Use strategic melatonin timing for circadian shifting

What to Do

Take 0.5-1 mg of melatonin at a strategic time: 5-7 hours before your desired bedtime to advance the clock (go to bed earlier), or upon waking to delay it (go to bed later).

Why It Works

Melatonin is a chronobiotic — it shifts the circadian clock. When taken in the early evening (well before bedtime), it signals early darkness and advances the sleep phase. This is distinct from using melatonin as a sedative at bedtime. The timing, not the dose, determines the shifting effect.

Tips

• For jet lag: take melatonin at the destination's bedtime starting the day before travel
• Low doses (0.5 mg) are as effective for circadian shifting as high doses — more is not better
• The phase-response curve is complex: melatonin at the wrong time can shift your clock in the wrong direction
• Combine with morning light exposure for the strongest combined effect