Comparison
Melatonin vs NMN
Side-by-side of Melatonin and NMN. Every row below is pulled from the compound schema and will update as our data grows. For deeper reads, follow through to each compound page.
Melatonin
Melatonin as a sleep supplement: 0.3-1 mg matches physiological output, 3-10 mg is pharmacological. Shifts circadian phase, shortens sleep latency.
NMN
NMN supplements are oral nicotinamide mononucleotide capsules sold for longevity, energy, and metabolic health. They raise plasma NAD+ 30-90% at 250-1000.
Effects at a glance
Melatonin
- •Shortens sleep onset latency by ~7 to 12 minutes at physiological 0.3 to 1 mg doses
- •Advances circadian phase when taken 30 to 60 minutes before target bedtime, useful for jet lag and shift work
- •Does not meaningfully increase total sleep time in healthy adults without circadian misalignment
- •Endogenous nighttime production is not suppressed by short-term exogenous supplementation
- •Higher doses (3 to 10 mg) raise plasma levels above physiological range and often increase morning grogginess
- •Effective for delayed sleep-wake phase disorder and reducing jet-lag severity in eastward travel
NMN
- •Plasma NAD+ rises 30-90% at 250-1000 mg/day across human PK studies
- •Tissue NAD+ rise is inconsistent across human trials (Yoshino 2021, Igarashi 2022)
- •No human trials measure hard endpoints (mortality, CV events, cancer); evidence is biomarker-only
- •Most trials cluster at 250-500 mg/day; dose-response above 250 mg/day is poorly characterized
- •FDA position contested; widely sold as supplement but with regulatory uncertainty
- •Marketing claims for fertility and longevity outrun the human trial evidence substantially
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Melatonin | NMN |
|---|---|---|
| Category | supplement | supplement |
| Also known as | N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine | nicotinamide mononucleotide, beta-NMN |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 0.75 | 4 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 0.5 | 250 |
| Dosing frequency | daily, 30 to 60 minutes before target sleep time | 1x daily, often morning |
| Routes | oral, sublingual | oral, sublingual |
| Onset (hr) | 0.5 | 1 |
| Peak (hr) | 1 | 3 |
| Molecular weight | 232.28 | 334.22 |
| Molecular formula | C13H16N2O2 | C11H15N2O8P |
| Mechanism | Agonist at MT1 and MT2 receptors in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, signaling biological night and promoting sleep-onset gating plus circadian phase shifts. | Direct precursor in the NAD+ salvage pathway; converted to NAD+ by NMNAT enzymes in essentially every tissue. Raised NAD+ supports sirtuin and PARP enzyme activity. |
| Legal status | OTC in US; prescription in UK, EU, Japan | Contested in US (FDA position 2022); widely sold as supplement; broadly available in EU, UK, Asia |
| WADA status | allowed | allowed |
| DEA / Rx | OTC supplement in US; Rx in UK, EU, Japan, Australia | Not scheduled |
| Pregnancy | Insufficient data; not routinely recommended | Insufficient data; precautionary avoidance |
| CAS | 73-31-4 | 1094-61-7 |
| PubChem CID | 896 | 14180 |
| Wikidata | Q179243 | Q418972 |
Safety profile
Melatonin
Common side effects
- vivid dreams
- morning grogginess (higher doses)
- headache
- dizziness
Contraindications
- autoimmune disease (theoretical)
- concurrent anticoagulant therapy without monitoring
Interactions
- fluvoxamine: CYP1A2 inhibition raises melatonin levels substantially(major)
- warfarin: possible increased bleeding risk(moderate)
- benzodiazepines and alcohol: additive sedation(moderate)
- antihypertensives: may alter blood pressure response(minor)
NMN
Common side effects
- mild GI upset (rare)
- occasional headache
- flushing (rare)
Contraindications
- pregnancy and lactation (precautionary, no data)
- active cancer (theoretical concern, not evidence-based)
Interactions
- metformin: no clinically significant interaction documented; both modulate metabolism through different mechanisms(minor)
- chemotherapy agents: theoretical concern about supporting cancer cell proliferation; coordinate with oncology team(moderate)
- CD38 inhibitors: would amplify NMN-induced NAD+ rise; not clinically relevant for most users(minor)
Which Should You Take?
Melatonin comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 2 catalogued goals, OTC, oral dosing, with a Tier-A outcome catalogued. NMN is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is sleep onset or sleep quality, pick Melatonin.
- → If your priority is circadian regulation, pick Melatonin.
- → If your priority is healthspan extension, pick NMN.
- → If your priority is energy and stamina, pick NMN.
Edge case: If you want to avoid Contested in US (FDA position 2022); widely sold as supplement; broadly available in EU, UK, Asia, Melatonin is the more accessible choice.
Default choice: Melatonin. Wider use case, a Tier-A evidence outcome catalogued, and broader goal coverage. Reach for NMN only if your priority sits squarely in the goals it owns above.
This verdict is generated from each compound's schema (goals, legal status, evidence outcomes, dosing route). It updates automatically as our compound data evolves; the deeper read sits on each individual compound page.
Common questions
What is the difference between Melatonin and NMN?
Melatonin and NMN differ in category (supplement vs supplement), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Melatonin or NMN?
Melatonin half-life is 0.75 hours; NMN half-life is 4 hours.
Can you stack Melatonin with NMN?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
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