I started with 3mg, way too much, went to 1.5mg, still too much. Then did 0.7mg, that was fine but still some small side effects. Then 0.4mg that was fine. Then 0.2mg, that didn't work. Then I did 0.3mg and it seemed to be the sweet spot. I can just barely perceive it working and it is just enough to make me feel a bit woozy, which is what I cannot do myself.
For me, I took melatonin before bed for a month or two and then stopped, and when I stopped I didn't notice my time-until-sleep being any different. My assumption is that my natural melatonin production eventually started happening at the right time once my circadian rhythm was fixed and the supplemental melatonin wasn't needed.
I was like you, but I just roughly broke the pills in half or 1/3 and it worked even better.
Now I have this melatonin syrup drops, 150mcg per drop so it's easy, 2 drops for me.
I personally wouldn't want to use melatonin all the time. Relying on a drug to keep my circadian rhythm going seems fragile and scary.
I don't want to use melatonin either but when I got off of it, I don't fall asleep. My situation is simple: either don't get sleep, or use melatonin. It's fragile but currently my only seeming option that I have, so I have to take it.