Melatonin use has increased around the world as people grow more aware of sleep health and seek quick solutions for restless nights. The market now includes both standalone melatonin tablets and mixed formulas combined with calming plant extracts. Many doctors, however, are urging caution, warning that daily use may not be as safe or effective as people assume.

Why Are Doctors Warning Against Daily Melatonin Use?

A few years ago, pediatric sleep specialist Dr Judith Owens began noticing something unusual in her clinic. Owens, who teaches neurology at Harvard Medical School and works at Boston Children’s Hospital, has spent decades treating children who struggle to sleep. What startled her was how many of them were now taking melatonin. She explains that in most cases parents had already tried the supplement before seeking medical help, a sharp change from what she saw earlier in her career.

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As per TIMES, adults have followed a similar path. Between 1999 and 2018, the number of people in the United States using melatonin rose more than fivefold. Because it is sold as a supplement, companies can promote it as a harmless, natural sleep helper without formal review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Yet major sleep groups, including the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, do not recommend melatonin as a treatment for insomnia. Researchers continue to stress that its long-term impact remains uncertain.

How Much Melatonin Is Too Much

As night approaches, the pineal gland begins to release melatonin into the bloodstream. Levels rise through the night and decline after sunrise, helping the body understand the length of darkness and adjust internal functions accordingly.

Researchers have learned that melatonin’s reach extends beyond sleep. It influences immune activity, inflammation, and even the programmed death of cells. As per TIMES, experiments show that several tissues produce small amounts of melatonin on their own, and a wide range of cells carry receptors that respond to it.

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Disturbances in melatonin rhythms have been found in conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, Type 2 diabetes, schizophrenia, some cancers, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Interestingly, melatonin can be helpful when used under medical direction. Blind individuals with disrupted circadian cycles often benefit from carefully timed doses. Children with autism may sleep better with prescribed melatonin, and scientists have explored whether it could aid recovery after heart attacks.

Melatonin And Heart Failure: Is There A Link?

Despite these potential uses, most people take melatonin in ways that do not match how doctors view the hormone. Since large clinical trials are limited, some researchers have turned to electronic health records to spot trends.

One recent abstract, presented at an American Heart Association meeting, examined adults who were prescribed melatonin and took it for at least a year. These individuals had a markedly higher rate of heart failure compared with similar patients who did not take melatonin. The study sparked attention, though specialists caution against assuming that melatonin caused the problem. Insomnia and heart disease often coexist, so the need for melatonin may simply reflect early signs of heart trouble.

Is Melatonin Bad For You?

Many experts believe that the main issue is the lack of long-term data. Doctors still cannot say whether regular supplementation weakens the body’s own melatonin production. Owens is especially concerned about children who take melatonin nightly for long stretches. Melatonin influences bone growth, immune function, and reproductive development, which raises questions about possible effects later in life.

Some evidence offers reassurance. A Dutch research group followed children with ADHD and other diagnoses who were on medically supervised melatonin for nearly four years. They did not see harmful outcomes. Still, these children were monitored closely and given doses tailored to their needs. Without such oversight, adults and children may easily take more than required, disrupting the body’s internal clock and worsening sleep.

Metabolism also differs from person to person. A dose that is modest for one individual may linger in another’s system well into the morning.

Melatonin Use: Long Term Effects

Both Owens and sleep researcher Dr Marie-Pierre St-Onge advise people to focus first on behavioral changes rather than pills. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I, is considered the most effective treatment for sleep problems in both adults and children. It relies on structured habits and practical adjustments that continue to help long after the treatment period ends.

A major international study has revealed that 99% of heart attacks, strokes, and serious cardiovascular events are linked to just four common health risk factors: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, elevated blood sugar, and tobacco use.

The research drew on data from more than 9 million adults in the United States and South Korea, making it one of the largest studies of its kind. Published in 2025, the findings underscore the vital role of early prevention and lifestyle management in reducing cardiovascular risk, as per NDTV.

