By Roy, founder Last updated 14/10/2026
Updated 14 October 2026
Yes, if you are 55 or over. In Australia a pharmacist can supply a prolonged-release melatonin tablet of 2mg or less without a prescription, for short-term use, in a pack of no more than 30 tablets. You ask at the pharmacy counter, the pharmacist decides whether it suits you, and everyone under 55 needs a script.
A 2026 request to open melatonin to all adults is still only a proposal. No decision has been published as at 14 October 2026, so today's rules apply in full. This page sets out the exact limits, what still needs a prescription, why sleep changes after 55, and what else you can try. It also covers where Settl, an Australian nightly sleep powder with no melatonin, fits, and where it doesn't.
What can people over 55 get without a prescription?
One product type: a prolonged-release melatonin tablet with 2mg or less per tablet, in a pack of no more than 30 tablets, for short-term use by adults aged 55 or over. The Poisons Standard calls it "modified release". It is a Schedule 3, "pharmacist only" medicine, so it is kept behind the counter and supplied by the pharmacist. The October 2026 edition of the Poisons Standard carries the same wording as the June 2026 one, and the TGA's melatonin page repeats it.
Healthdirect says "over 55". The legal wording is "aged 55 or over". In practice they mean the same thing: you will be asked your age.
One detail most pages skip. Healthdirect's listing for a 2mg prolonged-release product shows packs of 7, 15, 21 and 30 as pharmacist-only and a pack of 60 as prescription only (Healthdirect). That fits the 30-tablet cap: past 30, you need a script, whatever your age.
How long can you take it, and how?
The Poisons Standard says "short-term" and gives no number of weeks. The number comes from the approved product information. The original 2mg prolonged-release product is approved as one tablet a day, taken 1 to 2 hours before bedtime and after food, swallowed whole, and continued for up to 13 weeks (TGA assessment report, 2011). Other brands may word things slightly differently, so follow the leaflet in your box.
Healthdirect adds that melatonin doesn't work as well if you drink alcohol or smoke while using it, and that it shouldn't be taken before driving or operating machinery because it causes sleepiness. If you take any prescription medicine, talk to your GP or pharmacist before you start.
What still needs a prescription?
Almost everything else. Melatonin for human use is Schedule 4, prescription only, unless it fits the lane above.
- Anyone under 55 buying it for sleep. The only other pharmacist-only lane is for jet lag: immediate-release, 5mg or less, adults 18 and over, packs of no more than 10 doses.
- Packs of more than 30 tablets, and prolonged-release tablets above 2mg.
- Immediate-release melatonin for sleep, and compounded melatonin.
- Gummies, capsules and every other form. The pharmacist-only lane covers tablets only.
On that last one, the TGA says a prescription-only medicine posted from overseas needs a valid Australian prescription or written authority at the time it arrives. An eScript doesn't count, and goods without valid paperwork are seized (TGA). The TGA also tested 18 imported melatonin products stopped at the border in 2025. Five were within the normal accuracy range for the dose on the label. One labelled 10mg had none (TGA test report). If you are 55 or over, the counter route is both legal and the one with a known dose. The full rules are in is melatonin available over the counter in Australia.
Is the pharmacist-only rule about to change?
Not yet. A private applicant has asked the TGA to delete the pharmacist-only entry and create an open-shelf "pharmacy medicine" entry for adults 18 and over. The TGA's expert committee considered it in March 2026. As at 14 October 2026 the TGA's list of interim scheduling decisions has no melatonin notice, and the October 2026 Poisons Standard still has the 55-or-over entry.
If it passed, it would widen access rather than remove your lane, but nothing is confirmed and there is no date. The step-by-step is in the melatonin schedule change explained.
Why does sleep change after 55?
Mostly because the body clock and the body shift, and the amount of sleep you need doesn't. The Sleep Health Foundation says most older adults still need about 7 to 8 hours. Many fall asleep and wake earlier, take longer to get off, and wake more often through the night than they did when younger (Sleep Health Foundation). Healthdirect puts it as lighter sleep in shorter stretches.
The causes it lists:
The body clock moves earlier. The hormones that help you sleep are released earlier in the day, so you can feel sleepy at 8pm and be awake at 4am.
Less natural melatonin. Older people make less, which may mean a longer wait to fall asleep. The TGA's assessment report says night-time melatonin at 70 may be under a quarter of the level in early adulthood.
Less daytime activity and more napping. Retirement and an empty house change the shape of the day. The Sleep Health Foundation says 20 to 60% of older people nap for 30 to 60 minutes a day, which can reduce the need for sleep at night.
Health, pain and medicines. Pain, needing the toilet at night, hot flushes after menopause and some medicines all break up sleep. We've covered the staying-asleep side in why you keep waking up at 3am.
The Sleep Health Foundation is clear on one thing: if you feel refreshed and have energy for the day, don't worry about the changes. If problems persist, hit your mood or concentration, or your partner notices something wrong with your breathing, see your GP. None of that is a normal result of ageing.
Does melatonin work well for older adults?
