Is Melatonin Harming Your Heart?

While getting quality sleep one of the four essential pillars of health, sometimes it’s easier said than done. Chronic sleep challenges is the #1 challenge people ask me for help. When folks come to me desperate for a good night’s rest, you know what I often urge them not to take? Melatonin.

Now, I know it’s the darling of the pharmacy aisle. If you mention someone you are having trouble with sleep, 9 times out of ten they will say to take melatonin. But new, concerning research has some scientists worried about what melatonin is doing behind the scenes, particularly when taken long-term. And frankly, this preliminary data validates the caution I’ve been feeling all along.

The Findings That Sounded the Alarm

A massive analysis was recently presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions, looking at health data from over 130,000 adults. The goal was to see what happens when people rely on melatonin for a year or more. And the results are genuinely unsettling:

• Heart Failure Risk: Those who were prescribed melatonin long-term had an astonishing 89 percent higher risk of heart failure over five years.
• Mortality Risk: They were also twice as likely to die from any cause compared with those not using the supplement.

Okay, let’s pause a moment – correlation is not causation. This research is preliminary and hasn’t been peer-reviewed yet. Plus, a major limitation is that in the US, melatonin is available over-the-counter, so the control group may have included people who were taking it without anyone knowing.

However, the findings are serious enough that researchers are saying, “Melatonin supplements may not be as harmless as commonly assumed.” For a supplement that replicates a natural hormone produced by the brain, and is easily available without any medical supervision, that’s a big red flag. This is why I always focus on getting to the heart of the matter when it comes to chronic sleep issues.

Treat The Cause

The biggest mistake we can make with sleep is treating it as an independent issue—a broken switch that just needs a pill to fix it. But chronic sleep challenges are almost always a symptom, not the disease. If you are struggling to sleep night after night, we need to ask: What is happening in your life, body, or mind that is keeping you awake?

The root causes of insomnia are incredibly wide-ranging, and understanding them is the first step toward lasting rest.

A Range of Potential Root Causes:

• Emotional & Psychological Stress: Unresolved anxiety, depression, grief, or major life changes (a move, a divorce, a new job). Your mind simply can’t shut off the worry loop.
• Physiological Stress: Uncontrolled inflammation, blood sugar dysregulation (often waking up hungry or shaky), hormonal imbalances (like perimenopause or high cortisol), or chronic pain.
• Environmental & Lifestyle Stress: Erratic work schedules, light pollution, noise, or poor sleep hygiene (using electronics in bed).
• Medication Side Effects: Certain prescription drugs—including some antidepressants, cold medicines, and even blood pressure medications—can be highly stimulating.

Getting to the Root: Holistic Lifestyle Solutions

While herbs like Wild Lettuce and Lemon Balm can help, they work best when we address the underlying culprits. Here are some actionable steps to treat the cause:

1. Stabilize Blood Sugar: If you consistently wake up at 2:00 or 3:00 AM, blood sugar instability is a likely culprit. Aim to eat a balanced, whole-food diet and avoid high-carb snacks close to bedtime. Eating protein and fat with dinner can help maintain a steady curve overnight.
2. Create a Digital Sunset: Limit bright screens (phone, tablet, computer) for at least one hour before bed. The blue light suppresses the natural production of melatonin in your brain, essentially telling your body it’s still daytime.
3. Talk to a Counselor: If anxiety, trauma, or emotional stress is keeping you awake, talking to a licensed therapist or counselor can help you process and regulate these feelings, allowing your mind to finally settle at night.
4. Review Your Meds: If your insomnia began shortly after starting a new prescription, talk to your prescribing physician about adjusting medications or seeking alternative options that are less stimulating. Never stop taking a medication without a doctor’s guidance.
5. Consider a Job Change: If chronic stress is linked directly to your work hours, toxic environment, or extreme schedule, you might need to seriously evaluate if that job change is the best long-term choice for your health and longevity. Your sleep (and your heart!) are worth more than any paycheck.

Herbal Products to Help and Compliment

While addressing the root cause is the long game, sometimes you just need some peace right now to break the cycle of sleeplessness! Or maybe you generally get good sleep, but just need a nudge now and then. This is where herbal medicine steps in. This doesn’t replace fixing the root cause, but helps balance the nervous system, quiet the mind, and prepare the entire body for rest.

If you are dealing with sleep troubles, I urge you to try turning to my favorite calming herbs:

• Wild Lettuce
• Lemon Balm
• Chamomile
• Lavender

These beautiful plants work synergistically to reduce anxiety, soothe digestion, make you drowsy and calm nervous tension, which are often the true root causes of insomnia. They don’t just put a temporary bandage on the problem; they help your body remember how to be peaceful and rested on its own. Sometimes chronic sleep issues are caused because you expect to not be able to sleep.

My approach has always been: If you have chronic sleep issues, we need to address that chronic condition. We need to look at your diet, your environment, your stress levels, and your nervous system health. We don’t just keep masking the problem year after year.

If you’ve been relying on melatonin, this new research should be the motivation you need to seek sustainable solutions. Your long-term health is worth the effort!

Ready for Deeper, Safer Sleep?

If you’re ready to trade that melatonin habit for a truly supportive and restorative solution, I have just the thing:

• For Herbal Support: You can purchase my signature SLEEP tea or SLEEP tincture or the calming CALM tincture right here.
• For Chronic Issues: If you’re struggling with chronic sleep challenges, diet, or anxiety, it’s time to get to the root cause. Contact me for an herbal and functional nutrition consult: cara@flowerpotholistic.com.