Even among younger women under 60, a group generally considered at lower risk, over 95% of heart attacks, strokes, and other major cardiovascular events were connected to at least one of these four factors.

High Blood Pressure Leads The Risk

High blood pressure, or hypertension, stood out as the biggest contributor, affecting more than 93% of people who suffered a heart attack, stroke, or heart failure.

“We believe this study demonstrates very clearly that exposure to one or more of these preventable risk factors before major cardiovascular events is nearly universal,” said senior author Dr. Philip Greenland, professor of cardiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

He added, “The focus now should be on controlling these modifiable factors rather than chasing other less treatable or non-causal risks.”

How Can High Cholesterol Lead To Diabetes?

High cholesterol can trigger heart attacks by contributing to plaque buildup, or atherosclerosis, along the walls of arteries, as per Mayo Clinic. This buildup narrows the arteries and limits blood flow to the heart. If a plaque ruptures, it can cause a blood clot to form, fully blocking the artery. This prevents oxygen-rich blood from reaching the heart muscle, resulting in tissue damage or death, often in the coronary arteries.

How Does Elevated Sugar Lead To Diabetes?

Consuming too much sugar harms blood vessels, triggers inflammation, and contributes to weight gain, high blood pressure, and poor cholesterol levels. Together, these effects speed up plaque buildup (atherosclerosis) in the arteries, limiting blood flow and sharply increasing the risk of a heart attack.

Excess sugar is converted into fat, raises triglyceride levels, lowers “good” HDL cholesterol, and can lead to insulin resistance, creating a cluster of metabolic problems, known as metabolic syndrome—that directly strain the heart.

Early Detection and Management Are Key

The results highlight the urgent need for regular health checks, early screening, and proactive management of common conditions to prevent life-threatening heart problems.

Greenland and his team also point out that their findings challenge earlier reports suggesting cardiovascular events can occur without risk factors. They argue that previous studies may have missed subtle conditions or overlooked risk factors that were below clinical thresholds.

In a related editorial, Duke University cardiologist Dr. Neha Pagidipati, who was not involved in the study, stresses that addressing these health risks early is critical to preventing severe and potentially fatal cardiovascular outcomes.

A smartphone app called Are You Dead? has rapidly climbed the charts in China, striking a chord with young adults who live alone in fast-growing urban centres. The app asks users to regularly confirm that they are still alive, and in recent weeks it has become the country’s most downloaded paid application.

Its stark idea may sound unsettling, but that very premise appears to be what draws people in. Beyond its novelty, the app reflects a deeper issue, showing how living alone, along with rising mental health concerns, is increasingly being viewed as a public health issue.

What Is Are You Dead?

An app named “Are You Dead?” hardly sounds inviting at first glance. Still, for many people who live by themselves, it has turned out to be more comforting than alarming. Its strength lies neither in flashy features nor complex technology, but in how plainly it speaks to a fear most people keep to themselves.

The app, known as Sileme in Chinese, was launched in May and has already become the most downloaded paid app in the country. It is designed for those who live alone and worry about what could happen if they fall ill, meet with an accident, or suddenly collapse with no one nearby to help. For users without close family or regular social contact, this fear is not abstract. It is part of everyday life.

The idea behind the app is straightforward. Users are required to check in every two days by tapping a large button to confirm they are okay. If they fail to do so, the app alerts a pre-selected emergency contact, signalling that something may be wrong.

When it first launched in May last year, the app attracted little attention. That changed dramatically in recent weeks, as large numbers of young people living alone in Chinese cities began downloading it.

On the Apple App Store, the app is described as a “lightweight safety tool designed for people who live alone, offering quiet protection through regular check-ins and emergency contact features to make solo living feel safer.”

Who Is Are You Dead For?

