Does melatonin help people sleep? It's a misapplied but probably safe miracle drug

This was a review of earlier research, not a new experiment with one group of participants. It examined melatonin, a hormone that helps control the body’s sleep timing. The evidence suggested it may help with jet lag, shift work, and sleep problems caused by a mistimed body clock. Benefits for ordinary insomnia appeared smaller and less certain. The review considered melatonin probably safe for short-term use, but long-term safety was not well established.

What this means for you: Melatonin is not a miracle sleep cure. It may be useful when your body clock is out of sync, but it may do little for everyday insomnia, and long-term use should not be assumed harmless.