Melatonin 6 Hour Timed Release, 300 mcg, Extended-Release Formula for Gentle Sleep Support, Healthy circadian Rhythms, Cellular Defense, Gluten-Free, Non-GMO, Vegetarian, 100 Tablets

I have used melatonin for years. I would always wake in the middle of the night, usually after 4 hours, and have trouble getting back to sleep. (I took half of a 5 mg tablet or dissolving lozenge.) The combination of extended release, which actually works, and a tiny, close to physiologic dose, appears special. I was skeptical of the tiny dose but perhaps this contributes to not experiencing the “this is morning” effect when I do wake in the night. And I do still frequently wake, but with this preparation I go back to sleep easily. For me, the effectiveness of this preparation is qualitatively different.

Personally, I feel as if Melatonin in stores has a much higher concentration than necessary for adequate sleep. Usually, 5-10mg is what you'd get at Walmart or Walgreens, and it only serves to keep me up even longer rather than putting me to bed; however, with this brand, its 300mcg concentration is around what the body would produce in a normal day anyway, so I find it much easier to go to bed after only a few minutes since taking it. The pills are very small and easy to swallow, I don't even use water most of the time.

I’ve tried just about every kind of melatonin over the years—fast dissolve, gummies, sprays, even teas—and while most helped me *fall* asleep, none could help me *stay* asleep. I’d wake up at 3 a.m. staring at the ceiling, wide awake, wishing I’d never taken anything at all. Then I found this 6-hour time-release melatonin from Life Extension, and it’s honestly been a quiet miracle in my nightly routine. The first night, I noticed the difference. I didn’t feel that “melatonin hangover” or grogginess that some formulas give you. Instead, it felt like my body just… naturally drifted off and stayed there. The best part? When I woke up in the morning, it wasn’t with that heavy, foggy feeling—just calm, rested energy. Here’s what really impressed me: it eases you into sleep gently and then *keeps you there*, thanks to the time-release formula. It’s like having a quiet sleep assistant working in the background all night, releasing just enough melatonin to keep your brain from hitting that “wake up too early” button. I take one about 30 minutes before bed, do my usual wind-down routine, and by the time I hit the pillow, my mind is calm and my body feels ready. I’ve had some of the best, most consistent sleep of my adult life using this—especially after struggling with pain and restless nights post-surgery. If you’re tired of products that work for an hour and then leave you tossing and turning at 2 a.m., this is the one to try. It doesn’t feel like a pill—it feels like finally remembering what real sleep is supposed to be like.

I've now tried this brand and this smaller dose for about 4 nights, 2 of those nights consecutively. I must say that this dose does seem to work. It seems unintuitive to take a smaller dose and have it work, but it does. I read that most people take the higher dose because they think "more is better" and because that most brands will sell the higher dose because of a patent on the smaller dose. The patent is on 1mg or less by MIT, because Professor Wurtman discovered that small doses of this (0.3 MILLIgrams) (.3mg = this brands 300mcg) worked better. When the melatonin receptors in the brain are exposed to too much of the hormone, they become unresponsive. I've read that occurs in about 3 days. As a result, many people don't think melatonin works at all. To get around paying for the patented version, companies sell the higher doses, even though efficacy is almost nil. Crazy! After hearing about this, I bought this to try out, because I too was one of those people that it seemed to not work after a few times of taking it. Larger doses seem to help me when using once in awhile, but not when used consistently. Great product, and it seems this brand knows its supplements.

Finally! A natural feeling all night sleep! The best thing is this timed release formula lets you go back to sleep easily after waking up at 3 am. I don’t use it every night, but feel it is worth it for those nights I really need to sleep. It works great for me and I wake up feeling good.