How much melatonin does the body produce naturally per day?

Question

Melatonin supplements are readily available over-the-counter. However, the dosage is not regulated and there are supplements available in a wide variety of doses.

Information on how much melatonin the body is naturally producing is difficult to find, except to say that it varies by age.

Being able to compare how much a supplement offers versus how much the body naturally produces could help people to have an informational conversation with their doctor about supplementation dosing. So, what is the range of naturally produced melatonin in the body per day?

Answer 1

According to encyclopedia.com ¹ the production of the hormone melatonin (5-methoxy-N-acetyltrypt-amine) varies over the course of a lifetime and over the course of a day.

Newborn babies produce very little of this hormone but after the first few months of life the pineal gland increases its production of melatonin. The highest levels occur in children who are about four to seven years old. Older children and adults produce smaller amounts, as production gradually decreases during puberty. The typical adult male produces about 30 micrograms of melatonin during a typical day.

Also, the environment affects the production of melatonin. Darkness stimulates the pineal gland to produce melatonin, while the presence of light inhibits the release of this hormone. Exposure to (artificial) light during the night will inhibit melatonin production.

Lastly, regarding melatonin supplementation in adults the standard dose used in studies ranges between 1 and 10 mg, although there isn’t currently a definitive “best” dosage. It’s believed supplements with a dosage in the 30-mg range may be harmful ². While the Canadian Paediatric Society recommends 1 mg of melatonin in infants, 2.5 to 3 mg in older children, and 5 mg in adolescents. ³

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<sup>1. https://www.encyclopedia.com/science-and-technology/biochemistry/biochemistry/melatonin
2. https://bjanaesthesia.org/article/S0007-0912(17)31962-1/fulltext
3. Cummings C. Melatonin for the management of sleep disorders in children and adolescents. Paediatr Child Health. 2012;17(6):331–3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3380753/?report=reader</sup>

Answer 2

EDIT: I misread before, so fixing with this edit. Here is more authentic resource: https://www.encyclopedia.com/science-and-technology/biochemistry/biochemistry/melatonin

"The typical adult male produces about 30 micrograms of melatonin during a typical day."