Posted on 05/19/2022 9:09:45 AM PDT by ConservativeMind
In a small study of healthy adults aged 55 and older, 5 mg of melatonin increased total sleep time compared to a placebo.
Researchers conducted the study in 24 healthy, older adults to evaluate whether a high-dose or a low-dose melatonin supplement could improve sleep. The team found that the higher dose had a significant impact, increasing total sleep time compared to placebo by more than 15 minutes for nighttime sleep and by half an hour for daytime sleep.
The body naturally produces melatonin, which helps regulate a person's sleep-wake cycle with night and day. Melatonin levels peak at night. But among older people, levels of the hormone are often lower. Exogenous melatonin is sold over the counter and can be taken before bedtime as a dietary supplement, usually in a pill.
During the monthlong study period, participants lived in individual study rooms with no windows, clocks, or other indications of time of day. Participants followed a forced desynchrony protocol—instead of experiencing 24-hour cycles of days and nights, they were on schedules of 20-hour cycles to disentangle the effects of rest-activity from the circadian clock. Participants were randomly assigned to receive two weeks of a placebo pill and two weeks of either a low (0.3 mg) or high (5 mg) dose of melatonin 30 minutes before bedtime. Researchers used polysomnography to record brain waves, eye movement, muscle tone, and other key sleep metrics.
The team found that the low dose of melatonin did not lead to a statistically significant change in overall sleep time and that the changes that were seen were when sleep was scheduled during the biological day. Participants taking the 5 mg dose had a significant increase in total sleep time and sleep efficiency regardless of whether sleep was scheduled during the day or night.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
If taking melatonin, consider a time-release form, and check with your doctor.
You have to be VERY careful with melatonin. It’s a hormone. Your body produces it naturally. If your body isn’t producing enough, supplementing can be a Godsend. Your body can, however, become reliant on that supplementation and self-recovery can be very difficult, like withdrawal-level symptoms.
“Sleep efficiency” is something we can all hope to achieve, right along with digestive throughput.
I normally don’t have any sleep issues, but there was a rough patch I hit in life when sleep was elusive.
I tried melatonin upon recommendation of my doctor. It gave me horrible, terrifying nightmares! Not sure if it was just a side-effect for me, because I’ve never seen any studies showing it as a side-effect.
Anyone else ever have this reaction?
I tried melatonin upon recommendation of my doctor. It gave me horrible, terrifying nightmares! Not sure if it was just a side-effect for me, because I’ve never seen any studies showing it as a side-effect.Anyone else ever have this reaction?
No. But I end up writing computer programs all night. One night I was distressed because I couldn't upload the program I had written from my dream to my computer. I actually woke up and sent myself an email, reminding me to investigate why I couldn't transfer the code from my dream to my computer. Now I was going to have to write it again from scratch.
I get intense dreams when I take it.
I use it as infrequently as possible, since the body gets adapted to it, but definitely more vivid dreams; of course as my IRL name is ‘Daniel’, I *like* dreams, even the frightening ones.
I have unusual and vivid dreams but I’ve never had nightmares. I’m at 10 mg melatonin and 500mg magnesium at night. Fall sleep quickly and have decent rest until 2-3-4. Wake up, check free republic and then call back asleep.
When my husband had Covid pneumonia, one of the meds on the sheet when he was sent home was 3mg melatonin. He already takes 5 mg but I thought that was interesting. Also, the doctors never asked our vax status. (We aren’t). And he got exceptional care.
There are a lot of reasons for sleep disorders. But before you race out and buy this to get those extra hours of bliss, there can be a real cost for it.
The most common melatonin side effects include headache, dizziness, nausea and drowsiness. Other, less common, side effects might include short-lasting feelings of depression, mild tremor, mild anxiety, abdominal cramps, irritability, reduced alertness, confusion or disorientation, and abnormally low blood pressure (hypotension). Because melatonin can cause daytime drowsiness, don’t drive or use machinery within five hours of taking it. A few of these effects can add to the element of death. Don’t buy into this without checking with the family doc and being monitored.
wy69
I’ve taken melatonin frequently for years. I don’t recall the details, but my doctor told me when he recommended it that it’s a different class than what we normally think of as ‘hormones’and their action.
I’ve never had any unusual side affects or withdrawal. The most that happens is ease in falling asleep and sometimes unusual dreams. I’m not groggy or anything like that the next day.
I had intense, heart pounding nightmares as well. Definitely not for me.
The max dose of melatonin I can take is 3mg. Anything higher than that and I have a sleep hangover for 1/2 the next day.
Took a 10mg once and was ruined for the entire next day.
Don’t misunderstand: I’m an avid proponent of melatonin and use it semi-regularly, but we have a tendency of overdoing it when we find something that works just a little too well.
Melatonin requires a prescription overseas, because it’s classed as a “hormone,” but yeah, in consistent doses, it’s very effective.
So melatonin is not the cure for everyone.
I’ve tried it a few times, and it may have helped some but not every time. I have more success with a couple of Tums or Gaviscon. (Which makes me wonder how much sleep issues are due to stomach and digestion problems. Some, I know, but wonder if it’s significant.)
I hit a period where I could not get to sleep because of everything on my plate. My mind would just spin. I tried Melatonin and it helped a lot. It didn’t just make me sleepy, it took my anxiety away. I took 3 mg whenever I was just staring at the ceiling. Life changer and got me through that time. I still take it occasionally if I am not at all sleepy around 11 pm.
Take a walk....a little exercise and sunshine does wonders.
Melatonin definitely makes you sleep, hard. But I think the higher doses affect other systems negatively. You only need a little to sleep like a rock.
Melatonin helps me with dream sleep, which I need, but never to the point of nightmares. I take 10mg pernight and it’s a Godsend for me.
Nightmares were horrible as a result of trauma events during the day, but not as a result of melatonin. It was lack of good sleep that caused me to start taking melatonin.
Some prescription drugs DO have a nightmare effect on me but melatonin isn’t one of them.
bump for reference
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