Give Back Health Clinic Collection Sleepatonin® is a practitioner-only therapeutic supplement that contains world class Herbatonin®, a 100% natural, plant-based ingredient that is bioidentical to the commonly known synthetic counterpart. Herbatonin® is a proprietary blend made from rice, alfalfa and chlorella. This 100% natural, bioidentical plant-based melatonin (phyto-melatonin) has exactly the same molecular structure as human melatonin.

• Melatonin promotes sleep initiation, improves sleep quality, morning alertness and overall quality of life. It is the neurohormone at the epicentre of circadian rhythms.
• Exposure to blue light in the evening (phones, tablets, computers) compromises and reduces the natural melatonin spike, impacting sleep initiation, sleep quality, and the cleansing and restorative processes that occur overnight.
• Quality sleep plays a significant role in restoring brain energy, processing information, neuroplasticity, learning, memory consolidation and the clearing of brain metabolites through the glymphatic system. A lack of quality sleep impairs these critical functions, ultimately impacting physical and mental health, cognitive function, and the restoration of body and mind.

• Sleepatonin® contains Herbatonin®, a bioidentical, non-synthetic plantbased melatonin.
• Supplementation with Sleepatonin® improves total sleep quality (falling asleep, staying asleep, waking feeling refreshed).
• It provides neuroprotective, inflammatory modulating and antioxidant properties.

Sleep promotor, regulator and enhancer

• Melatonin is a neuro hormone intrinsically related with our circadian rhythms associated with sleep, health and wellbeing.
• Melatonin facilitates the drop in core temperature associated with falling asleep.
• Other proposed mechanisms of action in sleep include activation of alpha-2 noradrenergic receptor agonist clonidine and potentiation of GABA on GABA A receptors.

Neuroprotector, antioxidant and inflammatory modulator

• Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant and promotes antioxidant enzyme activity (including superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and catalase).
• Melatonin acts indirectly via receptor mediated inhibition of prooxidant enzymes including lipoxygenase and the reduction of NFĸB & TNFα expression.
• Melatonin improves the efficiency of the mitochondrial electron transport chain.
• Melatonin activates mitochondrial cell survival pathways, upregulates sirtuins (particularly SIRT1), regulates apoptosis and the silencing of the Rip2/Caspase-1 pathway considered to play a key role in ischemia/hypoxia-associated neuronal death.
• By improving sleep among older adults, melatonin may ameliorate β amyloid plaque formation and slow down the sleep-related onset and progression of Alzheimer’s Disease.

See factsheet for additional and specific scientific findings, including a full list of references.

Sleep promotor, regulator and enhancer

• Meta-analyses of human clinical trials demonstrate that melatonin supplementation improves sleep initiation, increases total sleep time, and overall sleep quality.
• A systematic review demonstrated melatonin relieves jet lag and rebalances the sleep wake cycle compared to placebo.
• Blue light emitting devices (e.g. smartphones, computers, tablets) suppress the nocturnal melatonin spike required for sleep initiation.
• An RCT found patients taking beta blockers and melatonin had significant improvement in all aspects of sleep compared to the placebo group.
• Exposure to fluorescent light in the evening has been shown to suppress melatonin in shift workers.
• Nocturnal melatonin production naturally reduces with age in adults.
• Melatonin preserves physiological sleep structure and architecture and does not suppress slow wave sleep, which is involved in memory consolidation.
• Patients with cervical spinal cord injuries were shown to produce reduced melatonin and lack normal diurnal patterns.
• Melatonin secretion is often low in children with neurodisability. A meta-analysis of 9 RCTs (n=541) of children (1-18 years of age) with neurodevelopment disorders and poor sleep found significant improvement compared to placebo in total sleep time and sleep onset latency. No serious adverse events were reported.

Neuroprotector, antioxidant and inflammatory modulator

• Endogenous melatonin levels are inversely associated with age and cognitive deficits, independent of sleep disturbance.
• During sleep, critical nervous system maintenance occurs including restoration of brain energy, neuroplasticity, memory consolidation and operation of the glymphatic system for brain metabolite clearance; particularly active during slow wave sleep.
• Poor sleep quality may drive neurodegeneration, preceding disease symptoms by years or even decades.
• Poor sleep is reported by 63% of people with mild cognitive impairment and 44% of patients with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Melatonin production diminishes in AD.
• Melatonin is reported to be an effective treatment for mild stage AD in a meta- analysis of 9 studies.
• Two extensive meta-analyses report that supplemental melatonin reduced levels of inflammatory markers especially TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6, and IL-8.
• A systematic review of melatonin in migraine prophylaxis reported benefits.
• A review of human clinical studies in chronic pain (fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine) reported relief from melatonin supplementation.

