Many of you have made a New Year's Resolution to get more and better sleep. I hope you are having great success! But I want to address a topic I am asked about repeatedly, and it may be something many of you have tried or considered in your quest for a better night's sleep: Is Melatonin good to take to help with my sleep?
So exactly what is melatonin?
Melatonin is a hormone. It is not an herb, a vitamin or a mineral. Hormones are naturally produced by your body as you need them. This means that it is very unlikely that someone has a melatonin deficiency. While melatonin could be considered natural, in most cases it doesn't come from the earth. There are exceptions -- foods that contain melatonin in them -- but this is a different type of melatonin than what is produced in your brain.
Your melatonin levels can be tested with a blood test, urine test or saliva test. If you are concerned that you may actually be melatonin deficient, ask your doctor about testing. Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland and sends a signal to regulate the sleep-wake cycle in the sleep center of the brain. Interestingly, melatonin is also produced in the retina, the skin and the GI tract, but this is not the melatonin what affects your biological sleep clock.
This is the really important thing you should understand about melatonin: Melatonin is a sleep and body clock regulator, not a sleep initiator. Melatonin works with your biological clock by telling your brain when it is time to sleep. Melatonin does not increase your sleep drive or need for sleep.
Melatonin is called the "Vampire Hormone" because it is produced primarily in darkness and inhibited by light. The levels of your melatonin increase in the middle of the night and gradually fall as the night turns to morning, so exposure to light before bed can push your biological clock in the wrong direction, making melatonin ineffective.
Melatonin treats Circadian Rhythm Disorders (where you sleep the right amount of minutes but your body clock is at the wrong time), Shift Work Sleep Disorders and early morning awakenings -- all things that deal with the timing of your need to sleep. Melatonin is not considered an effective treatment for insomnia.
Melatonin in pill form does not function like your body's naturally produced melatonin; it effects the brain in bursts and rapidly leaves the system, instead of the slow build-up and slow wash-out that your body's naturally produced melatonin experiences.
The correct dosage of melatonin can be a problem. According to research conducted at M.I.T., the correct dosage of melatonin for it to be effective is 0.3-1.0 mg. Many commercially available forms of melatonin are in three to 10 times the amount your body would need. In fact, there is some evidence that higher doses may be less effective. In Europe, melatonin at very high doses has been used as a contraceptive.
Melatonin can have side effects. Melatonin (two to three milligrams or higher) has reported side effects of:
Melatonin may also have some issues with safety. While melatonin is available over-the-counter, in the U.S. and Canada, melatonin is available only by prescription -- or not at all, in some countries. In the U.S., melatonin is sold as a dietary supplement, not a medication; so until recently, melatonin has not been subject to the same purity rules and standards as prescription medications. In June 2010, new F.D.A. rules went into effect that require all dietary supplements to comply with "good manufacturing practices," which include compliance in manufacturing standards and labeling.
So what does all this mean if you want to try melatonin as a supplement? Melatonin has been shown to be safe in healthy people when used for up to three months at the correct dosage.
Over The Counter Melatonin
Other Possible Uses for Melatonin
Caution Should Be Taken When Using Melatonin
There are new and exciting experiments with patches for delivery of melatonin for use by shift workers and others who have work environments that put their regular circadian clocks to the test. Tart cherries contain a natural melatonin, and there is research to show that drinking tart cherry juice can help with insomnia. There are vitamins and minerals -- vitamin D, the B vitamins, folic acid and calcium -- that have been shown to help with both energy and relaxation.
At the end of the day (no pun intended), your first line of defense for sleep problems is good health and good sleep hygiene. Make it a habit to prepare your body and your mind at the end of every day to get the rest you need. Try that first before you start looking for something else. And when you do look, be careful.
Michael J. Breus, Ph.D.
The Sleep Doctor™
Everything you do, you do better with a good night's sleep™
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With the sun coming up earlier each day, I think that a darker bedroom or blindfold would help people get a longer or full nights sleep. I know my sleep routines do not vary much, but the sun does and allows less darkness for a full nights rest.
This was the cure.
I must say - the presecription Ambien and Lunesta are truly awful drugs. It's like being hit with a sledgehammer - and I never felt better in the morning.
I don't need sleep help very often any more (maybe a couple of times a month - or when I fly). But when I do I reach for a Melatonin and know I'm gonna be OK.
Note: sometimes I may wake up in the middle of the night with Melatonin. But I don't feel any anxiety over it. It's nice to feel calm and rested and not worry about sleep. Sleep comes. Mornings are lovely after a Melatonin clock re-set.
Methinks the good doc author is a little too pessimistic about it.
My doctor had prescribed Ambien. Now that's some stout stuff for me. One pill for one night left me groggy and foggy headed for the next two days. I'll stay with the occasional Melatonin.
Please help end the prohibition of marijuana...
It's interesting to me, though, that my husband & I have both asked several different doctors (acutal MD's, not psychologists) about our use of melatonin & they all say it's perfectly safe. None have ever suggested taking it only for a short time. In fact, my daughter's pediatrician prescribed it when she started having sleep issues when she was around 3 years old.
Valerian works consistently. Takes the edge off, helps me drift off sooner, seems to encourage vivid, memorable dreams. But for my brother, it does nothing. And for a buddy: an allergic response.
Too bad they made it so difficult to get the right kind of tryptophan, after there was one contaminated batch imported. That was much more effective and gentle.