5-HTP vs. Melatonin for Sleep: What the Research Actually Says

Holitro doesn’t sell 5-HTP. This guide compares the two honestly, and at the end we explain where our Sleep Pack fits.

If you’re comparing 5-HTP and melatonin, you’re probably dealing with a familiar problem: your body is tired but your brain won’t power down, or your sleep has drifted later than you’d like. Both supplements get recommended for sleep, but they work differently, have very different amounts of evidence behind them, and carry different cautions.

The short answer

• Melatonin is a hormone that helps set the timing of your sleep. It has the stronger evidence, but mainly for timing problems like jet lag and a shifted sleep schedule.
• 5-HTP is a building block your body uses to make serotonin. The evidence for sleep is thin: a handful of small studies, and no reliable proof that it helps.
• Neither is a treatment for chronic insomnia. U.S. medical guidelines recommend cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) as the first treatment.

5-HTP vs. melatonin at a glance

	Melatonin	5-HTP
What it is	A hormone your brain makes in response to darkness	A compound your body makes from the amino acid tryptophan; supplements are usually extracted from the seeds of the Griffonia simplicifolia plant
What it does	Helps time your circadian rhythm, your 24-hour internal clock	Gets converted into serotonin, a brain chemical involved in mood, sleep, appetite and pain
Best evidence	Jet lag and delayed sleep-wake phase disorder	Weak evidence for depression; not enough reliable evidence for sleep
For chronic insomnia	Not recommended by U.S. sleep-medicine guidelines	Not established
Common side effects	Usually mild; can linger and cause daytime drowsiness, especially in older adults	Headache, nausea, heart palpitations and, ironically, insomnia
Biggest caution	Blood thinners and epilepsy need medical supervision	Don’t combine with antidepressants; also interacts with blood-pressure and diabetes medicines

What melatonin is, and what it’s good for

Melatonin is a hormone your brain releases as it gets dark. It signals that it’s night and helps time your sleep, which is why bright light late in the evening can suppress it.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), part of the NIH, melatonin supplements may help with jet lag and delayed sleep-wake phase disorder, where your natural sleep time drifts much later than you want it to. For chronic insomnia, though, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the American College of Physicians both say there isn’t strong enough evidence to recommend it. Studies in shift workers have been small or inconclusive.

A few things worth knowing before you buy it:

• Labels aren’t always accurate. A 2017 study of 31 melatonin supplements found that most didn’t contain the amount listed on the label, and about a quarter contained serotonin. A 2023 study found that 22 of 25 melatonin gummies were mislabeled.
• Short-term use appears safe for most people, but there’s little information on long-term use.
• It can stay active longer in older adults and cause daytime drowsiness.

What 5-HTP is, and what the research shows

5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) is made in your body from tryptophan, an amino acid in food, and your body turns it into serotonin. Serotonin sits upstream of melatonin, which is the whole reason 5-HTP gets linked to sleep.

That link is plausible biology, not proof. Operation Supplement Safety, the U.S. Department of Defense program that reviews supplement evidence, concludes there isn’t enough reliable evidence that 5-HTP works for sleep, mood, relaxation, weight loss or energy, even though that’s how most 5-HTP products are marketed.

The most-cited recent study is a 2024 trial in Clinical Nutrition. Thirty adults in Singapore, averaging 66 years old, took 100 mg of 5-HTP a day or no supplement for 12 weeks. People who were already poor sleepers reported better sleep quality; good sleepers saw no change. It’s an encouraging signal, but it’s a small study, it compared against no supplement rather than a placebo, and it only looked at older adults. It doesn’t show that 5-HTP works for sleep in general.

Which one matches your sleep problem?

The more useful question isn’t which supplement is “better”, but what’s actually keeping you up.

• Your timing is off (jet lag, or you can’t fall asleep until very late and struggle to wake up): this is melatonin’s territory, and where its evidence is strongest.
• Your mind won’t wind down (tired but wired, replaying the day): neither supplement has strong evidence here. A consistent wind-down routine and less evening stimulation usually matter more. See our guide to feeling tired but wired at night.
• You keep waking during the night: alcohol, caffeine, reflux, pain, stress and breathing problems are all common causes. Our guide to why you keep waking up at night walks through them.
• Your sleep has been poor for a month or more: that’s chronic insomnia, and CBT-I is the recommended first treatment, not a supplement.