• People with insomnia (difficulties with falling asleep, staying asleep or waking refreshed).
• People with poor sleep quality.
• Older individuals who need additional support as a result of age-related sleep disturbance
• People whose circadian rhythm has been disrupted from blue light exposure in devices.
• Shift workers (may also help with prevention of chronic disease).
• Long haul flight crew and jet lagged travellers.
• People with quadriplegia who experience poor sleep.
• Impaired sleep due to medication side effects (e.g. ß-blockers, clonidine, naloxone and NSAIDs).
• Children with developmental disorders and sleep disturbance (including autistic spectrum disorders, ADHD and intellectual disability).
• People seeking healthy ageing.
• People experiencing cognitive decline.
• People with neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease (AD).
• People with neurodegeneration secondary to conditions associated with chronic inflammation such as diabetes, NAFLD, alcoholism.
• Migraine sufferers.
• People with traumatic injury to the central nervous system.
• People with post-COVID syndromes and associated autonomic complications.
• Suitable for all ages. See dosing guidelines for further info.

• To facilitate falling asleep.
• To improve sleep quality.
• To help induce sleep after evening blue light exposure.
• To reduce insomnia caused by medication side effects.
• To re-set the body’s sleep-wake cycle (circadian rhythm).
• In age associated sleep disruption.
• Consider for people with spinal cord injuries who experience poor sleep.
• To support heathy ageing.
• To help protect against and slow cognitive decline.
• May help slow symptoms of primary neurodegeneration and where degeneration is secondary to chronic disease.
• To help to reduce the risk of metabolic diseases in shift workers.
• As an adjunct in holistic management of chronic conditions with inflammation.
• Migraine prophylaxis.
• Consider as an adjunct in CNS trauma, neuropathic pain and complex regional pain syndromes.
• Consider in primary degeneration of the autonomic nervous system and autonomic complications of COVID-19.

When selecting a melatonin product, key factors include ingredient form, clinical dosing, purity, excipient profile and manufacturing standards. This product has been specifically developed for practitioner use and compounding, with:


• High-quality, verified raw materials with full traceability.

• Manufacturing in a TGA-licensed GMP facility in Australia.

• Rigorous third-party testing to ensure potency, purity and absence of contaminants.


Many practitioners and patients are unaware that most melatonin in the marketplace is either synthetic (most common and derived from petrochemicals) or extracted from the pineal glands of animals. Give Back Health Clinic Collection Sleepatonin® provides an all-natural alternative that contains a proprietory blend made from rice, alfalfa and chlorella. This phyto-melatonin is bio-identical to melatonin, as demonstrated in all third part testing.

Additionally, we have shared education around physiological dosing and although our Sleepatonin® appears to only be a small container, it actually contains 300 doses of the physiological dosing. See blog for the full post and further info.

In short, yes. Powders for extemporaneous compounding sit in a unique therapeutic category with its own set of rules. When you choose to use a compounding powder, the expectation is that you will be combining this with other therapeutic nutrients and ingredients to create a personalised medicine. Single ingredient prescribing is, however, possible with extemporaneous compounding ingredients with best practice to ensure that the amount of product in the jar represents the full course for the patient. The quantity of any ingredient you use will be calculated in relation to the prescription length and daily required dose, which is completely specific to an individual patient’s presentation and needs.

• Do not give to patients taking prescribed pharmaceutical sleep medications
• Large doses may cause daytime sleepiness/grogginess.Do not operate machinery or drive within 4 to 5 hours after supplementation.

We generally recommend a cautious approach for ingredients during pregnancy and lactation due to insufficient reliable data in these groups. Sometimes it’s because the ingredients are contraindicated, but often they are just under studied, as pregnant women often don’t like to enrol in studies (which is completely understandable).
Melatonin use during pregnancy and lactation: A scoping review of human studies

• The physiological dose of Sleepatonin® is 30 mg – 80 mg (approx. 1 included scoop). This is equivilent to 0.3 mg – 0.8 mg melatonin. This is the dosage the body naturally makes and is suitable for longterm use.
• The jet lag or shift work dose of Sleepatonin® is 100 mg – 300 mg (2-6 included scoops). This is equivilent to 1 mg – 3 mg melatonin. This dosage is suitable for short term use (unless indicated in older adults where absorption and melatonin production is compromised).
• Add to water and take 20 - 30 minutes before bed.
• Without knowing your patient’s presentation and requirements, we cannot provide guidelines around appropriate daily dosing and suggest you refer to the literature and common dosage ranges when creating your prescription. Our team of naturopaths are also available for further guidance.

Results are generally seen within half an hour to an hour, with further improvement by 1-2 weeks.

Sleepatonin® is an ultra-low excipient formulation with minimal low-to-no allergen excipients (e.g. glycine for manufacturing purposes). Check the ingredient and excipients list for a complete breakdown.

Give Back Health Clinic Collection Sleepatonin® contains Herbatonin®, a proprietary blend made from rice, alfalfa and chlorella. It is exclusively distributed by NHI Inc (USA). It is then manufactured and tested in TGA-registered GMP facilities here in Australia, ensuring high standards of quality, safety and efficacy. Every product, every batch, with no exceptions. This means the included ingredients are what they claim to be and the products are therefore more likely to have an actual therapeutic impact. This process also prevents counterfeit and adulterated materials from entering the market. While it adds significantly to our costs, we believe this level of integrity should be the industry standard. Please note that we absorb the extra expense ourselves; it is not passed on to you.

