#TroubleSleeping?
You’re not the only one.
While there are some lucky people out there who can fall asleep as soon as their head hits a pillow, most of us just aren’t that fortunate. About 1 in 5 adults have trouble sleeping.
While issues with sleep might be pretty common — that doesn’t mean that they’re not serious. The consequences of poor sleeping patterns can be severe, leading to a higher risk of diseases like diabetes, and problems with high blood pressure.
So, what can you do about these problems?
Well, the best option would be to improve your sleep hygiene and take a long-term strategic approach to adjusting your rest cycles. However, if you’re looking for more of a quick fix, you may have considered using melatonin for sleep.
Melatonin supplements are a popular solution around the world for people who struggle with everything from jet lag to insomnia. The question is, how do they work — and are they the right sleeping aid for you?
What is melatonin? The basics
If you’ve struggled with sleep for a while, then you’ve probably heard of #Melatonin before.
Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by the brain’s pineal gland. Most people get a regular dose of melatonin every day, which signals to their body that it’s time to shut down and get some rest.
When the melatonin in your brain leaves the pineal gland, it links up with the receptors in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. This causes the clock in your brain to slow down a little, signalling that you’re ready to go to sleep. Melatonin will build up in your mind naturally about 14 to 16 hours after you wake up — often when it’s darker outside and your body senses that it’s time to drift off.
So, is using #SleepingPills like melatonin a good idea?
Well, it depends. There’s a lot of evidence to suggest that melatonin can help you to drift off quicker and stay asleep for longer. In one analysis of 19 studies on people with sleeping disorders, scientists discovered that melatonin could reduce the time taken to fall asleep by about 7 minutes on average. Additionally, the people in these studies reported that they achieved a higher quality of sleep too.
Melatonin also seems to be a particularly beneficial form of sleep aid for people who have issues caused by temporary problems with their circadian rhythm. For instance, if you come back home after a vacation, and you’re worried about jet lag, Melatonin can help to get your natural cycle back on track. There are also various other advantages associated with melatonin, like:
- Better eye health: High levels of natural melatonin improve your access to antioxidants that protect you against degenerative eye diseases.
- Reduced risk of heartburn and ulcers: Melatonin’s antioxidants also help with the treatment of stomach ulcers and heartburn, increasing quality of life.
- Managing tinnitus: Some studies show that an extra dose of melatonin in your system can lead to fewer issues with tinnitus — particularly at night.
- Fewer symptoms of seasonal depression: Extra melatonin might be a good way to manage the condition of seasonal depression.
- Reducing your diabetes risk: Low melatonin levels may be a risk factor for diabetes, meaning that improving your levels could also help to protect you against diabetes.
Are there any problems with taking melatonin?
While melatonin has a lot of benefits to offer as a #SleepAid, it won’t be the right solution for everyone.
Just like any supplement or medication, you can take today, exposing your body to higher doses of melatonin means increasing your risk of unwanted side effects. What’s more, we don’t have enough research available into melatonin right now to prove that it’s safe to take long-term.
Many experts agree that it should be relatively safe to take melatonin for periods of up to 3 months. However, the experience that you have with this medication may vary according to your age and the sleeping conditions that you suffer from.
Even if it turns out that taking melatonin for sleep is a relatively safe process, there’s always a chance that you can suffer from issues like nausea, headaches, dizziness, and other side effects. The more you take melatonin, and the higher your dose is, the more likely it is that your side effects may become more severe.
Some people in the scientific community also believe that people who expose themselves to too much extra melatonin could end up making it difficult for their body to produce the substance naturally. Certain studies have argued that this isn’t the case, but overall, more research is necessary to determine just how safe and effective melatonin might be.
Should you take melatonin for sleep?
When it comes to finding the right #SleepHelp for your circumstances, it’s difficult to know for certain whether melatonin will be the right option for you.
Although some people believe that this substance is beneficial for people who have temporary problems with their sleeping rhythm, other studies have shown that melatonin might not be as safe or effective as it seems.
Ultimately, if you’re struggling with poor sleep, the best thing you can do is look for a long-term resolution to your problem, rather than a quick fix. Improving your sleep hygiene and getting support from your doctor will be better for you in the long term than dosing yourself up with melatonin — or any other sleeping pill.
To learn more about using melatonin for sleep, check out our latest guide. If you want to dive deeper into the world of sleep with us, you can also find a range of guides and articles available on siestio.com
Siestio. Sleep matters.
