Other Possible Melatonin Side Effects
- Melatonin and birth control effects melatonin supplements may not be safe for women trying to get pregnant. It seems that melatonin has similar effects as birth control, making it more difficult for women to reach ovulation and become pregnant. Some evidence shows that lower doses, up to 3mg are safe, but there is not enough research to prove that.
- Melatonin and bleeding disorders it is believed that regular melatonin intake can worsen the symptoms and effects of bleeding disorders. Studies show that melatonin may slow blood clotting or coagulation, which may lead to excessive bleeding and bruising.
- Melatonin and epilepsy studies and current data show that melatonin can trigger or worsen epilepsy and seizure frequency in some people. While some experts argue otherwise, some professionals do not recommend melatonin intake in people who are prone to having epileptic or other types of seizures not even small doses.
- Melatonin and transplant recipients because melatonin can increase the immune function, it might interfere with immunosuppressive therapy used by transplant recipients.
How To Use Melatonin
Understanding Your Bodys Melatonin Production
Before seeking out melatonin that was made in a lab or bottled in a factory, why not look for ways to boost the unbranded, bespoke version produced by your very own brain? Itâs easier than you might think. And asking the right questions can help shed some light on how your natural melatonin works. Letâs start with the basics.
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Are There Side Effects And Can You Overdose On Melatonin Supplements
Because melatonin is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration , there are no official dosing guidelines. Though you wonât find recorded cases of lethal melatonin overdoses, taking high doses of exogenous melatonin increases your chance for experiencing common side effects such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, and daytime sleepiness. Although less common, some people may experience unpleasant side effects such as anxiety, depression, abdominal pain, and joint pain â or more serious side effects like tremors, seizures, and allergic reactions.
How To Use Melatonin Properly
Dr. Andrefsky offers these tips for using melatonin:
Timing is key. Dont take melatonin right before bed because it takes several hours for it to become effective.
If you are a night owl who normally stays up past midnight, but would like to nod off around 11 p.m., take melatonin at 6 p.m. Conversely, if you go to bed at 8 p.m. and rise at 4 a.m., its better to take melatonin in the late morning or early afternoon.
Dont overdo it. More isnt better. Just 0.3 mg to 1 mg is sufficient, although many over-the-counter preparations may be upwards of 5 mg each. Overusing melatonin has consequences, including:
- Losing effectiveness over time because brain receptors get desensitized to it
- Worsening insomnia
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May Support Eye Health
Healthy indole-derived melatonin levels may support eye health.
It has powerful antioxidant benefits that could help lower the risk of eye diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration .
In one study, scientists asked 100 people with AMD to take 3 mg daily of melatonin over 6 to 24 months. Taking melatonin daily seems to protect the retinas and delay damage from AMD, without any significant side effects (
Future studies will help clarify how effective melatonin is in treating stomach ulcers and heartburn.
Your Body Temperature May Shift
The part of your brain that controls your circadian rhythm and natural melatonin production is also responsible for regulating your core body temperature, according to a small April 2019 study in the Journal of Pineal Research.
Your body temperature typically rises as the sun sets and peaks in the evening, which is also when your melatonin levels are highest, per the above-mentioned study. After giving 10 subjects a 5-milligram melatonin supplement, researchers saw a rise in body temperature, indicating that the supplement, essentially, did its job.
But as your melatonin levels affect your body’s temperature regulation and shifts in body temperature correlate to your alertness, you want to make sure to take the supplement wisely.
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How Does Melatonin Help You Sleep
Nothing beats feeling refreshed in the morning after a good nights sleep. We know that sleep is important as it recharges the batteries of our body every 24 hours for the maintenance of our emotional and physical wellbeing. In fact, good sleep goes hand in hand with good diet and exercise to give us the essential energy that powers us through a fruitful day.
It seems that our body knows the importance of sleep even better than we do! The human body is intelligently made with a built-in clock, known as the circadian rhythm to ensure it gets the rest that it needs. It is for this reason we feel energized and drowsy around the same time every day.
What is Melatonin?
Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that is made by the pineal gland in our brain. It is more commonly known as the sleep hormone as it helps create the urge to fall asleep. Melatonin is the key component in the regulation of the circadian rhythm which controls our sleep pattern.
How Does Melatonin Work?
During the day when there is sunlight, the pineal gland is switched off, but when the sun goes down, the pineal gland is switched on to release melatonin into the blood circulation. The melatonin levels in the blood circulation begin to rise in the mid-to-late evening, stay elevated throughout the night and drop in the early morning hours. This makes light the arch nemesis of melatonin as melatonin only appears when there is darkness.
