How To Tell If You Have Melatonin Deficiency
For many people, this nightly melatonin release doesn’t occur properly. Often times this is due to exposure to bright lights at night . This lack of melatonin leads to sleepless nights.
Additionally, research suggests that those who struggle with falling asleep may have a melatonin deficiency or malfunction caused by your own bodys inability to produce and/or release melatonin .
In both cases, supplementing with Melatonin is a great way to give your body what it needs to sleep at night.
If youve taken melatonin before, you know that it works well for getting you sleepy and helping your body to initially fall asleep. However, there can be some problems with this supplement depending on its quality and the quantity that you take.
Its easy to get caught up in the idea that “a natural supplement is harmless to take, so you can take however much you want if it works for you”. However, that is not the case because too much of any substance can lead to issues.
This is why low-dosage melatonin is a great alternative to the mega dosage melatonin that you often see at your local drug store.
What Not To Take With Melatonin
Because melatonin can affect your sleep-wake cycle, avoid taking it with alcohol or caffeine. These can interfere with your circadian rhythm and your natural melatonin production.
Before starting melatonin or any over-the-counter medication or supplement, talk with your doctor. This is especially true if you take other medications.
For example, birth control pills may cause your body to start producing more melatonin, so taking a supplement could push your levels into an unhealthy range.
Taking melatonin with anticoagulant drugs, such as warfarin , could increase your risk of bleeding.
You should also avoid taking melatonin if you take corticosteroids to suppress your immune response for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.
If you think you may have overdosed on melatonin, call Poison Control at 800-222-1222.
You should call 911 and seek emergency help if you have symptoms such as:
- shortness of breath
What’s The Most Popular Dose
“Most individuals will do fine on a two to two-and-a-half milligram dose,” says Dr. Chelsie Rohrscheib, Ph.D., neuroscientist and Head Sleep Specialist at Wesper. “Using more than five milligrams of melatonin per night isn’t recommended unless you’re working closely with your doctor.” Typically, 10 milligram options aren’t available over the counter and would only be recommended for those who suffer from blindness and non-24 hour sleep-wake disorder, explains Dr. Durmer. “Too much melatonin can actually disrupt the circadian rhythm and make sleep more difficult,” Dr. Rohrscheib adds. When you first “start low and go slow,” Dr. Rohrscheib recommends beginning with a half or one milligram one hour before bedtime, then “increasing in small increments until you find a dose that works for you.”
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Side Effects Of Too Much Melatonin
When you take too much melatonin, which can be noticed in doses above 3mg, you will likely encounter these uncomfortable symptoms:
- Excessive drowsiness that doesnt help you fall asleep
- Reducing overall quality of sleep
- Falling asleep, but waking up a few hours later and not being able to fall back asleep
- Grogginess the following morning
Melatonin has a few other health benefits, you can read on below.
How Much Melatonin Should I Take
Its best to start with the lowest recommended dosage of melatonin for your age. From there, you can gradually increase your dosage until you find a dose that helps you fall asleep without causing any side effects. A safe starting dose for adults is between 0.5 milligram and 5 milligrams of melatonin. Older adults may find lower doses, starting with 0.1 milligram, to be safe and effective. Children should not take melatonin unless recommended by a doctor.
Over-the-counter melatonin may come in standard amounts like 1 milligram, 3 milligrams, or 5 milligrams. You can use a pill-cutter to cut the tablets in half or quarters to create a smaller starting dose.
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More Reasons That Less Is More
Melatonin can affect fertility! In women, it can change progesterone, estradiol, luteinizing hormone and thyroid levels. In men, regular use of the darkness hormone can lower libido and can affect sperm both decrease the count and slow it down. Remember, high levels of melatonin can suppress puberty in children. Additionally, too much melatonin taken at once can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, or irritability. Very high levels of melatonin are associated with daytime grogginess, tiredness, and hypothermia.
Is Melatonin Safe For Senior Citizens
Since the deterioration of sleep quality with age occurs by itself due to lower melatonin production, melatonin supplements seem to be the simplest way to fill the need for this hormone. But are they safe for the elderly?
A study conducted in 2007 concluded that prolonged-release melatonin supplements showed good results in improving the quality of sleep in patients aged 55 years and older. The results were good for patients with dementia as well as for those whose cognitive functions were not significantly impaired. Therefore, taking melatonin is not only safe but also effective.
But its important to remember that the elderly, along with insomnia, often have age-related and chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, or cardiovascular diseases and melatonin can interfere with the effectiveness of the drugs aimed at treating these conditions. Thats why, before you start taking melatonin supplements, an appointment with a healthcare professional is highly advised.
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What Is The Correct Melatonin Dosage For Me
The recommended dose of melatonin is the lowest dose that can help your sleep quantity and quality without causing side effects. While the right dose varies from one person to another, between 0.5 milligrams and 5 milligrams once daily is the typical starting dose for adults. Research indicates that taking doses of 10 milligrams or higher may cause side effects. The maximum recommended dose of melatonin is 10 milligrams.
