Is melatonin, the “antidote for insomnia,” really effective?

Insomnia is a very common problem. If you open your Moments at midnight, you will see a collection of people who can’t sleep:

Not being able to sleep at night and not being able to get up during the day is the norm for many workers. In recent years, many people have started taking melatonin products in order to get a good night's sleep.

What is melatonin? At first glance, you might think it is a whitening product, but it is actually a hormone produced by the human body.

The secretion of melatonin is regular. It is secreted more at night, making us feel sleepy and fall asleep. The bright light during the day sends a signal to the brain, reducing the secretion of melatonin and keeping us awake.

Simply put, melatonin is equivalent to what we often call the biological clock.

Reviews of Common Sleep Aid Products In fact, whether in China or abroad, melatonin is generally classified as a health food or dietary supplement.

my country's health food raw material catalogue stipulates that the daily dosage of melatonin is 1 to 3 mg. It also stipulates the claimed efficacy, suitable population, unsuitable population and precautions.

We have selected 6 sleep aid products with relatively high sales.

The content of melatonin was tested, and you can refer to it when purchasing:

Which one are you using? How do you feel about the effect? ​​Welcome to the comment area to exchange and discuss.

Who is melatonin suitable for? Not everyone is suitable for taking melatonin. Generally speaking, the following two types of people can try melatonin.

One type is people who need to adjust to jet lag or work shifts. These people often "reverse day and night", and taking melatonin may make them feel sleepy and thus adjust their disrupted biological clock.

But it is best to adjust your lifestyle first, and then consider choosing this type of product.

Another category is middle-aged and elderly people. Because their melatonin secretion begins to decrease, they are prone to difficulty falling asleep. Taking melatonin may be of some help.

For example, Product No. 3, which you often hear advertised, is a melatonin product designed for middle-aged and elderly people.

What should I pay attention to when taking melatonin? It is best to take melatonin half an hour before going to bed, because the effectiveness of melatonin will gradually decrease over time.

It has a certain effect in helping people fall asleep, but it is not very helpful for problems such as poor sleep quality, early awakening, easy awakening and short sleep time, and it cannot cure insomnia.

Insomnia here refers to insomnia, which is a disease that requires seeing a doctor as soon as possible and following the doctor's advice. Melatonin, valerian extract, etc. are not medicines and cannot replace medicines. It is not recommended to buy them for treatment without authorization.

▲The animated picture comes from soogif

For many young people, it is not insomnia, but staying up late disrupts the biological clock. Changing sleeping habits can solve the problem of difficulty falling asleep, and there is no need to use products such as melatonin.

If these products are taken for a long time, they may cause some uncertain hazards.

What should you do if you can’t fall asleep no matter how hard you try?

How can you fall asleep quickly? Here are some ways to help you sleep:

Don't give up on yourself just because you drank coffee or milk tea a few times, or had to stay up late a few nights for work.

It’s not that insomnia cannot be cured.

Try the above methods and start having a good night’s sleep today.

References:

1. Chinese Adult Insomnia Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines (2017 Edition). Chinese Medical Association Neurology Branch, Chinese Medical Association Neurology Branch Sleep Disorders Group.