PlainPill

Melatonin vs Taurine for sleep

Short answer: For sleep, more users report improvement with Taurine — 92% of 83 reports, versus 73% of 646 for Melatonin.

Melatonin has 688 meta-analyses and 1,128 randomized trials on PubMed; Taurine has 112 and 227.

Based on 1,008 reports about Melatonin and 788 about Taurine. Not medical advice.

Melatonin
Supplement
Taurine
Supplement
User score4850
Verdict
Mixed
Mostly positive
Positive
of reports that state an outcome
41%73%
Reports1,008788
ResearchAResearch: StrongAResearch: Strong
Meta-analyses / RCTs688 / 1,128112 / 227
Mainly used for
Focus
% reporting improvement
29% (7)81% (36)
Energy
% reporting improvement
26% (23)88% (41)
Sleep
% reporting improvement
73% (646)92% (83)
Anxiety
% reporting improvement
45% (11)92% (173)
Mood
% reporting improvement
32% (37)88% (41)
Memory
% reporting improvement
60% (5)50% (2)
Performance
% reporting improvement
—95% (19)
Recovery
% reporting improvement
—100% (14)
Pain & inflammation
% reporting improvement
100% (5)78% (9)
Digestion
% reporting improvement
100% (3)50% (4)
Libido
% reporting improvement
33% (6)80% (5)
Hormones
% reporting improvement
80% (5)71% (7)
Blood sugar
% reporting improvement
100% (3)—
Heart & lipids
% reporting improvement
100% (3)100% (15)
Skin & hair
% reporting improvement
100% (2)100% (2)
Immunity
% reporting improvement
100% (3)—
Longevity
% reporting improvement
100% (5)100% (4)
Common side effectsdrowsiness, vivid dreams, fatigue, insomniaanxiety, drowsiness, brain fog, vivid dreams
Typical dose reported0.5 mg / bedtime3-4 g
Melatonin
Latest review conclusion

Overall, eszopiclone and lemborexant had a favorable profile, but eszopiclone might cause substantial adverse events and safety data on lemborexant were inconclusive. Doxepin, seltorexant, and zaleplon were well tolerated, but data on efficacy and other important outcomes were scarce and do not allow firm conclusions. Many licensed drugs (including benzodiazepines, daridorexant, suvorexant, and trazodone) can be effective in the acute treatment of insomnia but are associated with poor tolerability, or information about long-term effects is not available. Melatonin, ramelteon, and non-licensed

Lancet, 2022 ↗
What a user said
“I have taken it nightly for 19 years. Doses ranging from .1 to 10mg. Right now I take 3mg per night. It helps me sleep.”
Full Melatonin profile →
Taurine
Latest review conclusion

Taurine showed noteworthy effects in preventing hypertension and enhancing cardiac function. Individuals prone to CVDs may find it advantageous to include taurine in their daily regimen.

Nutr J, 2024 ↗
What a user said
“it really is a smooth feeling. I had some music playing and actually enjoyed doing the dishes. It just put me in a very overall relaxed state.”
Full Taurine profile →

Related comparisons

Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate