What you need to know about Melatonin

May 02, 2019

 

When you have trouble sleeping, you sometimes need a sleeping aid like melatonin. Nicknamed the sleep hormone, melatonin is a natural substance that plays a role in regulating circadian rhythms.

 

Since the body produces melatonin in the pineal gland, some people question whether it is bad to take a melatonin supplement when your body naturally produces the hormone.

 

Safe and Effective 

Melatonin appears to be safe and effective for short-term use. Numerous studies suggest that daily melatonin may cause some minor side effects when misused. More long term studies will reveal the if everyday use over time is harmful.

 

Right now, melatonin is available without a prescription and even offered for children and adolescents. Other prescription sleeping pills are much harder on the body and may produce even more significant side effects.

 

How Does It Work

Melatonin secretion plays a huge role in sleep regulation because the pineal gland produces more of the sleep substance as the day changes into night.

Light signals to your biological clock that it’s time to get up, eat, and go to sleep. Also, melatonin production also regulates body temperature, blood pressure, and hormone levels.

 

For those who have a sleep disorder like insomnia, delayed sleep phase (deregulation of regular sleep cycles), or even just have trouble falling asleep, melatonin levels might be low. Not only that but not sleeping can increase the risk for several health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and more. Melatonin plays a vital role in helping you stay healthy and feel well-rested.

Melatonin Health Benefits

Melatonin not only helps improve sleep quality, but it also has other essential health benefits. It's a powerful antioxidant that research suggests helps alleviate health concerns like:

 

•     Reduces high blood pressure
•     Helps relieve stomach problems and ulcers
•     Promotes healthy eyes by acting as a retina healer
•     Eases tinnitus symptoms
•     Helps increase human growth hormone
•     Improves cognitive development (Alzheimer’s disease)
•     Helps reduce sleep disruptions for jet-lagged travelers
•     Improves sleep for children

 

How To Take Melatonin

Clinical trials show that as little as .05 mg of melatonin helped improve sleep quality for some people. When first taking melatonin, start with a lower dose supplement. More research suggested that the effectiveness of melatonin is the same at a lower dose, as it is at a higher one, so beginning with a small amount is sufficient.

 

Also, remember that taking melatonin to help with sleep disturbances is better one hour before bedtime. Some people report daytime sleepiness when taken during the day.

 

Regardless of why you need a melatonin supplement, research suggests that taking melatonin is safe and effective. It isn’t bad to take melatonin to improve sleep habits or other health concerns when taken in moderation.

 

More long term studies need to be done, but the possible side effects are minimal for short term use. When you need a good night’s rest, sometimes you need a natural sleeping aid that may work. Get the rest you deserve.

 

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Daily Nighttime Melatonin Reduces Blood Pressure in Male Patients With Essential Hypertension. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/01.HYP.0000113293.15186.3b

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Paul, A., M., Gary, Kenny, Gord, & A., R. (2003, December 01). Impact of Melatonin, Zaleplon, Zopiclone, and Temazepam on Psychomotor Performance. Retrieved from https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/asma/asem/2003/00000074/00000012/art00007;jsessionid=3n69528376p1s.x-ic-live-01

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