Start of content

Pharmacist and science popularizer Olivier Bernard argues that melatonin can be useful for someone who is jet-lagged or has night shifts, for example. He claims that for basic insomnia, it’s not really very effective.PHOTO: Getty images/istockphoto / Tero Vesalainen

Have you ever taken a melatonin tablet to help you sleep better? The fact that it helps in the case of a sleep disorder such as insomnia would nevertheless be a myth, according to pharmacist and science popularizer Olivier Bernard. “In reality, melatonin is a substance that is secreted by our brain when it starts to get dark. It sends a signal that tells us “it’s time to sleep”, “he explains. Taking it as a pill would, in fact, follow the same principle.

Olivier Bernard makes it clear from the outset: he is not against melatonin and also recommends it in certain contexts that he deems appropriate.

However, he has some reservations, since this type of product is not regulated as strictly as prescription drugs, and it is therefore not known precisely what dose is in a tablet, for example. He also believes that the population has a bad conception of natural products.

« In fact, it is a substance that has effects on the body in the same way as a drug, and it should be regulated in the same way. »

— A quote from

Olivier Bernard, pharmacist and science popularizer

Natural health products are a world that is not well regulated. At this moment, […] we can end up with people who could have side effects, and who think that it is not serious or not dangerous.