Should You Take CBD and Melatonin Together? Here’s What the Science Says

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Key Takeaways:

• Melatonin is a natural sleep hormone and evidence suggests it helps with insomnia, while full spectrum CBD products seem more effective than isolates.
• Combinations of CBD and melatonin can be effective, with melatonin regulating the sleep-wake cycle and CBD easing anxiety or stress.
• The combination is safe, with only mild side effects, but it’s important to discuss this with a healthcare professional and only buy lab-tested products.

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Melatonin is more popular than ever, with four times as many US adults using it in 2018 compared to 1999, with signs of an even sharper increase since then.

If you’re looking around for treatments for sleep problems, it’s almost certain you’ll have read something about it. It’s perhaps not surprising, then, that CBD sellers are also starting to incorporate melatonin into their sleep-focused gummies and oils.

But is it safe to use CBD and melatonin together? Do combinations work better than either ingredient separately?

We’ve taken a look at the evidence and spoken to an expert cannabis nurse to find out.

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How CBD and Melatonin Work for Sleep Issues

Before we consider how the different components work together, it’s important to understand their strengths and weaknesses individually.

Melatonin is a natural hormone produced by your brain in response to darkness, and it has a crucial role in timing your body’s circadian rhythm. In other words, it’s like a natural, internal regulator of your sleep-wake cycle, but its production is blocked by light exposure.

Evidence broadly suggests that melatonin can help in cases of insomnia, based on a systematic review of the evidence. The authors graded it as relatively safe, noting that there are often adverse effects (headaches and excessive sleepiness, the most common) but that these are not serious.

Another study from 2024 also reviewed the evidence and found that 4 mg of melatonin taken three hours before bedtime was the optimal dosing strategy for sleep issues.

For CBD, the picture is a little more complicated. The evidence suggests that CBD can help in some cases, but overall, it seems more useful when combined with THC. While it is a very safe treatment, it is generally not recommended unless you use a full-spectrum CBD oil that also contains THC.  

However, CBD does help with anxiety, and this appears to carry over to cases of insomnia related to anxiety, according to a 2022 study. This study did investigate CBD-dominant cannabis use, though, so the evidence is still stronger when there is at least some THC in the mix.

How CBD and Melatonin Work Together

In theory, the combination of CBD and melatonin could be very useful in many cases.

If you have trouble getting to sleep and anxiety or stress is a factor, the melatonin supports a normal sleep-wake cycle and the CBD calms the anxiety and stress contributing to the problem.

Likewise, if pain or discomfort is making it difficult for you to get to sleep, the CBD could help ease this and help promote good sleep as a result.  

Sherri Mack, BSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer at Holistic Caring & the Green Nurse and Bloom Hemp CBD, told us that they have seen positive results with this combination in her practice:

At Holistic Caring and The Green Nurse, we’ve observed promising anecdotal results from our Green Nurse Approved Bloom Hemp CBD Sleep Gummies, which pairs 3 mgs of melatonin with 25 mgs of CBD. While research is still in its early stages, this combination could provide a more comprehensive approach to sleep improvement for certain individuals.

A study published in 2023 looked specifically at the effects of CBD and melatonin in combination for sleep issues. The researchers found that 15 mg of CBD combined with 15 mg CBN and 5 mg melatonin reduced patients’ sleep disturbance scores more than just CBD alone, although this was not a statistically significant difference.

Another smaller study from 2022 of a 1.5 mg/ml melatonin and 2.5 mg/ml CBD oil found benefits on sleep for all 20 patients, but this was not tested against other formulations or placebo.

So overall, even though there isn’t much evidence, there are some indications that CBD and melatonin in combination work for sleep issues.

Is It Safe to Take Both CBD and Melatonin Together?

As Sherri Mack commented to us, people taking CBD and melatonin together should “Approach with caution and consider consulting a healthcare professional or cannabis nurse before experimenting with this combination.”

From the limited research, though, it appears that treatments combining the two compounds are safe.

The larger study cited above had just under 1,800 participants, and approximately 12% experienced at least one side effect. However, 85% of these side effects were mild (fatigue/grogginess, insomnia, headache and upset stomach were the most common), and none were categorized as severe or life-threatening.

However, it’s important to note that many CBD and melatonin products are not accurately labeled, with one study of 25 products finding that only 3 products contained melatonin within 10% of the amount advertised, and CBD was generally slightly higher than advertised too. This is why choosing products that are batch-tested by third-party labs is absolutely crucial.

Overall, the combination of CBD and melatonin is likely safe, but it is important to check with a healthcare professional first, especially if you are taking other medications.

The Downsides of Combining Treatments

Although it seems like combining CBD and melatonin could be beneficial for people with trouble sleeping, there is one issue that’s worth noting. How will you know what is actually working for you?

Eloise Theisen, NP and CEO at Radicle Health, commented to us that,

I tend to be a purist and like working only with one thing at a time. If I am using cannabis to treat symptoms, I prefer not to use products with other ingredients as it can complicate the results. If I use a product with melatonin and cannabis for sleep and it is working, I cannot say with confidence that it is one or the other that is working. And the same goes for when a patient may experience an unwanted outcome, it can be difficult to isolate the culprit.

In short, if you stick to one treatment at a time, you’ll get a better idea of what works for you and what doesn’t. It’s great if the combination works, but if you don’t test them individually, you might be taking something you don’t even need. 

More Evidence Is Needed, But the Combination Is Promising

While the claims accompanying the multitude of CBD and melatonin-containing gummies and oils might be occasionally overstated, the evidence we have so far suggests the combination is safe and quite effective.

If you’re struggling with sleep and want to avoid the sometimes-severe side effects of sleep medication, it is worth considering trying the combination.