To me, the best night is a good night of sleep. Sleep can be a hard thing to come by. I have heard of melatonin drops and pills that people can take to help them sleep. But what exactly is Melatonin? Should you take it to fall asleep every night? Here are some facts about Melatonin:
- It is a natural hormone
- It is secreted by the brain in the pineal gland
- It gets produced when there is total darkness
- It does not get produced when there is light in the room
- It sets your body's circadian rhythm and controls when you wake up and fall asleep
- It is an antioxidant
- It is water and fat soluble so it reaches all cells in the body
- It must be replenished daily
- It is found in foods such as barley, oats, rice, tomatoes, cherries and walnuts
- It is used by many people who work different shifts and for jet lag
Did you know that in the UK, melatonin can only be prescribed by Doctors? Here is the US we can buy it over the counter as supplements or as drops. Research shows that most people take 1-3 milligrams, but for some people taking 0.1 -0.3 milligrams is also effective to help sleep.
Many patients use this as a daily sleep aid. But keep in mind that melatonin is not a sleeping pill. This can be dangerous when patients take the wrong dosage, and wake up with headaches, grogginess, or dizziness. Too much melatonin can actually disrupt your sleep. It can also cause vivid dreams. Studies have shown that it can affect blood pressure and heart rates. It should not be taken for issues like depression, anxiety or stress.
So Melatonin may be hurting our sleep, then actually helping it. It helps to regulates your sleep. If you find yourself taking it for more than two weeks or steadily increasing your dosage- you may need to try something else for sleep. Melatonin may not be the answer. Talk to your health professional about taking Melatonin first before taking it.
Some other things you can try: Breathing exercises. Change your pillow. Change your bedroom to make it more conducive to sleep. Eats foods rich in melatonin.
Additional Reading Resources:
- Things to AVOID before Bed.
- Quality vs Quantity of Sleep
- Why You May Not be Sleeping Well at Night
- Why deep sleep is important
Comments