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I'm betting on a placebo effect of the melatonin. taken in pill form it is only effective for a few hours.

It's hardly a placebo effect if it has an effect for a few hours.

I've struggled with insomnia my whole life. If I'm able to fall asleep in the first place, I'm usually able to stay asleep long enough to get rested.

I only need the effect for about an hour, maybe 90 minutes. Long enough to fall asleep.

I think the comment refers to the placebo affect for "I would feel like I wasn't fully awake for up to three days after taking it."

Ah, right! Rereading the thread, that seems the more likely interpretation.

At the time, I was extremely ill and my brain chemistry was out of whack in a big way. It wasn't a placebo effect.