It's best not to: the NHS says to try not to drink any alcohol while taking melatonin, because the 2 together can make you sleep very deeply, so you do not breathe properly and can have trouble waking up. The NHS also says alcohol can affect the way melatonin works. Alcohol itself tends to make you wake more in the second half of the night, so drinking and a pill is not a good recipe for rest. On a night you've been drinking, skip the melatonin, and don't drive.
What happens if you take melatonin after drinking?
The NHS page on common questions about melatonin answers this directly: 'Try not to drink any alcohol while you're taking melatonin.' It gives 2 reasons. Alcohol and melatonin together can make you sleep very deeply, so you do not breathe properly and can have difficulty waking up. And alcohol can affect the way melatonin works.
The NHS also says not to take other medicines or herbal remedies that make you sleepy while taking melatonin, because they can add to its drowsy-making effect. Alcohol works the same way: the NIAAA says alcohol can make you sleepy or drowsy, and drinking while taking medicines can intensify these effects.
We did not find a primary source that gives a safe number of drinks, or a set number of hours to wait between drinking and taking melatonin. So we are not going to make one up. The simplest safe choice is to skip melatonin on nights you drink.
Does this apply to US melatonin supplements?
In the US, melatonin is sold as a dietary supplement. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) says that means it is regulated less strictly by the FDA than a prescription or over-the-counter drug would be. So don't count on the bottle to warn you about alcohol.
What's in the bottle can also differ from the label. NCCIH reports a 2023 study where 22 of 25 melatonin gummy products were inaccurately labeled: 1 had no melatonin detected, and the rest had 74% to 347% of the amount listed. In a 2017 study of 31 supplements, most did not match their label, and 26% contained serotonin.
That means '1 gummy' may be a bigger dose than you think. The NHS warning is about melatonin as a prescription medicine in the UK. We found no US source that addresses melatonin and alcohol directly, but the reason behind the NHS warning, 2 things that make you sleepy at once, applies to the supplement too.
Does alcohol help you sleep anyway?
Only at first. A 2024 review in the NIAAA journal Alcohol Research: Current Reviews explains that in lab sleep studies, alcohol shortens the time it takes to fall asleep and reduces REM sleep early in the night. Later in the night, it tends to increase time awake, along with a rebound in REM sleep. Overall, adults spend more time awake on nights after drinking.
The same review notes that adults with insomnia who use alcohol as a sleep aid quickly build tolerance to its effects, but often keep using it. If you drink to get to sleep, that pattern is worth talking about with a clinician.
So if you wake in the middle of the night after drinking, alcohol is a likely part of the reason. Taking melatonin then adds a second sleepy substance while alcohol may still be in your system. The NHS says melatonin takes around 1 to 2 hours to work, so a late dose can also leave you drowsy when you need to get up.
Is it safe to drive the morning after melatonin and drinks?
Be careful. Both can affect driving on their own.
- Alcohol: the NIAAA says small amounts of alcohol can make it dangerous to drive.
- Melatonin: the NHS says do not drive, ride a bike or use machinery if melatonin makes you sleepy, gives you blurred vision, or makes you dizzy, clumsy or unable to concentrate. Daytime sleepiness is one of its common side effects.
- Older adults: NCCIH says melatonin may stay active longer in older people and cause daytime drowsiness. The NIAAA says aging slows how fast the body breaks down alcohol, so it stays in your system longer.
- If in doubt, don't drive. That is the NHS's own rule for melatonin, and it matters even more after a night of drinking.
When should you get care?
In an emergency, call 911Call your doctor right away, or go to urgent care if you can't reach them, if after taking melatonin you have blurred vision or other eyesight changes, feel faint or pass out, feel confused or dizzy or like the room is spinning, or have bleeding that will not stop, unexplained bruising or blood in your urine. These are NHS warning signs for melatonin.
Call 911 if someone has been drinking and is confused, cannot stay awake or cannot be woken up, is breathing slowly (fewer than 8 breaths a minute) or irregularly (10 seconds or more between breaths), keeps vomiting, has a seizure, or has clammy, bluish or pale skin or a very low body temperature. These are NIAAA signs of alcohol overdose. Don't wait for every sign, and don't leave them to sleep it off.
Call 911 for sudden swelling of the lips, mouth, tongue or throat, trouble breathing or swallowing, or blue, grey or pale lips or skin. These can be signs of a serious allergic reaction to melatonin. Don't drive yourself to the ER.
While you wait, stay with the person. If they are unconscious or lying down, roll them onto 1 side with an ear toward the ground so they don't choke.
How our AI doctor decides when to send you to care ›What can I do instead tonight?
If you've been drinking and can't sleep, a few low-risk steps from the NHS sleep advice are a better bet than a pill.
- Skip the melatonin and any other sleep aid, including antihistamine sleep aids. The NIAAA warns that even over-the-counter antihistamines can be dangerous with alcohol.
- Stop drinking, and keep the room dark and quiet. The NHS suggests an eye mask and earplugs so light and noise are less likely to wake you.
- Put the phone away. The NHS advises against using phones, tablets or TV just before bed.
- If you take melatonin most nights, the NHS advice is to try not to drink any alcohol while you're on it. Its general sleep advice is also to avoid alcohol, caffeine, heavy meals and exercise for a few hours before bed.
- Take your usual melatonin the next night you haven't been drinking, at your normal dose. Don't take extra to make up for a bad night.
Common questions
Can I take melatonin with alcohol?
It's best not to. The NHS says to try not to drink any alcohol while taking melatonin, because together they can make you sleep so deeply that you do not breathe properly and have trouble waking up. Alcohol can also affect how melatonin works. Skip it on nights you drink.
How long after drinking can I take melatonin?
None of the primary sources we checked gives a number of hours, so we won't guess. The NIAAA notes that aging slows how fast the body breaks down alcohol, so it stays in your system longer. The safe choice is to skip melatonin that night and take it again on a night without alcohol.
I already took melatonin after a couple of drinks. What should I do?
Don't drink any more, don't take anything else to help you sleep, and don't drive. If someone is with you, let them know. Call 911 if you or someone else becomes very confused, can't be woken, or has slow or irregular breathing.
Can I drink alcohol the day after taking melatonin?
We did not find a primary source that sets a waiting time for this. The NHS advice is to avoid alcohol while you're taking melatonin, and to avoid alcohol for a few hours before bed to help with sleep. If you take melatonin most nights, ask a pharmacist how that fits with your drinking.
Is melatonin safer than other sleep aids with alcohol?
Don't assume so. The NIAAA lists sleep medicines like zolpidem and over-the-counter antihistamine sleep aids as risky with alcohol, and the NHS warns about melatonin plus alcohol too. The safest choice on a drinking night is no sleep aid at all.
Pymander is not a replacement for a physician and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions about a medical condition. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911.