Melatonin and Autism Ranking:

Cost and Time

Cost

The cost of using melatonin will depend on a number of factors including the supplier, the brand, the dosage, and the length and frequency of treatment.

According to the BNF website accessed on 22 August 2017, the NHS indicative price for 30 circadin 2mg modified-release tablets was £15.39.

We found a wide range of suppliers providing melatonin supplements for a wide range of prices when we did an online search on 23 August 2017. Prices varied from £5.11 to £11.50 for 60 3 mg tablets.

Time

Melatonin is usually taken once a day, after the evening meal and 30-60 minutes before bedtime.  However, Doyen et al (2011) noted that, if melatonin is used to treat delayed sleep phase syndrome, it may need to be taken several hours before bedtime.

There is no consensus on what the correct length of melatonin treatment should be, although Doyen et al (2011) noted that a limited number of children may need treatment throughout their lives.

We have identified a number of NHS organisations which have made recommendations on the length of treatment. For example, the Swale Clinical Commissioning Group (2013) recommended the following regime for the treatment of sleep disorders in children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders 

• “Upon initiation, if improvement in symptoms is not observed after one month, melatonin should be discontinued.
• If melatonin has successfully established a good sleep pattern, a trial withdrawal of melatonin should be undertaken at the first, subsequent specialist review which will occur 3 to 6 months following initiation. 
• The continuing need for melatonin should be assessed periodically by the specialist including by stopping the medicine for up to two weeks each year.”

Updated

16 Jun 2022

Last Review

01 Nov 2017

Next Review

01 Apr 2024