Melatonin and Heart Failure?

Unpacking a Recent Report & What To Do Instead

Recently, headlines erupted with news of a study that claimed long-term melatonin use could increase the risk of heart failure and death. If you’re one of the millions who reach for this “natural” sleep aid each night, this study deserves further review. Let’s unpack what the research actually shows, what it doesn’t say, and explore other natural ways to restore deep sleep and protect your heart.

What the study reported

The analysis reviewed five years of health records that included more than 130,000 adults with chronic insomnia. Those who used melatonin for more than a year showed:

• Nearly 2 times higher risk of death from any cause (7.8% vs. 4.3%)

• Around 90% higher risk of heart failure over 5 years (4.6% vs.2.7%)

• Over 3.5 times higher rate of hospitalization for heart failure (19.0% vs 6.6%)

That may grab headlines, but it’s incomplete, and the comparison numbers were small.

Not inclusive.

The featured study was presented as a research abstract. Abstracts are not peer-reviewed, and the findings are considered preliminary until published as full manuscripts in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Additionally, it indicated an association of heart failure with melatonin, but did not prove a causal effect. The study didn’t compare dosages, brand purity, or the reasons why individuals took melatonin in the first place. Insomnia itself raises the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The study investigators admitted to other limitations to their study:

• The database used included countries that require a prescription for melatonin (such as the United Kingdom) and countries that don’t (such as the United States). Patient locations were not part of the de-identified data available to the researchers.

• Since melatonin use was identified by electronic medical records, persons taking it as an over-the-counter product would have been in the non-melatonin group.

• Hospitalization figures, where heart failure rates may have been higher, may not have included other diagnosis codes.

• The severity of insomnia was not included.

• The presence of other psychiatric disorders was not included.

That’s a lot of missing information.

Another oversight was no accounting for sleep apnea, which can trigger insomnia and is known to be causally related to heart failure. Other conditions associated with poor sleep and heart failure include obesity, chronic kidney disease, depression, and metabolic syndrome. None of the conditions were considered as underlying issues with poor sleep, leading to melatonin use, and are concurrent reasons for heart failure.

So, while the eye-grabbing headlines may initially cause people to have serious concern about using melatonin for better sleep, labeling it as the culprit in serious heart problems seems more like a hit job on the supplement than a shocking medical finding.

Melatonin: misunderstood and often misused

Melatonin is not a vitamin. It’s a hormone, produced by the pineal gland in small, precise amounts that follow our circadian rhythm. Its job is to signal darkness to the body. It is a “biological clock” cue that tells every cell when to rest, repair, and regenerate.

But in the supplement industry, melatonin has become wildly overused. Typical physiological doses produced by the pineal gland are around 0.3 to 1 mg each evening. Yet most over-the-counter brands range from 3 to 10 mg — up to 30 times the body’s natural nightly production. Taken every day, it can disrupt the very rhythm it’s meant to restore.

Melatonin has been used in integrative oncology at high doses (10 to 40 mg or even more) in cancer treatment protocols. These higher doses work differently. They regulate immune function, reduce inflammation, and help some patients tolerate chemotherapy and/or radiation. Some studies even show improved survival outcomes.

Solutions to better sleep and heart health

Instead of using hormones, let’s repair the root causes of poor sleep — and restore the body’s own rhythm naturally. Fix the foundation, don’t just treat the symptom.

1. Reset your circadian biology
   Get bright sunlight exposure (if possible) within 30 minutes of waking, and avoid blue light from screens at least an hour before bed. Keep a consistent bedtime and wake-up schedule, even on weekends.

2. Replenish your minerals
   Deficiency in magnesium (especially magnesium glycinate) is strongly linked to restless sleep and heart arrhythmias. Most adults need 200–400 mg nightly to relax muscles and stabilize heart rhythm.

3. Try phosphatidylcholine support
   High concentration of phosphatidylserine (sourced from sunflower oil) plays a critical role in neuronal energy production and communication. This supplement is ideal for individuals seeking enhanced mental clarity, improved memory, and stress management support. It will support neurotransmitter balance, helping reduce cortisol levels, leading to more restful sleep.

