WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MELATONIN FOR YOUR SLEEP?

Melatonin is a hormonal supplement used to treat insomnia, sleeplessness, and sleep deprivation. Let’s learn more about melatonin benefits, formulations, dosage, and choosing the right pill for you. Melatonin supplements are booming in popularity these days. It is all thanks to one of its several beneficial properties of promoting restful sleep.

The hormone melatonin is naturally present in your body. It is also formulated synthetically as pills or gummies, which you can place inside the cheek or under your tongue. Melatonin supplements are popularly known to improve your insomnia or alleviate your sleep disorders in various conditions.

Melatonin is now widely available as a dietary supplement worldwide. However, it is essential to weigh all the aspects of melatonin supplements like their dosage, quality, and their pros & cons before opting for them.

About Melatonin & Sleep 

This natural sleep medication has gained tremendous popularity worldwide. The pineal gland, present in the brain, produces this unique hormone. Melatonin is well known to promote quality & restful sleep. Moreover, by regulating your internal clock or circadian rhythm, melatonin directs your body to wake up, and go to sleep, besides ensuring that you sleep well.

Moreover, melatonin can help with various functions in your body, like modulating immune function, maintaining blood pressure, altering cortisol levels, and providing relief from acid reflux conditions.
 

Why Is Melatonin Important for Sleep? 

Often recognized as a sleep hormone, melatonin facilitates your transition to sleep. The production of melatonin is enhanced with darkness and decreases in light.

A specific area of our brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) maintains our circadian rhythm by recognizing the daily pattern of light & dark. As it darkens outside, the information about the light levels is conveyed to SCN, which, in turn, passes the information to the pineal gland. This gland releases melatonin at night, thus helping you get restful sleep and preventing its release during the day.

Therefore, melatonin tablets form one of the natural remedies when treating sleeplessness, sleep deprivation, or other sleep problems, such as insomnia. 

Can Melatonin Supplements Improve Sleep? 

It is well-verified that melatonin does play a significant role in helping you fall asleep and getting you quality sleep. Consequently, melatonin tablets are considered as a sleeping medication to address issues related to sleep.

Established research suggests that melatonin supplements can help improve sleep in many sleep disorders or anxiety-related conditions.

Anecdotal evidence states that melatonin tablets have helped several people fall asleep much faster and improve the overall quality of their sleep. Of course, it is not as efficient as other stronger sleep medications, but it is associated with much fewer side effects.

Melatonin In Adults & Children 

Melatonin supplements can be effective in both adults and kids. In adults, it acts as a sleeping medication beneficial for people dealing with sleep issues like jet lag or DSWPD (Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder).

DSWPD is a disorder that affects your circadian rhythm by altering your sleep schedule, often by a few hours. For example, people with a “night owl” schedule often find it difficult to sleep earlier and suffer from a lack of enough sleep in situations that force them to wake up early in the morning. However, studies claim that low doses of melatonin consumed before going to bed can help them alter their sleep cycle forward.

Similarly, when people take an intercontinental flight across several time zones, their body’s circadian rhythm gets misaligned with the local day-night cycle. Research studies suggest that melatonin helps you reset your sleep-wake cycle and improve the sleep quality in those with jet lag.

Melatonin pills may also be helpful for shift workers who struggle with getting good sleep because of their disturbed circadian rhythm.

Although melatonin supplements are widely used for insomnia, research points out that it is still debatable if melatonin is therapeutic in otherwise healthy people struggling with insomnia. It is a persistent condition wherein a person finds it troublesome to fall asleep or get a restful sleep.

Melatonin is even helpful for children having ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder), ASD (autism spectrum disorder), or epilepsy. However, experts believe that more research is essential to confirm its use in children regarding its optimum dosage, long-term effects, and duration of melatonin use.

Side Effects & Precautions with Melatonin

If used for the short term, melatonin is usually well-tolerated and shows negligible side effects. Nevertheless, like any other supplement, you may notice minor side effects like headaches, daytime drowsiness, or dizziness. However, these side effects are noted by a very tiny percentage of people taking melatonin.

Occasionally melatonin use may cause allergic reactions or interact with other medications or supplements. So, if you are planning to start melatonin supplements, both for adults or children, it is advisable to consult your doctor to ensure their efficacy or safety.

Dosage Of Melatonin 

There is no set dose for melatonin tablets, as the exact dosage mainly depends on your unique physiology. The dosage of melatonin supplements may range anywhere between 0.2 to 10mg per day. You must start with the lowest dose, which will help you fall asleep without any undesirable effects. Usually, a safe starting dose of melatonin ranges between 0.2mg to 5mg.

Some commercial preparations offer a higher dose of melatonin in their supplement, which is not required. However, being a hormone, you must always take it in the lowest effective dosage possible.

Moreover, bear in mind that the dose varies with every brand, so ensure to follow the instructions provided on the label while dosing melatonin, thereby preventing any possible side effects.

Furthermore, while taking melatonin to better your sleep quality, consuming it thirty minutes before will ensure maximum effectiveness. However, while consuming it to regulate your circadian rhythm, it is advisable to take it 2 to 3 hours before your bedtime to get the best results.

How To Choose the Right Melatonin Supplement for You? 

Popularly opted as a dietary supplement, melatonin pills are sold by tons of brands that claim their product to be potent & safe. However, not all brands are safe. Besides, not all of them offer an accurate dosage of melatonin. That’s why you must confirm some factors before buying your melatonin supplement.

Your melatonin supplement should contain quality ingredients in essential proportions. It should be tested for contaminants or artificial additives by the labs. Moreover, it should be manufactured in facilities following GMP guidelines and have labels like “certified” & verified,” confirming its safety. However, melatonin can occasionally interact with the metabolism of other medications or supplements. Also, try to choose a transparent & well-reputed brand that offers good customer support. 

Conclusion

Given that melatonin plays a vital role in helping you sleep faster and better, it is considered beneficial in several issues related to sleep. Moreover, it also assists in regulating your natural sleep-wake cycle. Thanks to these perks, melatonin supplements have gained immense popularity as a sleeping medication these days.

However, melatonin can occasionally interact with the metabolism of other medications or supplements. That’s why we suggest you consult your doctor if you are taking melatonin pills for the first time, be it for any condition or even otherwise.

Melatonin is usually safe and not associated with any harmful effects; especially, if you choose the right product from a well-reputed brand offering quality supplements.