What is Melatonin and How Does it Work?
By Leslie K. Hughes
Melatonin. You’ve probably seen this word gracing the labels of sleep aids on television, on social media, and on store shelves. If you’re someone who struggles with sleep, you may have considered a few different things to help you clock more hours in bed, and melatonin may be one of them. You know it’s supposed to help you sleep, but what else do you know about it?
There is much more to melatonin than the fact that it may be able to help you catch some extra zzzs, so let’s get into the details so you can determine if this is the sleep aid that’s right for you.
What is Melatonin and How Does It Work?
Melatonin is not just a product that you can buy; melatonin is a hormone that exists naturally in your body. Your body produces this hormone as a response to darkness, which helps with your internal clock. So, melatonin technically doesn’t make you sleepy but rather triggers your body to go into a state that sets you up for sleep.
If you’re having trouble sleeping, you’re experiencing the offset of your circadian rhythm. This 24-hour internal clock is responsible for telling your body when to be awake and when to be asleep. And your struggle with sleep may be because your body isn’t producing enough melatonin.
Generally speaking, the body produces sufficient melatonin for sleep on its own, but there are times when your body struggles to make enough of the hormone to put your mind and body in that tired state. And that’s when you may find yourself reaching for some help, potentially in the form of melatonin supplements. The most common times people use melatonin are when their sleep schedules are thrown off due to jet lag, work, school, or insomnia.
Is it harmful to take melatonin supplements every night?
If sleep has become a consistent struggle of yours, you want to be careful about reaching for melatonin supplements every night. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, “If melatonin does seem to help, it’s safe for most people to take nightly for one or two months.” However, there is not enough research on the long-term effects of taking melatonin regularly to determine whether it is safe.
Some studies claim that using melatonin for long periods of time may cause mild side effects, but more research needs to be done to build a strong case against long-term use.
How much melatonin should I take?
The dosage for your melatonin supplement should be kept to a minimum. It is advised that you take between 1-3 milligrams approximately two hours before you plan to go to bed.
What are the side effects of melatonin?
You may experience nausea, dizziness, headaches, and general sleepiness by taking melatonin supplements. Though none of those are dangerous, they aren’t ideal either, so it’s best to test the waters and see how this supplement makes you feel.
Some studies have shown that melatonin may have the following side effects (though they are rare):
Mild tremor
Mild anxiety
Irritability
Confusion
Disorientation
Cramps
Who should not take melatonin?
You should steer clear of melatonin supplements if you have an autoimmune disorder. You should also avoid this supplement if you have bleeding disorders, suffer from depression, or have high blood pressure.
In addition to that, the Mayo Clinic states that some of the drugs that melatonin may interact poorly with include:
Anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs, herbs, and supplements
Anticonvulsants
Blood pressure drugs
Central nervous system (CNS) depressants
Diabetes medication
Contraceptive drugs
Cytochrome P450 1A2 and cytochrome P450 2C19
Fluvoxamine (Luvox)
Immunosuppressants
Seizure threshold lowering drugs
In short, melatonin supplements can be a helpful short-term solution for people who are suffering from problems with sleep, as long as they are aware of the potential side effects as well as the interaction with other medications they may be taking.
