Adults with sleep-onset difficulties; rule out sleep disorders first.
Form: tablet
Dose: 0.5–3 mg
1–2 h before target bedtime; lowest effective dose
Short-term use; consider drug holidays
Why: Most useful for circadian issues (jet lag/shift work); mixed evidence for chronic insomnia—CBT-I first-line.
Dose: 200–400 mg elemental/day
Evening with food
Notes: Small/older RCTs show modest reduction in sleep-onset latency, mainly in older adults; overall evidence low quality.
Dose: 3 g 30–60 min before bed
Pre-bed (dissolve in water or swallow capsules)
Notes: Small crossover RCTs suggest improved subjective sleep quality and next-day performance.