Jet lag
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Can You Have Or Take Too Much Melatonin
There is no such thing as an acute melatonin overdose if you take the pills as prescribed, even for the 20 mg pills, continues Dr. Raymann, Even taking a very high dosage of melatonin frequently does not result in toxicity in adults.
But too much melatonin can derail the delicate balance of different hormones in your body.
It has been shown that very few people report adverse effects from taking melatonin, ranging from headaches to seizures. If you take melatonin orally, youre essentially taking away the need for your body making melatonin on its own. This then throws off your natural production of melatonin and might lead to consequences when you forget to take the supplement.
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How Much Should You Take
Melatonin dosage is tricky because it varies depending on a number of factors, including age, health conditions, and your reason for using it.
The United States Food and Drug Administration doesnt regulate melatonin, which is classified as a dietary supplement. As a result, there arent any clear guidelines on how much melatonin is effective for a good nights sleep, but its important to exercise caution.
Taking a high dosage comes with the risk of an accidental overdose with side effects, such as an upset stomach, headaches, anxiety, joint pain, and irritability. For your safety, its best to start with a low dosage. Since 0.3 mg is around the amount your body naturally produces, stick to a dosage thats between 0.5 to 5 mg, depending on your needs. In case you find that isnt effective, try the next dosage.
If youre unsure about the dosage or concerned about its effects, consult a health care professional for advice.
How Long Does Melatonin Last It Depends On Where You Get It
How long does melatonin take to work, and how long does melatonin last? If youâre having trouble sleeping and youâre asking these questions about melatonin supplements, there are two other questions to ask yourself first:
- Why am I not sleeping through the night?
- Do I really need to take a melatonin supplement?
Although melatonin is among the most popular supplements in the United States, you don’t need to take it to fall asleep quickly and sleep through the night. Thatâs because there is another form of melatonin thatâs completely free and far superior to anything you can buy. And itâs made inside your own brain!
The melatonin your body produces plays an essential role in your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep at night. And finding ways to optimize this biological process will help you get the sleep you need so you have ample energy during the day. Designing a daily schedule that follows your circadian rhythm, or internal clock, is the best way to support your bodyâs melatonin production for the best sleep you can get.
Rest assured, this article will answer your questions about melatonin supplements. But our main goal is to share tips on how you can get the sleep you need without spending a dime. Weâll explain how good sleep hygiene â especially being strategic about the timing of your light exposure â can help you make the most of your bodyâs natural melatonin production for optimal sleep and daytime energy.
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Should Certain People Avoid It
Consult a physician prior to use if taking other drugs such as anticoagulants, anticonvulsants, blood pressure medications, immunosuppressive medications, or sedative, hypnotic or psychotropic medications. If you have an autoimmune disorder, liver or chronic kidney disease, asthma, cardiovascular disease, depression, diabetes or hypoglycaemia, hormonal disorder, migraines, or seizure disorders, you should consult your physician. For use beyond 4 weeks, or if symptoms persist for more than 4 weeks , consult your physician.
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Consider Melatonin Sleep Help For Occasional Insomnia
Even sound sleepers have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep once in a while, Buenaver says. You may want to try melatonin for sleep if you have difficulty for more than a night or two. Research shows that a supplement may help people with insomnia fall asleep slightly faster and may have bigger benefits for those with delayed sleep phase syndromefalling asleep very late and waking up late the next day.
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May Help Increase Growth Hormone Levels In Men
Human growth hormone is naturally released during sleep. In healthy young men, taking melatonin may help increase HGH levels.
Studies have shown that melatonin can make the pituitary gland, the organ that releases HGH, more sensitive to the hormone that releases HGH .
In addition, one small study showed that both lower and higher melatonin doses are effective at stimulating HGH release .
Another study found that 5 mg of melatonin combined with resistance training increased the levels of HGH in men while lowering the levels of somatostatin, a hormone that inhibits HGH .
Summary
Melatonin may support eye health, ease tinnitus symptoms, treat stomach ulcers and heartburn, and increase growth hormone levels in young men. Speak with a healthcare professional first if youre considering melatonin supplementation to help treat any of the conditions mentioned to learn if its right for you and whether there are any medication interactions.
When You Can’t Sleep: Passionflower Or Melatonin
Sleep is essential for an individual’s well-being and healthy immune system. We spend up to one-third of our lives asleep, and there’s a very good reason why. It is often thought that when you close your eyes and drift into sleep, your mind and body powers down. However, this is not the case. In reality, sleep is an active period during which important processing, restoration and strengthening occurs.
One of the most important roles of sleep is to help us consolidate memories. Each day we acquire new information and experiences. These need to be processed and stored. Memories are transferred from our short term memory to our long-term memory. Much of this is done while we sleep.
