When you need help falling asleep, does melatonin work? Are there any dangers?

Insomnia is a problem that many people have now. The fast pace of life, high work pressure and other problems have caused many people's sleep quality to decline. Therefore, solving sleep problems has become a necessity. One of the most popular sleeping aids now is melatonin, but is melatonin really useful?

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What is melatonin?

Melatonin is a hormone that is naturally produced in the body in response to darkness. Produced by the pineal gland in the brain, its main function is to help encourage and regulate sleep. Your melatonin levels rise in the evening, then peak in the early hours of the morning, before falling again during the day.

But that’s not all. A 2014 study from the Department of Cell and Structural Biology at the University of Texas showed that melatonin is a great antioxidant that helps protect the health of your cells and brain.

But as such, there are a number of reasons why your melatonin levels may be falling—your aging is the main culprit. From age 40 to 45, naturally produced melatonin begins to decline. Research by the Spanish Sleep Association's Insomnia Research Group found that a 70-year-old adult's melatonin production is only 10% of that of a prepubescent child—a period when melatonin levels are highest.

Melatonin levels can be affected by a range of factors, some of which are within your control and others that are not. This can include age, stress levels, medications and irregular sleep patterns caused by shift work. Your environment is another example. The light in and around the home often prevents our melatonin levels from rising naturally, which can cause disrupted sleep patterns. The blue light emitted by computers, phones and tablets can also interfere with melatonin production if used close to bed.

Can melatonin replace sleeping pills for insomnia?

Lu Xiaoyang, director of the Department of Pharmacy at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, pointed out in a post on his hospital's official WeChat account on November 2, 2019 that in clinical practice, melatonin is mostly used as a dietary supplement or health product to adjust jet lag, which can only play an auxiliary role and does not represent a therapeutic effect. Moreover, the effect of melatonin in improving sleep is mainly reflected in helping to fall asleep, and it does not significantly improve problems such as poor sleep quality, easy waking, and short sleep time during sleep.

In my country, melatonin is only approved for use in the production of health foods and cannot be used as a drug to treat insomnia. In other words, there is currently no definite clinical conclusion on whether melatonin can treat insomnia. It only has a certain promoting and auxiliary effect on sleep. Melatonin is not a sleeping pill and cannot replace drugs to treat insomnia.

For people with circadian disorders (such as jet lag or shift work), the effect of melatonin may be relatively good, while for people with poor sleep quality, early awakening and short sleep time, the effect of melatonin may be weaker.

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You can try melatonin, but be careful about the dosage

Although melatonin is very important for sleep regulation, even now, exogenous melatonin has not become a drug, but is classified as a health product, and is listed as a "dietary supplement" in the United States. Who should take melatonin, what products to choose, and what to pay attention to when taking it... There are some things to pay attention to here.

Melatonin is more suitable for people who work shifts or suffer from jet lag

Some studies suggest that melatonin can improve sleep by increasing sleep time for people with sleep disorders and shortening the time it takes to fall asleep, but the specific mechanism is still unclear.

But strictly speaking, melatonin is not effective for all insomnia patients.

Currently, the known clear and applicable scenarios are: patients diagnosed with circadian rhythm phase delay, in simple terms, people who work shifts and suffer from jet lag.

The so-called delayed sleep phase refers to the delay in the time of falling asleep, such as being able to fall asleep until the early morning of the next day, and patients have obvious difficulty falling asleep.

In addition, there is evidence that melatonin may also be useful for children with insomnia who have difficulty falling asleep and require long-term medication, such as those with autism spectrum disorder or ADHD.

For the elderly, their peak nocturnal melatonin concentration also decreases significantly, and additional supplementation may also be effective.

If you suffer from insomnia, you can try melatonin, but don't buy it randomly.

When choosing a product, pay attention to the melatonin concentration

The dosage of melatonin available on the market is often relatively large (5-20 mg), which is much higher than the dosage required physiologically (0.3 mg-0.5 mg). Higher doses do not bring benefits, but instead pose a risk of overdose.

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Studies have found that 0.1-0.3 mg can promote sleep, and 0.3-0.5 mg can regulate the circadian rhythm phase.

So, if you can use melatonin after a doctor's evaluation, you must pay attention to the specifications of the melatonin preparation. For example, if you buy a 1.0mg tablet, you can split it in half. However, the absorption rate of each person is different, so ask the doctor or read the instructions for the dosage.

Follow your doctor's advice and avoid alcohol and caffeine

Regardless of the situation, it is recommended to use the medication under the guidance of a doctor after a clear diagnosis and treatment contraindications, and never take an overdose blindly.

While taking melatonin, avoid drinking alcohol, tea, coffee and caffeinated substances, and try not to drive or perform precision operations.

Source: Chongqing Tianji Network Co., Ltd.

This article is compiled from Dingxiang Doctor, Live Science, Science Popularization China, and Health Times

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