatonin supplement — and at worst, it may put your health at risk. In addition to facilitating sleep, melatonin can lower blood pressure, worsen asthma, and affect heart health. All of these phenomena can be worsened by alcohol and thus increase the risk of a potentially deadly interaction. Alcohol inhibits your body’s natural release of melatonin, making your sleep quality worse and wrecking your circadian rhythm for days after.

When you have an alcoholic drink, the alcohol goes into your bloodstream and affects your body and brain by slowing down their functions. This leads to feeling less in control of your body, with a lack of coordination and balance. Brain function also becomes slower, leading to slow or poorer decisions because you cannot think as rationally or as quickly. The sudden onset of confusion is one of the most concerning signs of alcohol poisoning or an adverse reaction.

They both claim to help you sleep, but what happen when you mix these two potent substances? Our experts weigh in.

Means, standard deviations, between group differences, and effect sizes for circadian variables. The PSQI is a 19-item self-administered questionnaire consisting of seven components weighted from 0 to 3. Overall scores range from 0–21 with lower scores indicating better sleep. A score greater than five indicates a clinically significant sleep problem involving at least two components. Therefore, use of alcohol is legal and can be enjoyable, but it must be done carefully and safely. Abuse of alcohol can lead to issues with the brain, liver, heart, immune system, and pancreas.

Smith M, Burgess H, Fogg L, Eastman C. Racial differences in the human endogenous circadian pacemaker. Maisto SA, Sobell MB, Cooper AM, Sobell LC. Test-retest reliability of retrospective self-reports in three populations of alcohol abusers. Hasler B, LJ S, J C, Bootzin R. Circadian rhythms, sleep, and substance abuse.

If you tend to have a drink before bed, you might find yourself in a vicious cycle, yawning all day, relying heavily on caffeine and stimulants to keep you awake, then counteracting these stimulants with more alcohol at night. This happens because of alcohol’s impact on your body’s natural melatonin. Drinking alcohol is known to suppress or curb your brain’s natural production of melatonin. Research shows that even moderate alcohol consumption before bedtime causes melatonin levels in the body to drop within a few hours . With less natural melatonin in your body due to alcohol, taking a melatonin supplement may not work as well .

Melatonin and Alcohol: Are They a Safe Mix?

In short, no, you shouldn’t take melatonin after drinking alcohol. This combination isn’t likely to kill you or cause serious illness, but it can create some negative side effects and worsen your sleep quality when you need it most. However, unlike alcohol which essentially poisons the nervous system, melatonin doesn’t forcefully create drowsiness.Melatonin capsulesare not a medication or drug but a natural supplement that helps your body regulate its own circadian rhythm. However, the negative health effects of alcohol far outweigh the benefit of falling asleep quickly. Even one or two drinks are enough to reduce sleep quality by9.3% or more.

• Consider blackout curtains or eye covers in addition to placing your phone or other blinking lights in a drawer or underneath something else to block out light until you’re ready to wake.
• In summary, our study shows that the melatonergic system has a modulatory role on alcohol ‘wanting’ and relapse-like drinking behavior.
• If you drink alcohol, however, it is very important to be aware of potential side effects and drug interactions before you choose a sleep aid.
• Even if you don’t experience any severe side effects from combining alcohol and melatonin, you won’t reap the full benefits ofquality sleep.
• Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, which is defined as a substance that slows down brain activity and its control over your vital functions.

Two drinks for a man typically has the same effect as one drink would have on a woman. This is mainly due to differences in metabolism and biological makeup. Women are naturally built with higher levels of body fat than men, and fat retains alcohol.

Do blue light glasses really work?

Hepatoxicity refers to severe liver damage that can be fatal if it is left untreated. When mixed with alcohol, Vitamin A supplements that include β-carotene will dramatically increase the risk of hepatoxicity due to the compound’s interaction with ethanol. Some online sources will encourage people to take supplements after drinking in order to offset the effects of excessive alcohol consumption. It’s true that some research indicates a positive relationship between certain supplements and alcohol — one study indicates that panax ginseng can mitigate the concentration of blood alcohol levels, for example.

Contact us today to learn more about individualized recovery programs that can help you start living a healthier, alcohol-free life. Many things can disrupt and alcoholism and the blame cycle even block your body’s production of this hormone. Exposure to light at night – like blue light from electronic screens (computers, TVs, mobile phones, etc.).

Hope Health

Any supplement that acts as a sedative or sleep aid — including supplements such as Valerian and melatonin — can potentially exacerbate the occurrence of these symptoms. The respiratory system is inherently unstable during sleep due to the reduction in brain activity. If you take a supplement that facilitates sleep and then mix this supplement with alcohol, you are increasing the risk of breathing difficulties and respiratory suppression. Most over-the-counter sleep aids contain CNS depressants, which can intensify the effects of alcohol. Melatonin is one of the only sleep aids that does not have a drug interaction with alcohol. Stress, whether from daily life or from unexpected stressors like COVID-19, can take a toll on your sleep and mental health.

Is it safe to mix melatonin and alcohol?

It should be noted, though, that alcohol has hepatoxic potential in and of itself. The link between alcoholism and liver failure has been repeatedly confirmed by extensive alcoholism treatment & alcohol rehab research. It’s clear that supplements aren’t always as safe as they might initially appear — and it’s clear that alcohol can make an otherwise safe supplement dangerous.

And finally both agomelatine and melatonin given at the end of the light phase caused a significant circadian phase advance in the diurnal drinking of both water and alcohol when compared to the control vehicle-treated rats. Similar behavioral responses to these compounds could be expected. Accordingly, disturbances of circadian rhythmicity were shown to be affected in a similar manner by administration of either agomelatine or melatonin . Nevertheless, different pharmacological profiles of agomelatine and melatonin should be taken into account. Thus, in our study the 5HT2C antagonist SB did not have the same effect on drinking behavior as agomelatine.