Is there melatonin in chicken meat?

October 29, 2025 •

3 min read

A 2014 study was the first to definitively report the presence of melatonin in meats like chicken. While the hormone exists in poultry, the amount is surprisingly small and unlikely to have any significant sedative effect on humans. The widespread belief that a Thanksgiving turkey or chicken dinner induces sleepiness due to melatonin is largely inaccurate.

Quick Summary

Yes, research confirms that chicken does contain melatonin, but in extremely small quantities. The real reason for post-meal drowsiness is more likely related to the high concentration of the amino acid tryptophan and the interplay with carbohydrates in the meal. Melatonin levels are too low to influence human sleep.

Key Points

Yes, chicken contains melatonin, but in tiny amounts: Scientific studies have confirmed the presence of melatonin in chicken meat, but the levels are extremely low and not enough to induce sleep in humans.
Tryptophan is the more likely culprit for drowsiness: The sleepiness often linked to chicken is actually due to its high content of the amino acid tryptophan, which the body can convert into the neurotransmitter serotonin and, eventually, melatonin.
Carbohydrates boost tryptophan's effect: Consuming chicken with carbohydrates, like rice or potatoes, helps tryptophan cross the blood-brain barrier more easily, increasing the likelihood of post-meal lethargy.
The effect is mild and inconsistent: The tired feeling is a general physiological response to digestion and not a potent, direct effect of melatonin from the chicken itself.
Other foods have higher natural melatonin levels: For more significant dietary sources of melatonin, foods like tart cherries, eggs, pistachios, and fatty fish are more effective choices.

The Surprising Truth About Melatonin in Chicken

For years, a popular anecdote has suggested that eating turkey or chicken makes you sleepy due to its tryptophan and melatonin content. However, scientific studies reveal a more nuanced story. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in animals, including chickens, to regulate circadian rhythms. While its presence in animal products is confirmed, the amount is minimal compared to what is needed to affect human physiology significantly.

Melatonin's Role in a Chicken's Body

In chickens, melatonin follows a strong circadian cycle, with levels peaking during darkness and decreasing in light, just as in humans. It plays a crucial role in regulating sleep patterns, reproduction, immune function, and overall well-being in poultry. The light-dark cycle is the primary driver of melatonin production in the chicken's pineal gland. Commercial farming techniques, like controlled lighting, can manipulate these levels to influence bird health and egg production. Melatonin also acts as a powerful antioxidant in the chicken's system, protecting tissues and promoting cellular health.

What the Research Says About Eating Chicken

A groundbreaking 2014 study published in PubMed was the first to report detectable levels of melatonin in various meats, including chicken. The research found melatonin in the range of nanograms per gram, which, while present, is a minuscule amount. For context, this is a fraction of what would be considered a standard dose in a human melatonin supplement. A different review from 2025 further highlights that while melatonin exists in animal products, including eggs and meat, the concentration is lower in meat compared to some other sources.

Tryptophan: The Real Reason for Post-Meal Drowsiness?

Instead of melatonin, the post-meal sleepiness often associated with a chicken or turkey dinner is more likely linked to the amino acid tryptophan. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid found in many protein-rich foods, including poultry, eggs, and cheese.

Tryptophan's Role: Your body uses tryptophan to produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood, and subsequently, melatonin. The process requires a surge of insulin, which happens after consuming carbohydrates. When you eat a heavy meal rich in both protein (tryptophan) and carbohydrates, the carbs trigger an insulin spike. This insulin helps clear other amino acids from the blood, making it easier for tryptophan to cross the blood-brain barrier.
Carbohydrate Connection: Consuming a large carbohydrate-heavy meal alongside chicken allows more tryptophan to reach the brain. Once in the brain, tryptophan can be converted to serotonin and then to melatonin, potentially inducing a mild feeling of drowsiness. This effect is magnified by the natural digestive process, which directs energy to the gut and can cause a general feeling of fatigue.

Melatonin vs. Tryptophan: What’s the Difference for Sleep?


Feature	Melatonin in Chicken	Tryptophan in Chicken
Quantity	Extremely low (nanograms per gram)	High; chicken breast contains around 400mg per 100g
Function	Hormonal signaling for circadian rhythm in the chicken	Amino acid, converted by the human body into serotonin and melatonin
Direct Effect on Humans	Negligible; dose is too low to impact sleep	Indirectly influences sleep via conversion to other compounds
Processing	Eaten directly; most is likely broken down during digestion	Must be converted within the body after consumption

Other Food Sources of Melatonin

While chicken's melatonin content is minimal, other foods offer more significant levels, though still not comparable to a supplement. These include:

Tart Cherries: Known to have above-average concentrations of melatonin.
Eggs: Contain a detectable amount of melatonin.
Fish: Certain fatty fish are cited as containing high concentrations.
Nuts and Seeds: Pistachios, walnuts, and almonds are good sources.
Milk: Melatonin levels vary with the time of milking, with nighttime milk having higher concentrations.

Conclusion: The Final Verdict

While chickens do produce and therefore contain a tiny amount of melatonin, the quantity is far too small to have any real sedative effect when you eat chicken meat. The idea that chicken (or turkey) makes you sleepy is mostly a myth perpetuated by the presence of tryptophan. Any drowsiness experienced after a large meal is a complex process influenced by a combination of the amino acid tryptophan, the presence of carbohydrates, and the body’s normal digestion process. For those seeking dietary methods to improve sleep, focusing on other melatonin-rich foods like tart cherries or nuts, or simply ensuring a balanced, moderate-sized meal several hours before bed, is a more effective strategy than relying on poultry alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, the level of melatonin found in chicken meat is so low (in the nanogram range) that it has no measurable impact on human sleep patterns.

This misconception comes from the fact that chicken contains the amino acid tryptophan, a precursor to serotonin and melatonin. However, the sleepiness is often more related to eating a large meal, especially one with carbohydrates, which facilitates tryptophan's entry into the brain.

Eating chicken at night is unlikely to significantly improve your sleep. The mild drowsiness is more connected to the entire meal's composition and the normal digestive process rather than any potent sleep aid in the chicken itself.

Melatonin in chicken is a naturally occurring, minuscule amount, whereas a melatonin supplement contains a significantly higher, concentrated dose of the hormone intended to affect human sleep cycles.

Better dietary sources of melatonin include tart cherries, pistachios, almonds, eggs, and certain fatty fish. These foods contain comparatively higher concentrations of the hormone.

Yes, the Thanksgiving turkey myth is based on the same principle as the chicken myth. The presence of tryptophan, combined with a large, carbohydrate-rich meal, creates the drowsy effect, not a high melatonin content.

Cooking methods can affect nutrient content, but given the already negligible amount of melatonin in raw chicken, any potential loss during cooking is irrelevant to its effect on human sleep.