Several factors, such as age, body weight, and sensitivity to melatonin may affect the recommended dosage. The dose also depends on the type and severity of the sleep problem. Certain drugs may also affect the way melatonin is metabolized. Speak to your physician if you are taking other medications before starting melatonin.
When using melatonin for the first time, begin at a low dose and adjust in increments of 1 milligram, depending on response. Generally, the optimum time to take melatonin is one to two hours before bedtime. There’s some evidence of tolerance with melatonin use, so it’s not recommended to increase the dose over time after reaching the lowest effective dose.
Before Taking This Medicine
Do not use melatonin if you are allergic to it.
Before using this medication, talk to your healthcare provider. You may not be able to use this medication if you have certain medical conditions, such as:
- diabetes
- a bleeding or blood clotting disorder such as hemophilia
- taking a blood thinner like warfarin
- high or low blood pressure
- epilepsy or other seizure disorder
- if you are using any medicine to prevent organ transplant rejection
- an autoimmune condition
- using other sedatives or tranquilizers
It is not known whether this medication will harm an unborn baby. Do not use this product without medical advice if you are pregnant.
High doses of this medicine may affect ovulation, making it difficult for you to get pregnant.
It is not known whether melatonin passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this product without medical advice if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Do not give any herbal/health supplement to a child without medical advice.
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Side Effects Of Melatonin
Like any other dietary supplement, melatonin may cause side effects in some peoplepossible side effects include:
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
Dr. Bollu says drowsiness can mean either excessive sleepiness at night or grogginess the next day. He also adds that interfering with your bodys natural sleep cues may carry another side effect as well.
Taking a hypnotic medication regularly, on a nightly basis, would dampen your innate drive to sleep, explains Dr. Bollu, who adds that although we dont know for certain, this could also be true for melatonin. However, some research suggests melatonin may not dampen this drive in the same way that Ambien, for example, does. When your body recognizes more melatonin in the body, it begins to slow down its own production of melatonin over time. Therefore, short-term use of a melatonin supplement is preferred.
What Are The Appropriate Doses Of Melatonin In Elderly People
Melatonin does not have a standard dosage that fits all. But when it comes to older people, the best results showed dosages from 2 to 3 mg taken 30 minutes before bedtime. These quantities do not cause overdose symptoms or side effects, significantly improve the quality of sleep, and help maintain alertness during the next day, according to Happysleepyhead.com.
Doctors usually recommend starting with the smallest dosage and gradually increasing it. Thus, you can better understand how much melatonin has the most pronounced effect.
Quick note: A large dose does not necessarily mean falling asleep faster. In many cases, smaller doses will be digested quicker .
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What Happens When You Have Too Much Melatonin
When your brain notices that there is extra melatonin present in your body, it stops producing it naturally within the body. In people with healthy, functioning sleep mechanisms, melatonin is produced when your eyes arent exposed to light, whether its from the sun or your computer screen.
Since theres already too much melatonin present , your brain believes okay, theres already too much. Lets stop producing the melatonin so that we dont negatively affect other mental functions.
You are manually providing the hormone required to fall asleep, so there is no need to produce more. Your body is smart and it knows that too much melatonin can have undesirable effects.
This affects your body’s natural ability to produce and release melatonin. Over time, this can lead to dependency on melatonin supplements or other, harsher sleep drugs.
How To Use Melatonin For Jet Lag
Jet lag is an air travel problem that causes difficulty in sleeping, fatigue, trouble concentrating, constipation, and other symptoms. Jet lag is much more likely if you cross over several time zones, and can worsen the more time zones you cross.
Effective starting doses for jet lag range from 0.3 to 0.5 mg. Smaller doses may work for some while others may need a higher dose. It may be more difficult to fly east, when time is lost, rather than to fly west, when you gain it back. High doses, such as 20 mg pills are available for purchase on the Internet, but such high doses are not normally recommended or needed, and may greatly increase side effects.
- Eastbound: If you are traveling east, say from the US to Europe, take melatonin after dark, 30 minutes before bedtime in the new time zone or if you are on the plane. Then take it for the next 4 nights in the new time zone, after dark, 30 minutes before bedtime. If you are still feeling drowsy the day after using this medication, try a lower dose.
- Westbound: If you are heading west, for example, from the US to Australia, a dose is not needed for your first travel night, but you then may take it for the next 4 nights in the new time zone, after dark, 30 minutes before bedtime. Melatonin may not always be needed for westbound travel.
Given enough time , jet lag will usually resolve on its own, but this is not always optimal when traveling.
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Other Ways To Help Senior Citizens Sleep Better
Solving sleep problems in older people requires a systemic approach. Therefore, in addition to using dietary supplements and treating age-related conditions, it is necessary to establish and maintain proper sleep hygiene. A balanced diet with foods rich in magnesium, potassium, fatty acids, and tryptophan can have a positive effect too.
Scientists Pinpoint Dosage Of Melatonin For Insomnia
MIT researchers reported in the October issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism that doses of melatonin, a pineal hormone that is secreted by humans at night, can help older adult insomniacs obtain a good night’s sleep.
