The director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson, Michael Grandner, PhD, believes it’s excellent that people are paying attention to their sleep and that melatonin may be helpful. But frequently it’s not used properly, he continues.
Melatonin is a hormone that the brain naturally produces in reaction to darkness and that aids in controlling the circadian rhythm, which governs the body’s sleep-wake cycles. According to the National Institutes of Health, dietary supplements that many individuals take to aid with sleep contain lab-produced synthetic forms of melatonin.
Recent recommendations also advise against taking it for insomnia or in other circumstances where it is difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep, even though melatonin supplements have long been advisedby the American Academy of Sleep Medicine to help treat some sleep disorders caused by circadian rhythm disruptions, such as jet lag or sleep issues caused by shift work.
Due to the fact that jet lag and shift work-related sleep difficulties are frequently brought on by disturbances to the body’s circadian rhythm, melatonin may be able to aid. One of the hormones that aids in regulating your body’s internal clock and maintaining regular bodily functioning is melatonin, which your body naturally produces as well as synthetic forms. Because the underlying causes of insomnia and other sleep problems are different, the pill does not typically help with those conditions.
Melatonin is rarely effective at treating insomnia, especially persistent insomnia, according to Dr. Grandner. That is not its intended use.
Grandner claims that a large number of people continue to use melatonin as a treatment for insomnia, in part because they are concerned about the possibility for addiction and harmful side effects associated with a number of prescribed sleeping drugs.
Grandner acknowledges that some prescription sleep aids tend to have more dangerous possible side effects than melatonin, but he adds that “melatonin is not a good substitute to prescription sleep drugs. In most cases of insomnia, it is inefficient and ineffectual as a sedative.
According to the Mayo Clinic, prescription sleeping drugs that are occasionally used to treat insomnia can have some serious adverse effects, including addiction, hallucinations, and protracted lethargy. The U.S. in 2019 Eszopiclone (Lunesta), zaleplon (Sonata), and zolpidem (Ambien) are some of the sleeping pills that have had a black box warning added to the packaging by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) due to the dangers of sleepwalking, sleep driving, and engaging in other activities while not fully awake, which have led to deaths among patients taking the medication.
Melatonin is regarded as a safer alternative because there is no proof that such hazards exist. But it’s important to remember that, in contrast to prescription medications, melatonin hasn’t been subjected to as many FDA tests or regulations because it’s a supplement.
According to the Mayo Clinic, common adverse effects of melatonin consumption include headache, nausea, dizziness, and sleepiness. Depression, anxiety, bewilderment, and disorientation are less frequent side effects. Additionally, melatonin can interact potentially harmfully with a wide range of pharmaceuticals, including blood pressure and diabetic medications, oral contraceptives, blood thinners, and several antidepressants.
According to David Neubauer, MD, an associate professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, those side effects are predicated on brief consumption at low doses. He adds that many individuals nowadays are taking bigger amounts for longer periods of time.
One recent study reveals that many trials that showed melatonin to be safe and helpful looked at doses of no more than 5 to 10 mg at most.
Low doses are normally best, according to Dr. Neubauer. He continues, “People should be taking amounts as low as 0.5 milligrams to start with, and no more than 3 milligrams at most.”
According to Muhammad Rishi, MD, an expert in sleep disorders at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, anyone thinking about using melatonin should still consult their doctor first.
According to Dr. Rishi, the usage of melatonin must be under the supervision of a doctor who has experience treating sleep disturbances. Melatonin can be taken responsibly, just like any other medication, but there can also be negative effects if it isn’t. Read on to check out the 7 Melatonin Errors Doctors Want You to Avoid.
