How Melatonin Impacts Heart Health

From health.clevelandclinic.org

There isn’t clear evidence that melatonin harms your heart — but finding the cause of sleep issues is key to long-term heart health 

If you’re dealing with insomnia and you’ve taken melatonin as a sleep aid, you’re not alone. It’s a popular over-the-counter supplement that many people swear by. But recent rumblings about its safety for your health might be making you toss and turn.

It’s important to clear up one thing right off the bat: There are currently no proven links between melatonin supplements and heart disease or problems. So, you can rest a little easier if you’ve been worried.

But that doesn’t mean melatonin is risk-free — or even the right solution for your needs.

Cardiologist Michael Hill, MD, walks us through the research.

Does melatonin use cause heart failure?

There’s no clear evidence that melatonin causes heart failure.

So, why the chatter? It’s because researchers found possible links between melatonin and heart failure. They used a health records database to compare two groups of adults with insomnia — those who took melatonin for at least one year, and those who didn’t.

They found that within a five-year period, the melatonin group had higher rates of:

• Heart failure
• Hospitalization for heart failure
• Death from any cause

“These are striking findings, and that’s why they made headlines,” Dr. Hill acknowledges. “But there are some important caveats.”

Dr. Hill explains:

• There’s no proof that melatonin caused heart failure: The research makes associations, but it doesn’t prove causation. That’s a huge distinction. It means there are patterns, but there’s no proof that melatonin is the driving factor.
• The findings aren’t peer-reviewed: “This is a research abstract, meaning a presentation of preliminary data,” Dr. Hill notes. “It must go through rigorous peer review before we accept the findings as fact.”
• Gaps remain: Because these are early findings, we don’t know the factors, like melatonin supplement dosage or treatments given to the non-melatonin group. We also don’t know if some people had sleep apnoea or other diagnoses.
• Heart failure can cause sleep issues: It’s possible that some study participants had issues because they were already in the early stages of heart failure and didn’t yet have a diagnosis. That would add more grey area to the findings.

“Based on the information available so far, we can’t say that melatonin causes heart failure,” Dr. Hill clarifies. “But the topic is on our radar, and we’ll continue learning.”

Can it cause other heart issues?

There’s not enough evidence to say that melatonin causes other problems, like heart palpitations or an increased heart rate.

One study from 2017 found possible associations between melatonin use and premature ventricular contractions (a common and typically harmless arrhythmia). But that study only looked at two adults. We’d need much more evidence to prove any links.

Why you might be feeling palpitations

So, if you’re taking melatonin and notice your heart racing, skipping a beat or flip-flopping, what’s up? Dr. Hill offers insight.

“Palpitations or an increased heart rate may be due not to the melatonin, but rather to sleep apnoea,” he says. “This common disorder is associated with both slow or fast abnormal heart rhythms and irregular beats, which can cause those unusual sensations.”

Many people don’t even realize they have sleep apnoea. But red flags include waking up tired every morning and needing naps to get through the day. If this sounds familiar, talk to a healthcare provider — especially if you’re noticing palpitations.

Possible benefits of melatonin for your heart

Now that we know there aren’t proven risks, you may be wondering: Can melatonin do your heart any good? Maybe, according to some evidence.

“Some randomized clinical trials have shown possible benefits of melatonin,” Dr. Hill shares. He notes that in a randomized trial of people with heart failure, those taking melatonin for six months saw improvements in:

• Symptoms
• Quality of life
• A blood marker called NT-proBNP (which usually reflects heart failure symptom burden)

“While this is a small study, it offers high-quality evidence that warrants further research,” he adds.

That’s right — some findings seem to contradict the research abstract! This might feel confusing. But that can be the nature of medical research. There’s not a single path going in one direction. Researchers explore all avenues to learn as much as they can, even if that means grappling with conflicting data.

“Another study has found possible links between melatonin and reduced blood pressure and cholesterol levels,” Dr. Hill says. “Melatonin likely isn’t the direct cause. But it could be helping you sleep better. And that, in turn, helps manage your blood pressure, cholesterol and other heart disease risk factors.”

