Email a Friend
Print Article
Melatonin: A Safe Sleep Supplement?
A recent comment had several questions about Melatonin and I thought it may be best to describe it more in blog format. Here are the basics:
The next question might be: Well if it may work then should I just try it and see?
My answer is: "Well, it depends" and here is why:
Proceed with caution and and the assistance of a qualified sleep specialist before using Melatonin.
Related Topics: Melatonin Modestly Effective For Sleep, Stopping Jet Lag Before It Starts
Technorati Tags: melatonin, sleep
- Melatonin is made by the body's pineal gland.
- When the sun goes down, darkness activates the pineal, and melatonin production begins. Melatonin has been called the "Dracula Hormone"
- As melatonin levels in the blood rise, we also become less alert - and sleepy.
- Melatonin is available as a dietary supplement, synthetic melatonin is the only hormone sold in the United States without a prescription. Thus it is not harvested from animal pineal glands, but made synthetically.
- In many cases it is manufactured from organic substances, one of which is cow vomit.
- Light and darkness can be important factors in natural melatonin release. In addition to sunlight, artificial indoor lighting can be bright enough to prevent its release.
- Studies where Melatonin has been shown to be effective include: Travelers for Jet Lag, and Shiftworkers, however these were very controlled dosages at certain times.
- Research on insomnia however has not been very clear cut.
- Some studies show Melatonin helps shorten the time it takes to fall asleep and reduce the number of awakenings and other research shown little to no effect.
The next question might be: Well if it may work then should I just try it and see?
My answer is: "Well, it depends" and here is why:
- For melatonin to be effective, you will require the correct dosage, and to take it at the right time of day for your sleep problem. That means you should see a sleep professional about its use and dosage.
- There is also the question of safety and purity. In most countries, including Canada, use of Melatonin is closely regulated and requires a prescription written by a physician. In the U.S, it is not regulated as a medicine. Since it is not regulated by the FDA, the dosage listed on the bottle may not be accurate, may not be pure, and side effects at these dosages may not have been determined. The producer does not have to do any of that with unregulated drugs. Further, melatonin can increase blood pressure and affect fertility in animals, which may mean similar problems can occur in humans..
Proceed with caution and and the assistance of a qualified sleep specialist before using Melatonin.
Related Topics: Melatonin Modestly Effective For Sleep, Stopping Jet Lag Before It Starts
Technorati Tags: melatonin, sleep
165 Comments:
Could it be that some people are nocturnal? I have tried melatonin and it caused nightmares and horrendous sleep for me.
I can stay away all night long, and be in a completely dark room, but once the sunlight hits, all I want to do is sleep. I have been this way for years. I don't sleep during the day, but live a "normal" life and work during the day and do my best to sleep at night. Is there such a thing as a human being nocturnal?
I have a daughter like that. She has a heck of a time sleeping at night, she always has. Sleeping remedies don't work. She is now 18 and sleeps when she's tired and plans her day around it. It's hard for "normal" people to understand though.
Personally, if I'm not in bed by 10 pm, I can forget going to bed before 6 am because I wake up. I can't fall asleep. So, we're pretty weird here too.
I've tried everything over the counter, herbal, and prescriptions. Ambien and Lunesta work best for me. Without either of them I can go days without sleeping more than 2-3 hours per night and it's not a restfull sleep.
I take 6 mg of melatonin every night and fall asleep usually within 45 minutes and sleep well through the night. I've been doing this for two years and haven't noticed any side effects.
Due to fibromyalgia type symptoms I had 3 mg of Melatonin recommended to me several years ago by an M.D. certifiend in internal medicince who also studies alternative therapies. I sleep quite soundly, get up refreshed. It works for me, and haven't noticed adverse side effects.
Dave
I, too, have fibromyalgia and have very poor sleep. I read an article about melatonin and its benefits, so I thought I'd try it. The first night I took it (the only night) I fell asleep fine, but then tossed and turned violently all night, to the point where I literally pulled all the covers off my bed. I slept very poorly. I won't try it again. I can't afford to lose what little sleep I get!
I have also experienced nightmares when taking melatonin. My other half uses but does not suffer from any side effects. For me, what works best is lavendar linen spray on my pillow.
Melatonin gives me night sweats after about the third night.
I took melatonin once and I was woken up about an hour after I fell asleep and I felt like what I think it feels like to be stoned. I didnt feel very good the next day either.
I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO SLEEP.I NEVER KNOW WHAT TIME I WILL FALL ASLEEP,HOW MANY TIMES I WILL WAKE UP DURING THIS SLEEP OR HOW LONG I WILL SLEEP BEFORE WAKING AND NOT BEING ABLE TO GO BACK TO SLEEP AT ALL.I ALWAYS FEEL TIRED.AMBIEN WORKS BEST FOR ME BUT MY DOCTOR DOES NOT LIKE FOR ME TO TAKE IT ALL THE TIME.I TRIED MELATONIN YEARS AGO. I DON'T REMEMBER IF THERE WERE SIDE AFFECTS.I JUST REMEMBER I STARTED HEARING SO MUCH BAD ABOUT IT, THAT I STOPPED TAKING IT.
I have used Melatonin for a couple of years or more and I've discovered that it is pretty powerful for me. That is, a very small dosage will usually make me drowsy in about 20 minutes or so. I buy the lowest dosage I can find and cut the tablets into half or quarters, to that I'm taking less than 1 mg. If I take more I have a headache when I get up and I'm groggy and slow to get going. My biggest problem is going to sleep, and staying asleep. Melatonin helps me get to sleep, but sometimes I will wake up once in the night, anyway. Sometimes, not.