4. An ounce of tart cherry juice
   Montmorency tart cherry juice contains trace melatonin, tryptophan, and a host of antioxidants — enough to gently support natural sleep without hormone disruption.

5. Address the hidden causes
   Sleep apnea, iron deficiency, thyroid imbalance, medication side effects — these are the true saboteurs of healthy rest.

Another solution: The Wellness Blanket

I learned of The Wellness Blanket about a year ago at the AGES conference in Dallas. After sitting wrapped in the blanket for about 20 minutes, I learned about the EMF protection of the palladium threads in the fabric. I got up and said, “What should I expect?” Tammy, the maker and distributor of the Wellness Blanket, said, “Let’s see how you sleep tonight.” Not expecting anything to change, I went to dinner with some friends and then went to bed several hours later.

My sleep that night was remarkable. I slept like a baby! It was the first time I had slept the night through in months. Even more remarkably, I woke up feeling refreshed. I promptly bought a full-size blanket, and when I got home, I purchased a duvet from MyPillow.com (using our code DrT) to cover the blanket. (You’re not to get the Wellness Blanket wet. I can toss the duvet in the washer when I put the blanket in sunlight every 3-4 weeks to “charge” the threads.) I have not slept without my Wellness Blanket since. I even cart it with me when I travel! The quality of my sleep has never been consistent. I’ve used melatonin occasionally over the years, but have no need for it now that I have my Wellness Blanket.

If you want to try this option, go to www.TheWellnessBlanket.com and be sure to use our code DrT10 for a 10% discount at checkout. Other doctors you know (Drs. Lee Merritt and Christiane Northrup) are big fans of the Wellness Blanket, too.

ECP therapy

Many of you have heard me talk over the last few years about the many benefits of ECP — External Counterpulsation therapy — and why I’m such a strong advocate for it. I have a clinic in Ventura, California, where we see extraordinary results with patients using ECP to improve circulation, energy, recovery, and overall heart function. We also have an ECP bed at Tenpenny Integrative Medical Center (TIMC), my clinic in Middleburg Heights, Ohio.

ECP is a noninvasive, FDA-cleared therapy originally developed in the 1950s for patients with angina and heart failure. It works by gently inflating and deflating cuffs around the legs in rhythm with the heartbeat, increasing blood flow to the coronary arteries and improving oxygen delivery throughout the body.

But ECP doesn’t just strengthen the heart — it calms the nervous system, enhances oxygen delivery to the brain, and improves sleep quality in patients struggling with chronic insomnia. I’ve experienced the benefits of ECP firsthand: after a few sessions, 2 to 3 times/week, I had noticeably better sleep quality, more dreams, and improved energy that lasted throughout the day. My blood pressure came down and I had improved circulation. My health was improved overall, not by using a hormone to sleep but through improved metabolic restoration. Many patients at our Centers have reported similar overall improvements and more.

Why is this important

Gary Brecka, of The Ultimate Human, was a speaker at a recent seminar I attended. He said there were three things that needed to be mastered as the core of great health: 1) Quality and consistent sleep; 2) Eat only whole organic foods; and 3) make daily movement in your life non-negotiable. He said, “The most important of these is sleep.”

Restoring deep, natural sleep is one of the most profound forms of preventive cardiology we have.

The bottom line:

• Melatonin isn’t “bad,” but it’s not something to be used as a long-term sleep solution. Magnesium and phosphatidylserine are better choices.

• The Wellness Blanket can protect you from EMF frequencies overnight. It feels like being hugged by an angel of love!

• ECP therapy is a proven, noninvasive way to support heart health and better sleep, without hormones, drugs, or side effects.

If you’ve needed to rely on melatonin for a full night’s sleep, this is a sign to re-evaluate and rebuild your sleep naturally. Your body knows how to sleep — it just needs the right signals and support.