There has been a fivefold increase in U.S. adults taking melatonin supplements for sleep, according to a study co-authored by Dr. Naima Covassin, a researcher in Mayo Clinic's Cardiology Lab.
Melatonin is a hormone in the body that plays a role in your natural sleep-wake cycle. And it's available as a supplement that around 6 million adults in the U.S are taking to help manage their sleep. But are they using it correctly?
"Most of the times, melatonin is actually misused because it's used as a general sleep aid and to help with insomnia," says Dr. Covassin.