Melatonin: Best Avoided During Pregnancy

You’re pregnant or breastfeeding, barely sleeping through the night, and there’s that little bottle of melatonin in the cabinet that normally works so reliably. Can you still take it? Here’s the honest answer: melatonin is a hormone your body already makes on its own, yet pregnant and breastfeeding women are specifically advised against taking melatonin supplements on their own initiative. Below, you’ll find out why, what the evidence actually shows, and what can get you through the night instead — no hedging, and no guilt trip.

What Is Melatonin?

Melatonin is a hormone your pineal gland produces on its own, mostly at night once it gets dark. That’s why it’s sometimes called the “hormone of darkness”: levels rise in the evening to signal that nighttime has arrived, then drop again with morning light. For the general population, there’s an approved health claim: melatonin contributes to a reduction in the time taken to fall asleep when around 1 mg is taken shortly before bed — which is why it’s sold over the counter as a low-dose supplement.

Pregnancy adds a twist: your placenta produces additional melatonin of its own, which reaches your baby through the umbilical cord and is thought to help shape their emerging day-night rhythm. In other words, your body fine-tunes that amount itself, adjusting it to each stage of your pregnancy. That distinction runs through this entire article: the amount your body produces and regulates on its own is not the same thing as an extra dose from a tablet or spray that you decide on yourself.

How Does Melatonin Work in the Body — and in Your Baby?

Melatonin doesn’t work like a classic sedative that knocks you out — it’s a signal. Once it gets dark, your levels rise and tell your body it’s time to sleep. If you take extra melatonin as a tablet, spray, or drops, you’re reinforcing that same signal from the outside, on top of whatever your body is already producing.

This is where pregnancy and breastfeeding matter most: melatonin is small enough to cross the placenta almost unhindered, and it also passes into breast milk, with its own day-night pattern that runs much higher at night than during the day. Your baby, though, can’t process extra melatonin as efficiently as you can, because the liver enzymes needed for that only mature gradually. If you take additional melatonin, your baby ends up getting a share of it too — and how well they handle that hasn’t been studied enough to give a clear all-clear.

Who Is This For?

This article is for you if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding and can’t switch off at night — whether it’s hormones, worries about the baby, constant trips to the bathroom, or a newborn who’s turned your whole rhythm upside down. Lack of sleep at this stage is no small thing, and reaching for something tried-and-tested like melatonin makes sense, especially since it’s normally so reliable and well studied.

It’s just as much for you if you already took melatonin before you knew you were pregnant and want to know whether that was a problem. And it’s for partners, midwifery clients, or soon-to-be grandparents standing in front of the drugstore shelf who need a straight answer instead of ten contradictory forum threads.

Intake & Dosage

Outside of pregnancy and breastfeeding, over-the-counter melatonin products in Germany typically range from 0.5 to 1 mg per day, taken shortly before bed — the same amount the approved health claim refers to.

For pregnancy and breastfeeding, that number simply doesn’t exist. There’s no officially recommended dose, because the evidence isn’t sufficient. Germany’s Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) therefore specifically advises pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and women trying to conceive against taking melatonin supplements on their own, unsupervised — regardless of dose. The reason is the same mechanism described above: melatonin crosses the placenta or passes into breast milk to reach your baby, who can only break it down slowly.

In practical terms, that means not taking any melatonin product on your own during this time — not even a low-dose spray or drops. Talk to your OB-GYN or midwife first, before reaching for melatonin or any other product for sleep problems. They know your individual situation and any potential interactions, and can judge whether anything is appropriate for you at all, and in what form.

What to Watch Out for When Buying

Since this isn’t about finding the right dose but about avoiding it altogether, it’s worth looking at the shelf differently: melatonin is often hidden inside combination products. Sleep sprays, “good night” drops, or nerve-support blends love to pair it with valerian, ashwagandha, hops, or passionflower. The same caution applies to these plant-based ingredients during pregnancy and breastfeeding as to melatonin itself — the evidence isn’t solid enough there either to give the all-clear. So with every supposedly gentle sleep aid, check the full ingredient list, not just the headline active ingredient printed in large letters on the front.

