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Immediate-release melatonin 3mg tablets, licensed in the UK for the short-term treatment of jet lag in adults. Prescription-only.
Trouble sleeping that isn’t caused by travel? This tablet is for jet lag only. See our insomnia treatments.
Order before 3pm — same-day dispatch (MON - FRI)
~5 min consultation
Secure & confidential · Reviewed by a UK prescriber
Suitable age
18 years +
Max per order
1 pack
Consultation
Yes, reviewed by a prescriber
Melatonin 3mg tablets are a prescription-only medicine, licensed in the UK for the short-term treatment of jet lag in adults. Melatonin is the hormone your body releases in the evening to signal night-time. Taken at bedtime in your new time zone, a tablet helps move your body clock onto local time, so you sleep and wake at the right times sooner.
This is the immediate-release form, for jet lag. It isn’t the same as prolonged-release melatonin 2mg (such as Circadin), which is licensed for insomnia in adults aged 55 and over. Our guide to melatonin vs Circadin explains the difference.
Melatonin isn’t sold over the counter in the UK (see can you buy melatonin over the counter?). You can buy melatonin 3mg tablets online here after a short consultation reviewed by a UK prescriber. For tips on getting over jet lag, see our jet lag guide.
| Active ingredient | Melatonin 3mg (immediate release) |
| Licensed use | Short-term treatment of jet lag in adults |
| Dose | 3mg (one tablet) daily; may be increased to 6mg if 3mg is insufficient |
| When to take | At your usual bedtime after arrival; not before 8pm or after 4am local time; no food 2 hours either side |
| Treatment duration | Maximum 5 days per trip; no more than 16 treatment periods a year |
| Prescription status | Prescription Only Medicine (POM) |
| Side effects | Commonly headache and drowsiness; less commonly dizziness, nausea, dry mouth or stomach pain |
| Generic available | Pack sizes: 10 or 30 tablets |
Melatonin 3mg film-coated tablets are an immediate-release medicine holding a UK marketing authorisation for the short-term treatment of jet lag in adults.
Jet lag happens when you cross several time zones and your internal body clock is still running on departure time. The result is broken sleep, daytime drowsiness, headache, poor concentration and irritability, which typically last several days while the body adjusts on its own.
Taking melatonin at bedtime in the destination time zone shifts that clock forward more quickly. The immediate-release formulation produces a sharp, short-lived rise that mimics the body's own evening melatonin surge, which is what moves circadian timing.
This is a licensed medicine assessed for quality, safety and efficacy, rather than an unlicensed import or a food supplement.
Melatonin 3mg tablets are licensed in the UK for the short-term treatment of jet lag in adults. Melatonin is the hormone your body releases in the evening to signal night-time. Taken at bedtime in your new time zone, it helps your body clock catch up with local time more quickly.
No. Melatonin is a prescription-only medicine in the UK, so pharmacies can’t sell it over the counter. You can buy melatonin 3mg tablets online here after a short consultation reviewed by a UK prescriber. Our guide can you buy melatonin over the counter? explains why.
After a long flight your body clock is still on home time, so your body releases melatonin at the wrong time of the local day. An immediate-release tablet gives a short evening rise in melatonin at the right local time. Taken at bedtime over a few nights, it pulls your body clock into line.
Take one tablet at your usual bedtime after you arrive, for up to 5 days. Don’t take it before 8pm or after 4am local time, and don’t eat for 2 hours before or after. If one tablet isn’t enough, your prescriber may advise two (6mg). Don’t take it before you fly.
One course is up to 5 tablets at 3mg (up to 10 if your prescriber advises 6mg). A 10-tablet pack usually covers one or two trips; a 30-tablet pack covers several. The licence allows up to 16 courses a year.
Circadin and other prolonged-release melatonin 2mg tablets release slowly through the night and are licensed for insomnia in adults aged 55 and over. These 3mg tablets release quickly and are licensed for jet lag. They aren’t interchangeable. See melatonin vs Circadin.
It isn’t suitable for under-18s, or in pregnancy, while breastfeeding, if you’re trying to get pregnant, or if you could get pregnant and aren’t using contraception. It isn’t recommended if you have an autoimmune disease or moderate or severe liver disease, or take fluvoxamine. Tell us if you have epilepsy, diabetes or kidney disease.
The most common are headache and drowsiness. Less commonly, people get dizziness, nausea, a dry mouth, stomach pain, irritability or anxiety. Don’t drive or use machinery for several hours after a dose. Get urgent help if you have signs of an allergic reaction, such as swelling of the face or tongue.
Yes. Don’t take it with fluvoxamine, which greatly increases melatonin levels. Tell us if you take warfarin, the contraceptive pill or HRT, ciprofloxacin or similar antibiotics, cimetidine, carbamazepine, rifampicin, or sleeping tablets such as zolpidem. Smoking can make melatonin less effective, and alcohol disrupts sleep.
No. Melatonin isn’t recommended in pregnancy or while breastfeeding, and we can’t supply it if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant, or could get pregnant and aren’t using contraception. Speak to your GP or midwife about jet lag and sleep in pregnancy.
Store below 25°C in the original pack, out of the sight and reach of children. Don’t use the tablets after the expiry date. Take any you don’t need to a pharmacy for safe disposal.
Take ONE at night
Swallow this medicine whole. Do not chew or break. Take with or just after food or meal. Warning. Do not drink alcohol whole taking this medicine. Warning. This medicine may make you sleepy. If this happens do not drive or use tools or machine.
Patient Information Leaflet (not product specific)
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