Modestly. When the 2mg product was registered, the TGA's advisory committee noted a modest benefit for sleep quality. A 2013 analysis of 19 placebo-controlled trials, in adults and children with primary sleep problems, found melatonin got people to sleep about 7 minutes sooner and added about 8 minutes of sleep (Ferracioli-Oda et al, PLoS ONE). The Sleep Health Foundation says melatonin's main benefit is reinforcing the body's cues for sleep, and that long-term use is only appropriate if a doctor prescribes it for a significant underlying sleep problem.
What can you try instead of melatonin, or alongside it?
| Option | What it is | What to know in Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Daily rhythm | Fixed bed and wake times, morning and late-afternoon light, daytime exercise | Free. The Sleep Health Foundation says naps cause trouble when they are late in the afternoon or longer than 15 to 20 minutes |
| CBT-i | Structured sleep therapy, usually 4 to 8 sessions | A GP can set up a mental health treatment plan for up to 10 Medicare sessions a year. Healthdirect lists free online sleep programs |
| Sleeping tablets | Prescription only | Effective for a short time only. The Sleep Health Foundation says no longer than four weeks and notes they raise the risk of falls in some older people. A GP decision |
| Magnesium glycinate | Mineral, sold without a script | One 2025 trial of 250mg elemental magnesium found a small benefit. It enrolled adults aged 18 to 65, so it doesn't speak to over-55s directly |
| Glycine, L-theanine | Amino acids, sold without a script | Small trials only. The 4-week L-theanine trial averaged 48 years of age, the 3g glycine trial 41 |
| Herbal remedies | Valerian, hops, passionflower and others | The Sleep Health Foundation says there is little convincing evidence they work for sleep |
The Sleep Health Foundation calls CBT-i a proven, recommended first option that works for people with or without other health problems. We compare the magnesium forms in does magnesium glycinate help you sleep.
Where Settl fits. Settl is a nightly sleep powder, not a replacement for pharmacist-only melatonin, and it has none. One scoop in cold water carries 730mg of magnesium glycinate (146mg elemental), 3,000mg of glycine, 200mg of L-theanine, 50mg of chamomile extract and 900mg of myo-inositol, plus about 1,000mg of sodium and some potassium. It sits in the supplement rows of that table.
Two honest limits for over-55s. First, the trials I found for these ingredients weren't built around people over 55, so treat them as reasonable to try, not proven for your age group. Second, that sodium matters. The Australian suggested dietary target for adults is 2,000mg a day (Eat for Health), so a scoop is about half of it. If you've been told to watch your salt, or you take any prescription medicine, talk to your GP or pharmacist before adding Settl or any supplement.
Common questions
Can I buy melatonin over the counter in Australia if I'm 54? No. Under 55, melatonin for sleep needs a prescription. The only pharmacist-only lane open to younger adults is for jet lag.
Do I need to see a doctor first if I'm 55 or over? Not to buy the pharmacist-only tablet. The pharmacist makes that call. See your GP if your sleep problems keep going, or if you take other medicines.
How long can I take pharmacist-supplied melatonin? The rule says short-term. The approved product information for the original 2mg product says up to 13 weeks. Check the leaflet in your pack.
Can I take melatonin and Settl together? Ask your GP or pharmacist. They can see everything you take.
Is melatonin going to be sold on the shelf soon? There is a proposal, with no decision and no date. Today the 55-or-over pharmacist-only rule applies.
Can I order melatonin from overseas? Only with a valid Australian prescription in hand when it arrives, and the TGA warns that many imported products don't contain what the label says.
The short version, and where Settl sits
At 55 or over, ask your pharmacist about 2mg prolonged-release melatonin. Under 55, it's a GP conversation. Set a steady schedule, get morning light and keep naps short. If poor sleep has become a pattern, ask your GP about CBT-i.
Get to sleep faster. Wake less at 3am. Sleep deeper. Wake up refreshed. That's what Settl is built for: magnesium glycinate, glycine, L-theanine, chamomile extract and myo-inositol, with an electrolyte layer so eight hours without water does not wake you dried out and needing to get up.
No melatonin. Zero sugar. Vegan. Every dose is printed on the ingredients page and on the tub. Packed in Sydney, in a TGA-licensed GMP facility.
One scoop, cold water, before bed.
Start For $69.99 Then $89.99 a month. Cancel, pause or skip anytime.
Or buy a single tub, $99 One-time order. Nothing renews.
Cheers, Roy
Sources: Therapeutic Goods (Poisons Standard, October 2026) Instrument 2026 (F2026L01327); TGA, "Regulation of melatonin products in Australia"; TGA, "Personal Importation Scheme"; TGA, imported melatonin samples summary report; TGA, melatonin final scheduling decision (28 September 2020) and AusPAR for the 2mg prolonged-release product (January 2011); TGA, scheduling decisions (interim) and March 2026 consultation on melatonin; Healthdirect, "Melatonin" and its listing for a 2mg prolonged-release product; Sleep Health Foundation, "Ageing and Sleep", "Melatonin", "Herbal remedies and sleep" and "CBT-i"; Eat for Health, sodium; Ferracioli-Oda et al, PLoS ONE, 2013; Schuster et al, Nature and Science of Sleep, 2025; Hidese et al, Nutrients, 2019; Bannai et al, Frontiers in Neurology, 2012. This article explains the general picture in plain English and isn't medical advice. Talk to your GP or pharmacist about what's right for you.