We source the Herbatonin® material that makes up our Sleepatonin® product from Symphony Natural Health in the USA.

Give Back Health Clinic Collection Sleepatonin® is most commonly used alongside our MagRelax®, Saffron + Zinc, L-Theanine, Nicotinamide Riboside (NR), Lion's Mane Premium Organic, Zinc Picolinate, RejuveGen® and L-Glycine for additional support, depending on clinical goals.

Absolutely. This can be mixed with any other powder product in the Give Back Health Clinic Collection. For further info on compounding personalised medicines for your patients, see our compounding resources, including a compounding calculator, videos and sample recipes based on real-life cases. Alternatively, reach out if you need assistance or guidance with compounding.

Give Back Health Clinic Collection Sleepatonin® has a very slight herby profile, although with the small dosage most patients seem to find this acceptable. We do, however, appreciate everyone is different. Many people combine this with our L-Theanine and MagRelax®, which has the clinically trialled dosage of L-glycine and a highly absorbable form of magnesium, which further helps with sleep architecture and nervous system health, plus the glycine has a sweet taste profile.

This material is standardised to 1% melatonin. Of note, we independently test this for melatonin content at NICM in Australia.

• Each level included 0.15 mL scoop of Sleepatonin® contains 50 mg of Herbatonin®, a proprietary blend made from rice, alfalfa and chlorella.
• Sleepatonin® contains 1% melatonin, meaning 50 mg of Sleepatonin® contains 0.5 mg of melatonin (the physiological dose).
• Each level included 0.15 mL scoop contains 50 mg Herbatonin® (equiv. 0.5 mg melatonin).

In terms of dosing, this looks like:

• Physiological dose: Herbatonin® 30 mg – 80 mg (equiv. 0.3 mg – 0.8 mg melatonin).
• Jet lag/shift work dose: Herbatonin® 100 mg – 300 mg (equiv. 1.0 mg – 3.0 mg melatonin).

For a 15 g jar of Sleepatonin®, this translates to:

• 300 x 50 mg (0.5 mg melatonin) physiological doses per jar.
• 75 x 200 mg (2.0 mg melatonin) jet lag/shift work doses per jar.

Conventional melatonin is created from either the pineal glands of animals or more commonly petrochemicals. Sleepatonin® is bioidentical to melatonin and is an all-natural alternative, containing rice, alfalfa and chlorella. We independently test Sleepatonin® for melatonin content at NICM in Australia.

The latest research suggests that ongoing use at a physiological dose is suitable for long term use (see our research-informed blog post on this). The research suggests that just staying within that range – just adding it to what you’re normally naturally producing – will often produce effective long-term benefits. An additional upside of taking a physiological dose is that it also improves the chances of waking up feeling refreshed.

• The physiological range of melatonin (the amount the body naturally produces) is between 0.3 – 0.9 mg melatonin, which is the dosage we generally recommend (you get this from 30 – 90 mg Sleepatonin®). This physiological dose helps prevent the system from being overloaded and impacted with negative feedback loop. This is particularly relevant for longer term use as other neurotransmitters including serotonin are in the same pathway as melatonin (negative feedback loop can also impact serotonin).
• For patients who require higher doses for shift work or jet lag etc (including some older adults due to lower melatonin production and/or comprimised absorptoin capacity), our general recommendation is 300 mg Sleepatonin® (3 mg melatonin), with use limited to a few weeks (unless in older adults).

Melatonin as a supplement has been studied quite extensively in children, particularly in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. See study a relatively recent (2018) systematic review, which included 13 studies comprised of 682 children. See p3 for an overview of the age groups and the dosage used in the individual studies. The conclusion from this systematic review included “Melatonin appeared safe and effective in improving sleep in the studied children”.

Sleepatonin® can be given to children. The dosage really depends on the age and weight of the child and how sensitive they are (not a one size fits all approach). The dosage we generally recommend would be start low (the physiological dose), as opposed to the far larger dosages you commonly see prescribed with pharmaceutical melatonin. Like all medicines, there is a potential for side effects, however at this lower physiological dose (the dosage the body naturally makes), it is far less common to experience morning drowsiness, and results are still extremely effective at improving sleep onset, quality of sleep and waking feeling refreshed. There is also far less chance of negative inhibition at the physiological dose, which means other neurotransmitters will not be impacted and therefore longer term supplementation is possible. We also recommend starting with sleep hygeine, diet, exercise, blue light exposure, etc and only moving onto Sleepatonin® in children after these other foundations have been addressed.

For additional synergistic benefits, Sleepatonin® works really well with MagRelax®, L-Theanine (particularly if there is high cortisol on waking) and Saffron + Zinc.

A couple of additional resources that may also be useful:

• The Ultimate Guide To Melatonin And Its Impact On Quality Sleep [VIDEO]