IO Genix Melatonin 1 mg

What is IO Genix Melatonin 1 mg?

IO Genix Melatonin 1 mg is a single-ingredient supplement: one tablet supplies 1 mg of melatonin, with no added plant extracts, no added vitamins, no complex. The bottle holds 100 tablets, which is more than three months at one intake a day.

Melatonin is a hormone the body produces itself, secreted by the pineal gland as light levels fall. It does not bring on sleep as such: it tells the body that night is beginning, and it is that signal which triggers falling asleep. The distinction matters, and it explains everything about how the product is used.

It is also the only ingredient in the whole sleep category that holds a health claim authorised in Europe, which makes it a case apart. The rest of the Spanish range can be found in our IO Genix section.

What does a Melatonin tablet contain?

1 mg is not a cut-price dose: it is precisely the dose that counts. The claim authorised in Europe is specific and worth quoting as it stands: melatonin contributes to the reduction of time taken to fall asleep, and that effect is obtained by consuming 1 mg shortly before bedtime. A second claim exists for jet lag: melatonin contributes to the alleviation of subjective feelings of jet lag, with at least 0.5 mg taken on the first day of travel, close to bedtime, and on the following days after arrival.

In other words, this tablet delivers the exact amount on which the approved dossier rests. That matters because the customer's instinct is often to look for the highest dose: with melatonin, going up to 5 or 10 mg improves nothing and increases the risk of lingering drowsiness the next morning. In France, the ceiling permitted in a food supplement is in any case 2 mg a day.

The second thing this product has going for it is its short formula. Many references in the category pair melatonin with five or six plants, none of which holds a claim, which pads out the label without adding anything demonstrable. Here you have one active, three bulking agents, one anti-caking agent. You know exactly what you are taking, and you can combine it with something else without any risk of overlap.

The formula contains no artificial colouring, no preservative and no animal gelatine. The manufacturer does, however, flag possible traces of gluten depending on manufacturing conditions.

Ingredients list

Bulking agents: calcium phosphate, microcrystalline cellulose; melatonin 1 mg; bulking agent: hydroxypropyl methylcellulose; anti-caking agent: magnesium salts of fatty acids. No artificial colouring, no preservative, no animal gelatine. May contain traces of GLUTEN depending on manufacturing conditions.

How should you take Melatonin 1 mg?

Dose: 1 tablet. Liquid: a large glass of water, 250 ml. Timing: 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime. Frequency: one intake a day. Duration: occasional or short-term use; beyond four weeks, the manufacturer asks that you seek the advice of a healthcare professional.

The timing of the intake is the decisive parameter, far more than the dose. Melatonin acts as a time signal: taken too early, it brings your night forward and wakes you at four in the morning; taken in bed, it has no time to do its job. Thirty to sixty minutes before lights out is the right window.

Switch off the screens after taking it. This is not a comfort tip: blue light suppresses the natural secretion of melatonin, and looking at your phone during the hour that follows amounts to cancelling out part of what the tablet has just delivered. It is by far the most common mistake, and it explains the majority of disappointed reports.

Avoid alcohol and caffeine in the evening for the same reason. A coffee at 17:00 is still active at 23:00, and no tablet makes up for that. If you train late, look at your pre-workout first: that is often where the cause lies.

The manufacturer suggests pairing the intake with magnesium or a ZMA, magnesium contributing to the normal functioning of the nervous system. It is a coherent pairing, provided you do not start everything on the same evening: add one product at a time, a fortnight apart, otherwise you will never know which one is working.

Who is melatonin for, and who is it not for?

It suits an adult whose problem is specifically falling asleep: difficulty dropping off, shifted hours, coming back from a trip, a change in work pattern. On that ground it is the only ingredient in the category with an approved dossier, and that is reason enough to start with it.

The list of situations in which it is not advised is a long one, and it is drawn from the French public health recommendations as much as from the manufacturer. Melatonin is not advised for pregnant or breastfeeding women, for children and adolescents, for people with epilepsy, asthma, an inflammatory or autoimmune disease, or for those with mood, behavioural or personality disorders. It is also not advised for people on medication, in which case a doctor's advice is essential before taking any.

One safety point the manufacturer does not spell out: do not drive and do not operate machinery in the hours after taking it. Melatonin can cause drowsiness, and that is precisely the intended effect. This recommendation appears in the French public health opinions and is worth repeating.

What you should not expect from it: this is not a sleeping pill. It reduces the time it takes to fall asleep; it does not increase how long you sleep, it does not improve sleep quality, and it does not treat established insomnia. Insomnia lasting more than three weeks calls for a medical consultation, not a bottle of tablets. That is the most useful thing we can write on this page.

Melatonin or magnesium in the evening?

Both are sold for the same moment of the day and yet they answer distinct needs.

Magnesium works on physiological ground: it contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system, to energy-yielding metabolism and to normal muscle function. It is taken every day, over several weeks, and its value lies in correcting an insufficient intake — something common among athletes who sweat a great deal. It is the better choice if you get night cramps, if your diet is low in magnesium, or if you are after an underlying effect.

Melatonin corrects no intake: it sends a time signal, on an occasional basis, that same evening. It is the better choice if your problem is how long it takes you to drop off, if you are crossing time zones, or if your rhythm has shifted after a run of late nights. It is of no use at all, on the other hand, if you fall asleep quickly but sleep badly.

Two other options exist, with no authorised claim but with different rationales: GABA, an amino acid taken in the evening, and ashwagandha, a plant extract used in courses lasting several months. Neither can lay claim to any effect, and that is worth knowing before you compare labels.

Frequently asked questions

Why only 1 mg?

Because that is the amount on which the claim authorised in Europe rests: melatonin contributes to the reduction of time taken to fall asleep, through the consumption of 1 mg shortly before bedtime. Going higher does not improve the effect and increases the risk of drowsiness the next day. In France, the ceiling in a food supplement is 2 mg a day.

How long before going to bed?

Thirty to sixty minutes. Taken in bed, melatonin has no time to act; taken two hours beforehand, it shifts the night and causes an early waking. This window is the most important parameter of the product, more so than the dose.

Can it be taken every evening?

The manufacturer intends it for occasional or short-term use, and asks that you seek the advice of a healthcare professional beyond four weeks. That is not an excessive precaution: beyond a month of sleep difficulties, the question is no longer about the supplement but about the cause, and it is one for a doctor.

Can you become dependent on it?

Melatonin does not create physical dependence in the way some sleep medicines do. The risk is more psychological: that of no longer going to bed without it. That is one more reason to use it over short periods and to work on your hours and your light exposure alongside it.

Can you drive after taking it?

No. Melatonin can cause drowsiness, which is the intended effect but remains incompatible with driving or operating machinery. Take it once you are home, when the evening is over.

Is this product suitable for vegetarians?

Yes. The formula contains no animal gelatine and is limited to melatonin and a few bulking agents of mineral or plant origin. The only thing to watch is the traces of gluten flagged by the manufacturer depending on manufacturing conditions.

How long does a bottle last?

More than three months at one tablet a day, the bottle containing 100. Given the recommended use — occasional, or over a few weeks — a bottle actually covers several separate episodes across the year.

Where can you buy IO Genix Melatonin 1 mg?

The bottle of 100 tablets can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is the sleep product we recommend first, and often the only one: when one ingredient has an approved claim and the others have none, you may as well start with that one. The rest of the category can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.