Better sleep lowers cardiovascular disease risk

It’s a well-established fact that better sleep translates to a lower risk of heart and blood vessel problems. The opposite is also true — poor sleep raises your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Sleep is so important that the American Heart Association lists “get healthy sleep” as one of “Life’s Essential 8” measures for improving cardiovascular health. These are eight steps we all should try to take to protect our hearts.

But good sleep can be hard to come by. Enter melatonin. It may help shift your body’s circadian clock so you sleep soundly and wake up feeling rested.

If melatonin helps you sleep better, that’s great. But Dr. Hill cautions that it’s not meant for long-term use.

Short-term use is best

“Melatonin is best used on a temporary basis,” Dr. Hill emphasizes. “If you’ve needed it for months or years to achieve good quality sleep, talk to your primary care provider or even a sleep specialist.”

Dr. Hill describes why limited use is best:

• Melatonin may mask the reason for poor sleep. Taking melatonin as a sleep aid may help you snooze, but it won’t reveal the root cause of sleep issues. And that means you may go months or years without effective treatment for sleep apnoea, insomnia or other conditions.
• Long-term melatonin use may not be safe. “Less is known about the risks of long-term supplementation,” Dr. Hill states. “So, it’s a good idea to limit use to temporary situations, like when you’re traveling or trying to adjust your bedtime.”
• Melatonin supplements aren’t regulated. In the U.S., melatonin is an over-the-counter supplement, not a prescription drug. That means the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t regulate its dosage or quality.

Talk with your doctor about safety

If you decide to use melatonin, talk with a healthcare provider first. They’ll make sure:

• It’s safe for you based on your health history.
• It won’t interact with any medications you’re taking.
• You’re aware of possible side effects, like dizziness, headaches and daytime drowsiness.

“Some research shows that melatonin may adversely affect blood sugar variations in people with diabetes,” Dr. Hill warns. “That’s just one example of a scenario where we’d want to be extra careful in using melatonin, even just for a few days.”

Make quality sleep a priority

Whether or not you’re taking melatonin, one thing’s for sure: Sleep is vital for your heart.

If a good night’s sleep feels like an impossible dream, it’s time to talk to a healthcare provider about treatment options. They’ll go over the possible causes, from excess stress, circadian disruptions and poor sleep hygiene to diagnosable conditions like sleep apnoea or insomnia.

“There’s no need to toss out your melatonin based on any of this latest research,” he says. “But ideally, it’ll mostly stay in your cabinet. Work with your provider to find sustainable, long-term solutions to the sleep issues you’re facing.”

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-melatonin-impacts-heart-health

Meet the 3 Overlooked Insomnia Triggers That Most Sleep Guides Still Fail to Mention in 2026

From sacbee.com

Insomnia research has moved well beyond caffeine and screen time. The newest findings point to causes most sleep guides still ignore, from the bacteria in your gut to the temperature of your bedroom to the sleep score you’re checking every morning. Here’s what the research says is really keeping you up. 

What Are the Most Overlooked Causes of Insomnia? 

The three most underappreciated drivers of insomnia right now are gut microbiome disruption, social jet lag and poor body temperature regulation before and during sleep.

A February 2026 study in Nature Communications of 6,941 participants found that lower gut microbiome diversity was directly linked to poorer sleep quality, a later chronotype and greater social jet lag, connecting 137 bacterial species to specific sleep characteristics. 

Body temperature regulation is equally underappreciated. Core body temperature needs to drop to initiate sleep, and small disruptions to that process can stall onset or fragment deep sleep entirely. Understanding how pre-sleep breathing techniques connect to sleep onset adds useful context alongside these newer findings. 

Then there’s orthosomnia, coined by Northwestern University researchers to describe insomnia triggered by fixating on sleep tracker data. Patients were losing sleep because their wearable’s score was making them anxious. The tool meant to fix sleep was breaking it. 

How Does Gut Health Affect Insomnia? 

Gut health affects insomnia through a two-way communication loop between your microbiome and your brain. When that ecosystem is disrupted, sleep suffers.

