Melatonin Supplement Warnings
Question: Should I take melatonin supplements regularly to help me sleep?
Mimi: I do not advocate the use of melatonin supplements except on a few occasions. They are helpful if your sleep cycle is totally off because of a drastic change in sleep/wake pattern. I find melatonin supplements helpful for jet lag.
I am advising us to go to bed earlier to enjoy the dark and to rise in the daylight. The following gives some of the reasons that we may not want to take pills:
Studies from Massachusetts Institute of Technology have said that melatonin pills sold as supplements contain three to ten times the amount needed to produce the desirable physiologic nocturnal blood melatonin level for a more rapid sleep onset. Dosages are designed to raise melatonin levels for several hours to enhance quality of sleep, but some studies suggest that smaller doses (for example 0.3 mg as opposed to 3 mg) are just as effective.
Large doses of melatonin can even be counterproductive: Lewy et al. provide support to the "idea that too much melatonin may spill over onto the wrong zone of the melatonin phase-response curve" (PRC). In one of their blind subjects, 0.5 mg of melatonin was effective while 20 mg was not. Some unwanted effects in some people, especially at high doses (~3 mg/day or more) may include: headaches, nausea, next-day grogginess or irritability, hormone fluctuations, vivid dreams or nightmares] and reduced blood flow.
Products containing melatonin have been available over-the-counter as a dietary supplement in the United States since before 1994. In many other countries, sale of the hormone remains illegal or requires a prescription, and the U.S. Postal Service lists melatonin among items prohibited by Germany.
Melatonin can cause drowsiness, and therefore caution should be shown when driving, operating machinery, etc.
Taken 30 to 90 minutes before bedtime, melatonin supplementation acts as a mild hypnotic. It causes melatonin levels in the blood to rise earlier than the brain's own production accomplishes. This usage is now commonly used in sleep and relaxation drinks.
Some supplemental melatonin users report an increase in vivid dreaming. Extremely high doses of melatonin (50 mg) dramatically increased REM sleep time and dream activity in both people with and without narcolepsy. Many psychoactive drugs, such as cannabis and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), increase melatonin synthesis. It has been suggested that nonpolar (lipid-soluble) indolichallucinogenic drugs emulate melatonin activity in the awakened state and that both act on the same areas of the brain.
Individuals who experience orthostatic intolerance, a cardiovascular condition that results in reduced blood and blood flow to the brain when a person stands, may experience a worsening of symptoms when taking melatonin supplements, a study at Penn State College of Medicine's Milton S. Hershey Medical Center suggests. Melatonin can exacerbate symptoms by reducing nerve activity in those who experience the condition, the study found.
The use of melatonin derived from animal pineal tissue may carry the risk of contamination or the means of transmitting viral material. The synthetic form of this medication does not carry this risk.
You know the routine for a good night’s sleep: no late night exercise or TV; eat a light snack; unwind with a warm bath and a routine; and sleep in a cool bedroom. Say your prayers or meditate to calm your spirit. Let go of the worries and cares of the day, both the day past and the day arriving. In AA, you would be told to turn it over to your Higher Power.
Go to www.INTERNATIONALdayspa.com to read past columns. Find the column on Sleep Yourself Well.
Mimi Barre is the owner of International Day Spa, 325 Cajon St., Redlands.
Send your skin care questions to her at MimiB@INTLdayspa.com. She and her estheticians are available for personal consultations. (909) 793-9080. Past columns of Ask Mimi are on the web at www.INTERNATIONALdayspa.com.
