Sleep stack supplements are preferable to melatonin because melatonin can interact with other hormone systems and be problematic with chronic use, especially in children.

“And I do think that it's preferable to melatonin. Here's the reason. First of all, melatonin is a hormone that you endogenously make. You now know a lot about melatonin and it's controlled by light, meaning light inhibits it or eliminates it, darkness promotes it. And melatonin indeed can help us fall asleep, but the dosages of melatonin that are contained in most commercial products is far, far, far greater than what we would make endogenously. So it's really supraphysiological. So that's of concern because melatonin is not just responsible for making us sleepy and fall asleep. It also does things like interacts with other hormone systems, testosterone and estrogen, even in the puberty system, in kids. Is taking melatonin every once in a while a problem for adjusting to jet lag, et cetera? Probably not. I would even say no. But taking it chronically over time, especially kids taking it chronically over time, can potentially be problematic.”