What actually helps during this time is less spectacular, but it works:

• Fixed sleep times: stick to them on weekends too, so your rhythm doesn’t keep shifting.
• Screen break: put your phone and laptop away at least 30 minutes before bed.
• Cool, dark bedroom: this makes a noticeable difference for falling asleep.
• Afternoon movement: a short walk instead of a long nap after 5 pm.
• Calm evening routine: a warm shower, a few breathing exercises, or some light stretching.
• Side sleeping: from the second half of pregnancy, lie on your left side with a pillow between your knees for extra comfort.

That may sound basic, but it tends to work more reliably than most people expect, especially during this stage — and it comes without any of the open questions that still surround melatonin.

The Honest Bottom Line

Here’s the important context: melatonin isn’t some foreign substance your body doesn’t recognize — quite the opposite, your body makes it itself, and during pregnancy it even produces extra amounts through the placenta. In medically supervised clinical studies, melatonin has even been used in pregnant women at doses considerably higher than in over-the-counter products, for specific medical questions, without any notable side effects reported in the babies. So the issue isn’t that melatonin is inherently harmful.

The real problem is the gap around exactly the question this article is about: taking an over-the-counter sleep product on your own, unsupervised, without medical guidance. There simply aren’t enough systematic studies on that yet — and it’s this gap that calls for caution, not any proven harm. Until that changes, the honest and safest answer stays the same: talk through any melatonin use during this time personally with your OB-GYN or midwife, rather than deciding on your own.

Matching Products from Scheunengut

This is normally where we’d point you to matching products from our range — and we’re deliberately skipping that here. Our Melatonin Complex with Magnesium and our Melatonin Spray are formulated for general use outside of pregnancy and breastfeeding; the spray also contains valerian and ashwagandha, which call for the same caution during this time. Recommending either one to you here anyway would be dishonest — and would contradict our own safety assessment.

For the leg cramps or the leaden exhaustion that often keeps you up at night on top of everything else, magnesium is perfectly fine to use during pregnancy — you can read more in our guide to magnesium during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Once you’re no longer pregnant or have finished breastfeeding, the normal considerations around melatonin dose, purity, and timing apply again, as described in our general melatonin guide.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I take melatonin during pregnancy?

It’s not recommended. Taking melatonin supplements on your own, without medical supervision, is specifically advised against during pregnancy, because the hormone crosses the placenta to reach your baby, who can only break it down slowly. Always talk to your OB-GYN before taking any.

Is melatonin allowed while breastfeeding?

The same caution applies during breastfeeding: melatonin passes into breast milk, and how well a baby processes extra amounts hasn’t been studied enough. Taking it on your own isn’t recommended — talk it through with your midwife or doctor instead.

Why is melatonin discouraged if it’s a hormone the body makes anyway?

Because “naturally occurring” isn’t the same as “an extra, uncontrolled amount on top.” Your body finely regulates the melatonin it makes itself; a tablet or spray doesn’t. It’s specifically that additional intake that lacks sufficient safety data during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

I took melatonin before I knew I was pregnant — is that a problem?

Based on current knowledge, there’s no reason to panic: there’s no evidence of increased risk from a brief, low-dose intake before you knew you were pregnant, and melatonin is a hormone your body produces naturally anyway. Still, mention it briefly at your next prenatal checkup just to be on the safe side.

What helps with sleep problems during pregnancy instead?

Fixed sleep times, a calm screen-free evening routine, a cool and dark bedroom, and some movement in the afternoon work more reliably than many people expect. For leg cramps or persistent fatigue, magnesium is a well-established option during pregnancy.

Is melatonin spray safer than tablets because of the lower dose?

No. The caution applies regardless of dose, because the open questions are about fundamental safety, not just quantity. Sprays also often contain added valerian or ashwagandha, which call for the same caution during pregnancy.

When can I take melatonin again after giving birth or finishing breastfeeding?

There’s no blanket answer in weeks or months. Once you’re no longer pregnant and no longer breastfeeding, the usual adult dosing guidelines apply again — if in doubt, it’s best to briefly check the timing with your doctor or midwife.