The Nature Communications study found that participants with less diverse microbiomes consistently slept worse. A September 2025 review in Medicina explains why: the gut produces short-chain fatty acids that regulate inflammation and nervous system pathways tied to sleep. When that production drops, systemic inflammation rises and sleep quality falls with it. 

Poor sleep also degrades the microbiome, which then makes sleep worse. Breaking the cycle means addressing both ends. Varied plant intake, fermented foods like yogurt and kimchi and consistent eating patterns are the most accessible starting points. 

What Is Social Jet Lag and Can It Cause Insomnia? 

Social jet lag is the mismatch between your weekday and weekend sleep schedule, and it functions like flying across time zones every single week. Shift from a 6 a.m. weekday alarm to sleeping until 10 a.m. on weekends, and your circadian system never fully settles — which makes Sunday-night insomnia and Monday-morning fatigue almost inevitable.

The Nature Communications study tied social jet lag directly to gut microbiome disruption. The Medicina review found it suppresses short-chain fatty acid production and promotes systemic inflammation, both of which feed back into worse sleep. 

To measure yours, calculate the midpoint of your sleep on a typical workday versus a free day. A difference of an hour or more is measurable social jet lag. Keeping your wake time within about an hour across all seven days, including weekends, is the most effective fix available. 

Can a Hot Bath Actually Help You Sleep? 

Yes. Warming your body raises skin temperature, which triggers a compensatory drop in core body temperature. That drop is one of the strongest physiological cues your brain uses to initiate sleep. 

A UCSF-led randomized trial updated February 2026 is testing passive body heating via sauna blanket as an add-on to CBT-I, specifically because roughly half of people who complete CBT-I still experience residual symptoms. A Scientific Reports study of 72 participants found that external body cooling during sleep significantly increased slow-wave N3 sleep, the deepest restorative stage.

A warm bath about 90 minutes before bed is the most practical version of this. Keep your bedroom cool overnight to reinforce the effect. 

Can Your Sleep Tracker Be Making Insomnia Worse? 

It can. Northwestern University researchers coined “orthosomnia” to describe insomnia driven by anxiety over tracker data. Patients were losing sleep specifically because they were fixating on nightly scores from devices like Oura and Whoop, turning a wellness tool into a source of performance anxiety. 

The fix isn’t to throw the tracker away. It’s to check weekly trends rather than nightly scores, where normal variation becomes far less alarming. If your sleep score is the first thing you reach for every morning and it’s shaping your mood, a two-week tracker break is worth trying before anything else. 

Is CBT-I the Best Treatment for Chronic Insomnia? 

CBT-I is the first-line clinical recommendation for chronic insomnia ahead of sleeping pills, and its effects tend to last well after treatment ends. It works by retraining the thoughts and behaviours that sustain sleeplessness rather than chemically sedating the problem away.

That said, roughly half of CBT-I completers still have residual symptoms per the UCSF trial documentation, which is why researchers are testing body-based additions like passive heating alongside it. Digital and telehealth CBT-I programs have made access significantly easier in recent years and are a practical starting point before escalating to medication. 

This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.

https://www.sacbee.com/entertainment/living/article315892589.html

Oops—Scientists Severely Underestimated How Much Skipping a Few Hours of Sleep Impacts Dementia Risk

From aol.com/articles

Even your tracker warns you that a less-than-great night of sleep can have an effect on your brainpower. Now, a study published in the Journals of Gerontology: Series A not only clarifies that there’s a strong connection between people with insomnia and dementia. It reveals how much scientists underestimated the impact of skipping a few hours of rest. Lack of sleep led to significantly more cases of the debilitating disease than the researchers previously thought.

The good news is that most sleep problems are fixable. In other words, optimizing your sleep schedule or seeking a specialist for help may help lower your risk of dementia decades from now.

How Much Does Poor Sleep Impact Dementia Cases?

                                                          The Link Between Dementia and Insomnia, Explained         getty images

(getty images)

NEARLY 1 IN 8 dementia cases were associated with insomnia. To put it into context, that’s half a million people in the US with insomnia. (An estimated 25 million Americans have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, even when allowing enough time in bed to sleep).