Sleep also helps us to be more alert, present and feel better overall. Sleep restores and rejuvenates our bodies. Sleep is needed to grow muscle, repair tissue and synthesize hormones. Sleep is essential to help us function physically, mentally and emotionally. Yet, many of us struggle to get a restful sleep. Insomnia and sleep disorders are extremely common in North America. Symptoms of sleep disorders and insomnia may include:
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Fatigue during the day
- Depression
- Lack of concentration
While symptoms can be debilitating, there are many medications and sleep aids to help sleep disturbances or insomnia. Two popular sleep aids available over-the-counter include passionflower and melatonin.
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It Can Help Treat Other Conditions
You may sleep easier knowing that by taking melatonin, you could be decreasing the severity and risk of other health problems aside from insomnia, according to the Huffington Post. Those diseases and disorders include Alzheimers, Parkinsons, and as mentioned before, cancers.
The benefits of melatonin for these degenerative health issues seem to trace back to its antioxidant properties. The source also notes there is evidence the hormone can be helpful for migraine sufferers and those with hypertension.
How Many People Suffer From Insomnia
If youre experiencing insomnia lately, it turns out youre not alone. Insomnia affects millions of people. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine reports that:
- 30% of adults experience brief periods of insomnia.
- 15 to 20% have insomnia for less than three months.
- 10% have chronic insomnia that affects how their ability to function during the daytime.
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When To Steer Clear
Certain people should be more cautious about melatonin use, particularly if it triggers a negative reaction, including those with:
- Chronic insomnia. Having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep that lasts a month or more shouldn’t be managed with melatonin, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the American College of Physicians. These groups recommend other more proven remedies , noting that there is not enough evidence that melatonin is safe and effective for long-term use.
- Restless Legs Syndrome . The tingling or “creepy-crawly” feeling in the legs that often keeps people awake could be worsened by melatonin. The supplement can intensify RLS symptoms because it lowers the amount of dopamine in the brain, according to the Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation. If you’ve been diagnosed with RLS or suspect that you have the condition, talk to your HCP about lifestyle changes or medications that could help.
- Dementia. This progressive cognitive deterioration is often associated with insomnia, which can tax both patients and their caregivers. But melatonin may do more harm than good among those with dementia since the condition causes people to metabolize the supplement more slowly, resulting in daytime drowsiness. In people with moderate or severe dementia, melatonin supplementation may increase the risk of falls, according to 2015 guidelines from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
If you’ve been drinking alcohol, it’s also not safe to take melatonin.
Are Melatonin Supplements Safe
Although melatonin supplements are often considered less habit forming than other common sleep aids, theyâre not for everyone. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, transplant recipients, and people with certain conditions â diabetes, high blood pressure, seizure disorders, bleeding disorders, or depression â should consult a physician or health care professional before using melatonin supplements.
Likewise, individuals on certain medications should avoid melatonin supplements, as they may reduce the medicationâs efficacy or cause potentially harmful interactions. Prescription and over-the-counter medications that should not be taken in combination with melatonin include blood pressure and diabetes medications, certain contraceptives, immunosuppressants, anticoagulants , anticonvulsants , and some depression medications.
Although we can buy exogenous melatonin in unregulated over-the-counter supplements in the United States, the fact that other countries â including the United Kingdom â require a prescription for melatonin is a reason to give it some serious consideration before popping open a bottle of melatonin pills. Not enough is known about the long-term effects of taking melatonin, especially at high doses.
Starting with the lowest dose is the best way to reduce your chances of developing unwanted side effects, but even that can be challenging and confusing.
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What Are The Health Benefits Of Taking Melatonin
Melatonin supplements may help with certain conditions, such as jet lag, delayed sleep-wake phase disorder, some sleep disorders in children, and anxiety before and after surgery.
Jet lag
Jet lag affects people when they travel by air across multiple time zones. With jet lag, you may not feel well overall and you may have disturbed sleep, daytime tiredness, impaired functioning, and digestive problems.
Research suggests that melatonin supplements may help with jet lag. This is based on medium-sized reviews from 2010 and 2014.
- Four studies that included a total of 142 travelers showed that melatonin may be better than a placebo in reducing overall symptoms of jet lag after eastward flights. Another study of 234 travelers on eastward flights looked at only sleep quality and found low-quality evidence that melatonin may be better than placebo for improving sleep quality.
- Two studies that included a total of 90 travelers showed that melatonin may be better than a placebo in reducing symptoms of jet lag after westward flights.
Delayed sleep-wake phase disorder
People with DSWPD have trouble falling asleep at the usual times and waking up in the morning. They typically have difficulty getting to sleep before 2 to 6 a.m. and would prefer to wake up between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Some sleep disorders in children
Because of these uncertainties, itâs best to work with a health care provider if youâre considering giving a child melatonin for sleep problems.