With so many different sleep aids commercially available, it can be difficult to know your options and understand how different products work. Not all sleep aids contain the same active ingredients, and thus not all sleep aids stay in your system for the same amount of time.

That said, sleep aid products are tolerated differently by different people, and just because one specific sleep aid product does not stay in your system for very long does not mean this is the universal standard.

The specific amount of time it takes for a substance to be eliminated from your system will depend on the product you are using, and the proper usage instructions included on the product’s label will work to help clue you into how long the product may stay in your system.

This is your guide to how long different sleep aids may stay in your system so that you can more safely use your medications.

How Do Sleep Aids Work? Understanding Your Options

When it comes to sleep aids, or products that are aimed at helping you get a better night of sleep, there are a wide variety of different products available.

Sleep aids are available both over the counter as well as through prescription depending on your needs and the severity of your sleeping problems, and some over the counter options include:

• Antihistamines with sedating effects, such as diphenhydramine. Antihistamines can cause a host of side effects such as constipation, next-day drowsiness, and blurred vision.
• Melatonin supplements, which are most often a synthetic version of the naturally occurring melatonin hormone in your body. Melatonin is the hormone that tells your body when it is time to sleep, and it is produced when your brain perceives darkness. Melatonin supplements are believed to have a mild effect on sleep quality, but they, too, have the potential to cause side effects like headaches and daytime drowsiness.
• Herbal sleep remedies, such as valerian. Herbal remedies are largely regarded as a potentially safer alternative to conventional methods of improving sleep quality, and they may also cause fewer side effects than other sleep aids.

Different forms of medication have different proper usage instructions, so you should always take care to read the label of the product you purchase rather than making assumptions about dosing based on past usage of similar products.

Melatonin: What You Need To Know

Melatonin supplements specifically are a very common form of sleep aid. When your body produces melatonin naturally in response to darkness, it helps to promote restful sleep.

That said, taking melatonin supplements will not necessarily make you sleep, but melatonin may help send certain signals that tell your body it is time to sleep.

Melatonin supplements are also only recommended for short-term use, so you should not plan to incorporate melatonin into your bedtime routine long-term if you are experiencing chronic sleeping problems.

When it comes to melatonin, the amount of time that it actively affects you very much depends on the dose you take, and the ideal dose varies from person to person. However, most doses, both lower doses and higher doses, have an elimination half life of about two hours, meaning that only about half of the melatonin you took is left in your body after the two hours, and the other half has already been processed and cleared out.

The label will also offer you some guidance regarding what dose may be effective for you and how much time you should leave in between doses in order for the medicine to leave your system before you take more of it. General guidelines suggest that a dose between one and three milligrams of melatonin may be effective for improving sleep, and such a dose may be eliminated from your system within several hours.

The total time it takes for your body to completely eliminate a substance from your system depends on a multitude of factors such as age and overall health, and if you are looking for more specific timeframes when it comes to how long melatonin stays in your body, you should consult your doctor for professional advice in order to ensure that you are using your supplements safely.

Melatonin is infamous for causing daytime drowsiness the day after you take your dose, and this is partially due to the fact that for some, it may take longer for the melatonin to be completely eliminated from the body. Taking melatonin too late at night, or taking too much melatonin per dose, makes you especially susceptible to experiencing drowsiness the next day if it has not been cleared out of your system by the time you wake up and start your day.

What About Herbal Remedies?

Herbal remedies generally present less danger in terms of overdosing or experiencing adverse effects, but it is still important to remain aware of what you are putting into your body, so you should carefully read the proper usage label of these products, too.

Opting for an herbal remedy as opposed to prescription sleep aids or conventional over the counter options like melatonin may help you improve your sleep without the risk of daytime drowsiness and other side effects, and while herbal remedies may still stay in your system for a few hours, there are fewer risks associated with this duration of time.

A good rule of thumb when it comes to any form of sleep aid is to consult your doctor before you begin using any product, regardless of whether it is a supplement, herbal remedy, or another form of medicine.

Your doctor can help advise you regarding appropriate dosing, and they will also be able to give you any information that may be relevant to your individual medical history.

For example, certain products may not be recommended for use by people with certain health conditions or people who are taking certain medications, and since your doctor is familiar with your medical history they will be able to advise you accordingly if any of these exclusions apply to you.

The Bottom Line

When it comes to how long sleep aids last and how long they remain in your system after you take a dose, the answer largely depends on the specific type of sleep aid you are using as well as how much of the product you are taking each time you use it.

Sleep aids like melatonin may be eliminated from your body in just a couple of hours for lower doses, but for some people, daytime drowsiness the following day is a huge problem.

Alternatively, the duration of time that herbal remedies stay in your system also depends on the dose and product, but there are generally fewer side effects associated with this type of sleep aid.

In any case, it is important to consult your doctor before you begin using sleep aids, especially if you are not sure how much medicine to take or how often you should take it. Your doctor can give you professional advice regarding what dose may be best for you and your needs, and they will also be able to steer in the direction of products that are best suited for your situation.