““We were pretty surprised at the magnitude of the effect,” Yuqian Lin, a data analyst at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and lead study author, told Science News.

The researchers came to this number after analysing information from the 2022 National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS). A total of 5,899 adults age 65 and up reported their sleep problems. This included how often they have trouble falling asleep, if they had issues staying asleep through the night, or both. They used this information along with cognitive test results to assess who had what they consider to be probable dementia. This meant people had a high likelihood of symptoms that could imply dementia. Afterward, the team calculated how many of these dementia cases could have been prevented if their sleep problems had improved.

After crunching the data, the researchers found that 12.5 percent were insomnia-related dementia cases. The number of dementia cases were tied to people in the 65-69 age group for women and the 70-74 age group in men.

The Complicated Relationship Between Insomnia and Dementia

INSOMNIA IS CONSIDERED a “modifiable risk factor.” It means that early intervention—in this case, tackling the root behind a person’s sleep issues—could reduce the chance of developing future dementia. According to the study, insomnia may have more of an impact than other modifiable risk factors for dementia such as hearing loss and high blood pressure.

That said, insomnia and dementia have a complex, bidirectional relationship. In other words, each condition influences the other.

“Healthy sleep is a necessary foundation for cognitive health because it is crucial for memory consolidation, decision-making, emotion regulation, ‘brain cleaning’ through the glymphatic system that flushes out toxins from the brain during deep sleep... all important aspects of maintaining brain health over time,” explains Jade Wu, PhD, a behavioural sleep medicine specialist and author of Hello Sleep: The Science and Art of Overcoming Insomnia Without Medications.

Dr. Wu goes on to say that insomnia can cause a vicious cycle where people are in a bad mood with low energy during the day. As a result, people are more likely to stay sedentary and isolate themselves—a well-known contributor to dementia risk.

The other side of the conversation is how dementia can worsen insomnia symptoms. People with dementia (even at an early-stage) show changes in sleep patterns from excessive daytime napping to trouble staying asleep.

Some theories are that the neurological condition damages brain areas involved in the sleep-wake cycle or lower the amount of time spent in deep sleep, which may explain people with dementia who wake up multiple times in the night. Dementia may also be messing with brain chemicals. One example is melatonin. The hormone rises when the sun goes down to make people sleepy. However, research shows people with dementia tend to have lower levels of melatonin in the evening.

Tackling The Most Common Cause of Insomnia

INSOMNIA IS A complicated condition, and everyone’s situation is a little different. With that said, there are some blanket recommendations for anyone who finds themselves tossing and turning in the middle of the night.

The most common cause of insomnia is stress. When your mind is racing before bed, you’re not in an ideal situation for sleep.

Stress raises your cortisol and adrenaline levels, keeping your body in an alert state. Over time, stress and a continued lack of sleep can leave your body exhausted. That itself can cause more stress on the body.

Christopher Winter, MD, a sleep medicine specialist, neurologist, and author of The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How to Fix It, first recommends learning the ins and outs of insomnia. Most importantly, he finds people are most empowered when they know something can be done.

“It's tempting to pour all your efforts into falling or returning to sleep, but this kind of pressure just makes insomnia worse,” adds Dr. Wu. Instead, she also advocates for finding the root cause for your insomnia. For example, people who are stressed may find it helpful to wind down with caffeine-free tea with calming ingredients such as lavender or chamomile. She adds that exercising earlier in the day can release endorphins and lower cortisol levels.

“Get outdoors for daytime light exposure, move your body, socialize, engage in mentally stimulating and meaningful activities, get involved in community, and listen to your body's natural sleepy cues,” Dr. Wu says.

While there are melatonin and other supplements meant to promote sleep, Dr. Winter warns against sedating yourself with pills. If you experience chronic insomnia, Dr. Winter advises seeking help from sleep specialists.

https://www.aol.com/articles/oops-scientists-severely-underestimated-much-122022000.html