Can you take 5-HTP and melatonin together?

There’s no good research on combining them, so no one can tell you it’s safe or that it works better. Both can cause drowsiness, and because 5-HTP feeds the serotonin pathway that leads to melatonin, taking both means leaning on the same system twice without evidence that it helps. If you’re considering it, ask a doctor or pharmacist first, especially if you take any medication.

Who should be careful

With 5-HTP, talk to a doctor before taking it if you:

• take antidepressants. Serious reactions, including mania, have been reported when 5-HTP is combined with certain prescription antidepressants.
• take medicine for high blood pressure or diabetes.
• are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are choosing a supplement for a child.

In the past, 5-HTP products were linked to a serious condition called eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome. It was later traced to L-tryptophan in those supplements, and the FDA pulled them from the market. Still, if you notice unusual symptoms after taking 5-HTP, see a doctor.

With melatonin, NCCIH advises medical supervision if you have epilepsy or take blood thinners, and there’s little research on use during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Guidelines recommend against melatonin for people with dementia, and parents should talk to a doctor before giving it to children.

Before you reach for either

Supplements work best on top of the basics, not instead of them:

• Keep your sleep and wake times steady, including weekends.
• Dim the lights 30 to 60 minutes before bed, since light suppresses melatonin.
• Watch late caffeine and alcohol.
• Change one thing at a time so you can tell what’s working.

If you snore loudly, gasp in your sleep, or wake up unrefreshed most mornings, raise it with a doctor. Those can be signs of sleep apnea, which no supplement fixes. For a fuller evening plan, see our nighttime routine guide.

Where Holitro fits

We don’t sell 5-HTP.

If you’d rather avoid melatonin altogether, our Sleep Pack is melatonin-free: it combines magnesium glycinate (133 mg), L-theanine (200 mg) and ashwagandha (500 mg), pre-sorted into 30 nightly pouches, with no valerian and no herbal smell. Ashwagandha isn’t suitable during pregnancy or with thyroid conditions, so check with your doctor first if that applies to you or if you take other medication.

FAQ

Is 5-HTP better than melatonin for sleep?

There’s no good evidence that it is. Melatonin has stronger evidence, though mainly for sleep-timing problems. The evidence for 5-HTP and sleep is limited to a few small studies.

Does 5-HTP turn into melatonin?

Indirectly. Your body converts 5-HTP into serotonin, and serotonin is a step on the way to melatonin. That doesn’t mean taking 5-HTP reliably raises your melatonin or improves your sleep.

Why does melatonin make me groggy in the morning?

NCCIH notes that melatonin can stay active longer in older people and cause daytime drowsiness. And because product labels are often inaccurate, you may be taking more than you think.

Can I take 5-HTP with antidepressants?

Not without your doctor’s approval. Serious reactions, including mania, have been reported when 5-HTP is taken with certain prescription antidepressants.

Is melatonin safe to take every night?

Short-term use appears safe for most people, but there isn’t enough research on long-term nightly use to say. If you find you need it every night, it’s worth talking to a doctor about what’s driving the problem.

If 5-HTP isn’t right for you, our guide to the best supplements for sleep ranks the better-studied alternatives.

References

• Sutanto CN, et al. The impact of 5-hydroxytryptophan supplementation on sleep quality and gut microbiota composition in older adults: a randomized controlled trial. Clinical Nutrition, 2024.
• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Melatonin: What You Need To Know.
• Operation Supplement Safety, U.S. Department of Defense. 5-HTP for Depression and Other Conditions.

This article is for general education only and is not medical advice. It does not diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Talk with a qualified healthcare professional before using supplements if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medications, managing a medical condition, choosing products for a child, dealing with persistent insomnia, or concerned about snoring, gasping, or other possible signs of sleep apnea.