During the study, Richard Wurtman, the Cecil H. Green Distinguished Professor and program director of the Clinical Research Center, and other MIT researchers examined the ability of similar doses to restore nighttime melatonin levels and sleep efficiency in adults over age 50.
Two groups of subjects were involved in the study–one group who slept normally and another who experienced insomnia. Each subject received one-week doses of either a placebo or three different doses of melatonin in randomized order. Each different treatment was separated by a one-week “wash-out period.”
“According to our research, the physiological dose of melatonin of about 0.3 milligrams restores sleep in adults over the age of 50,” said Wurtman, lead investigator in the study. “The adults who would normally wake up during the second and third thirds of the night were able to sleep through the night with the 0.3 milligram dosage.”
The MIT scientists, who included Irina Zhdanova, former principal research scientist in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, also showed that low doses of melatonin affect sleep in young individuals and can help children with a debilitating neurological disorder called Angelman syndrome to sleep though the night.
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Too Much Melatonin Is Counterproductive
Naturopaths and doctors who practice alternative medicine are now recommending low-dosage melatonin for a reason. They are starting to realize that micro doses of melatonin can be just as effective as large doses, and lead to better long term results.
Research has proven that longer-term use of melatonin supplementation is most beneficial when a low dosage of under half of a milligram of melatonin is consumed each day.
Too much melatonin can cause an abnormal shift within the natural processes in your brain. Its highly suggested that dosages over 1mg can cause your body to develop an unhealthy dependency on the supplementation of melatonin.
It seems that the best way to promote optimal health is to assist your body in restoring natural functionality, rather than creating a “supplemental dependency”.
The human body can be physically or psychologically addicted to both pharmaceutical and natural substances. Especially when you take it every day, your immune system is designed to respond and adapt to all types of environmental changes in your body.
What’s The Best Time To Take It
Timing when you take melatonin supplement is very important for regulating the biological clock known as the circadian rhythm. Melatonin production increases in the evening hours when the sun begins to set, and decreases when our eyes are exposed to sunlight.
It takes about 30-60 minutes for melatonin to take effect, so it is most often recommended to take a supplement in this timeframe before going to bed. For jet lag, it is advised that you should take a dose around 10 pm local time at the destination you will be arriving in.
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The Science Behind Melatonin
Melatonin , chemically N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, is a substance found in animals, plants, fungi and bacteria. In animals, its a hormone that anticipates the daily onset of darkness.
In animals, melatonin is involved in the synchronization of the circadian rhythms of physiological functions including sleep timing, blood pressure regulation, seasonal reproduction and many others. Many of its biological effects in animals are produced through activation of melatonin receptors, while others are due to its role as a pervasive and powerful antioxidant, with a particular role in the protection of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA.
The hormone can be used as a sleep aid and in the treatment of some sleep disorders. It can be taken orally in liquid form as well as capsules or tablets in immediate- or prolonged-release form. It is also available in a form to be used sublingually, and as transdermal patches. Melatonin is sold as an over-the-counter sleep aid in the U.S. and Canada. In other countries it may require a prescription or it may be unavailable.
Symptoms Of Melatonin Overdose
Too much melatonin can have the opposite effect of its intended purpose. It can make it harder to sleep because your normal circadian rhythms will be disrupted.
An overdose can also leave you feeling groggy and sleepy during the day and give you nightmares or extremely vivid dreams at night. You can also experience:
For some people, too much melatonin can affect their blood pressure. Medications that lower blood pressure, such as calcium channel blockers and beta-blockers, may reduce your bodys natural production of melatonin.
However, taking a supplement to make up for lower melatonin levels may not always be advisable. Be sure to talk with your doctor about melatonin and any other supplements you take if youve been prescribed medications to help control your blood pressure.
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What Is The Optimal Melatonin Dosage
This is a 7-minute read
When taking melatonin, it is important to take an appropriate dosage at the right time when needed for safe and effective use. It is a common misconception that taking more melatonin will result in a deeper and more restful sleep. But the reality is, too much melatonin can lead to nighttime restlessness and daytime grogginess.
Should Lower Doses Of Melatonin Be Used For Older Adults
Tabula Rasa HealthCare is a leader in providing patient-specific, data-driven technology and solutions that enable healthcare organizations to optimize medication regimens to improve patient outcomes, reduce hospitalizations, lower healthcare costs and manage risk. Medication risk management is TRHCs lead offering, and its cloud-based software applications provide solutions for a range of payers, providers and other healthcare organizations.
This article was written by Anna Furman, PharmD. Her full bio is provided below.
Studies have shown that exposure to supra-physiological plasma concentrations can lead to melatonin receptor desensitization.3,4 The range of maximally effective doses of exogenous melatonin was determined when the Massachusetts Institute of Technology first patented the medication. Since then, higher doses of up to 10 mg have been made available on the market. Although recent evidence suggests that doses greater than 6 mg of melatonin provide little benefit, additional research is required to determine the specific doses of melatonin that may be supra-therapeutic and subsequently interfere with the natural sleep-wake cycle or worsen insomnia from receptor desensitization.4 Appropriate monitoring and recommendations should be made to limit the dose being used on a regular basis in elderly people.3,4
References
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