Are You Dead? refers to itself as a “safety companion” for people who live alone, whether due to work, education, or a personal preference for living independently. It is aimed at those vulnerable to social isolation, including students, working professionals, and older adults living by themselves in cities. According to the Chinese media outlet Global Times*, China may have as many as 200 million single-person households by 2030, underlining why digital tools like this are finding a ready audience.

How Living Alone Can Lead To Increased Health Concerns

Living alone can affect health in several ways, mainly through loneliness and reduced social contact. These factors are linked to higher risks of depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, weakened immune function, and even early death. Living alone can also influence daily habits, increasing the likelihood of falls, poor nutrition, smoking, and unsafe alcohol use, particularly among older adults, while making it harder to manage existing health conditions.

When people think about staying healthy, they usually focus on diet, exercise, and sleep. The role of social connection in protecting health is often overlooked. Loneliness, and the rise in stress hormones like cortisol that often comes with it, can quietly take a toll on the body.

“We clearly understand how sitting too much, smoking, and obesity contribute to chronic disease,” says psychologist Amy Sullivan, PsyD. “Loneliness should also be seen as a risk factor for long-term health problems.”

Health risks linked to loneliness include:

• High blood pressure.
• Cold and flu.
• Cardiovascular disease.
• Stroke.
• Type 2 diabetes.
• Dementia.
• Anxiety.
• Depression.
• Suicide and self-harm.
• Premature death.

“We know how stress affects the body, and loneliness is a powerful form of stress,” adds psychologist Adam Borland, PsyD, as cited by the Cleveland Clinic. “When people feel lonely, they are less likely to care for themselves properly, and that can eventually lead to serious health problems.”

Been feeling a certain tightness across your chest, wheezing or coughing uncontrollably? Your lung health may be at risk

Dr Killol Patel, a board certified pulmonologist in New Jersey, explains that respiratory symptoms are common when running in cold weather due to a lack of moisture in the air and lung spasms.

He said: "The moist lining of your nose and mouth normally warms and moistens inhaled air before it goes to the lungs. But when it’s dry and cold and you’re breathing fast during exercise, the air may not get as conditioned.

"That can lead to not only coughing and wheezing, but trouble catching your breath, chest tightness and the urge to cut your run short."

The lungs have a defensive natural protective mechanism known as bronchospasm which activates whenever the organ detects a sense a potential irritant or damage. "When you breathe in air that’s dry and cold, your lungs may spasm as a means of protection. They think there’s something noxious in the air," he elaborated.

Those suffering from respiratory issues such as exercise-induced asthma or have irritated or inflamed airways may experience worse symptoms of bronchospasm, Dr Patel warns.

The expert said: "In those cases, your lungs are already on edge, so there’s no buffer. Exercising in the cold, dry air can take you over the edge more quickly. Your heart may then start racing, and your body tells you to stop. Mucus may also build up to clog your airways."

What Can You Do To Protect Your Lungs?

Dr Patel advises staying warm and dry through moisture-wicking layers for comfort. The expert adds that runners should consider covering their nose and mouth with a scarf or mask as they start moving.

“It creates a small bubble of warmer air to breathe,” Dr. Patel says. (Once you acclimate, however, you may not need it anymore, he adds.)

He also recommends hydrating well before starting a run as dehydration can make you "more prone to bronchospasms, especially people with asthma".

Dr Patel suggests avoiding smoggy routes and dirty areas as pollution as well as germs can further amplify symptoms and worsen the situation. “If it’s cold on top of that, [poor air quality] can make breathing and symptoms worse,” he told Hackensack Meridian Health.

A 2023 Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology study suggests that when the temperature inside the nose drops in cold weather, it may hamper the nose’s first-line, natural defense mechanism against viruses that cause upper respiratory infections and make the body more prone to illnesses.

Do Breathing Exercises Help?

• Warm up your airways
• Inhale through your nose rather than your mouth
• Slow down your pace and focus on rhythmic breathing

Lastly, Dr Patel advises avoiding tobacco smoke and air pollutants (both indoors and out) and getting regular health checkups.