This post has been removed by a blog administrator.
It is now 2:51 A.M. My boyfriend decided to try melatonin to help him sleep after wathcing T.V. right before bed or doing some sort of exciting task that stimulates his brain too much. I came down with a cold and didn't sleep well the night prior so I had some too. We both took 3 Mg. He is upstairs sound asleep and I haven't been able to fall asleep since. This has NEVER happened to me before--sick or not. I have to assume its the melatonin.
I have a serious sleeping.i will take ambien one nite and melotonin the next . This back and forth taking after certian periods of time make me crazed! I seriously can not take the constant bad dreams if i sleep and habit forming dependency. Can any suggest the right therapy because reg MD's dont not specialize in sleep disorders.
if i take more than 1/2 of a 3 mg melatonin tablet at bedtime my stomach cramps the next day.
I'm in need of something safe to help me get a good nights rest. A co-worker recommended Melatonin so I thought I'd research it further. After reading some of these comments I'm terrified I'll experience the nightmares. What should I do?
I'm in need of something safe to help me get a good nights rest. A co-worker recommended Melatonin so I thought I'd research it further. After reading some of these comments I'm terrified I'll experience the nightmares. What should I do?
Hmmm, I wonder what's worse...the possibility of nightmares or the possibility of high blood pressure, bad heart, headaches, etc., bad health in general because you don't get a health amount of sleep???
3 mg works for me. I sleep well, but it always takes awhile for me to fall asleep. With the melatonin, I drop right off. I have noticed that after a week or so it tends to have less effect. so I go off for a week, then go back on. result = zzz's in 15 minutes.
I started taking 3 mg of Melatonin per night in early January to help me sleep better. After 2 months I first noticed a suite of side effects, including one spell of wooziness, a very rapid heartbeat each day, and rapid breathing. Also, I felt extremely tired ALL the time. I stopped cold and 2 weeks later I feel great.
For three years I have had difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. I now have fibromyalgia and I am pretty miserable. I have had three sleep studies done and have been told I have sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome.I already knew I have chronic rhinitis. I have tried medications, supplements, and changes in diet and in my bedroom. I have now created a "cocktail" I am experimenting with. Benedryl, Requip, extra strength tylenol and lunesta taken about 15 minutes apart before bed. Anyone have any experience or comments about this? I fall asleep and sleep about 3-4 hours. I am thinking of adding melatonin. Any ideas out there?
I just took an ambien and nothing then I took another half and still nothing. i had a sleepless night last night too. I have some melatonin. How would it react to the ambien I have already taken?
I NEED to sleep but I am afraid of waking up and having a hangover from all this stuff.
I've been taking melatoonin for at least 3 years, for periods of several months at a time. The key for me is to take it around the time I want to go to sleep. Whether I am tired or not after taking it, I will go to bed, and "shut down." It works great for me and I don't even know the time I fell asleep. It happens so naturally.
On another note, there have been studies that show regular use of melatonin naturally decreases elevated BP. Unless you consider the effects life threatening, perhaps people should try it for a week because those "side effects" may either subside with time, or may just be a manifestation of anxiety over having a "foreign substance" in your body.
I'm so desperate to get a good night's sleep that I'm willing to explore and try several options including the use of melatonin. Like a pervious poster said what could be worse the possiblity of nightmares or a life long series of health problems due to lack of sleep. I've had sleep problem since childhood due to a chaotic childhood and know much of my sleeping problems are rooted in that. I've been reading comments about melatonin both good and bad and have come to the conclusion that there is more to gain than isn't and if I have a few side effects so be it. If I sleep well I'll try and get past the side effects. The drugs I've tried are addicting so the last thing I need is a drug addiction. Wish me luck with melatnoin.
I took only 2mgs last night for the first time, and I definitely felt weird...it sort of felt like my head was "quaking" for a bit, and my heart beat seemed kind of irregular, but mostly I felt groggy. And since i have been having such a difficult time sleeping (I think its due to stress)that despite these MILD effects, I still thought being able to fall asleep was a beautiful thing! It took me about 45 minutes to fall asleep, when lately I have been waiting atleast three hours even though I feel exhausted. Perhaps people are taking too high of a dosage? Perhaps that, in combination of anxiety from fear of side effects, may be causing people to have such a bad experience with melatonin. I dont know what I would have felt like had I taken 3mgs. The rep at the vitamin store told me to experiment with 1mg pills...And as for the nightmares, which is what I was most afraid of...Well, I dreamt a sales lady sold my dress to another women after I had asked her to put it on hold...ha ha ha...I'll let you know if they get any worse than that. Hopefully people dont start posting the contents of their dreams, I was just trying to make a point. It worked for me, but good luck everyone.
You are all loons. Melatonin works very well. I fall asleep in a hour, taking around 4 mg. I am 16.
The only "side effect" i have is sometimes remembering my dreams. The are all good dreams. Like to do with everyday stuff.
Loons?
It's great that it works for you but it doesn't for me (and makes me nauseous). What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for the next and vice versa.
I've been taking melatonin dual release for a few months, I think it works well, AND I went to the doctor a week ago and my BP was lower than it's been in a couple years. I noticed the comment about it possibly lowering BP, which was great. But sometimes I think the melatonin releases and makes me tired in the mid morning, either that, or it's really relaxing me and lowering my anxiety level, which naturally would make a person tired.
I have a problem waking up at 4 am and not being able to go back to sleep. I also have trouble getting to sleep at times. A 1 mg cut in half together with a .3 mg extended release work well for me. No problems or side effects other than being calmer during the day.
Is is bad or addicting that I HAVE to take a melatonin every night to fall asleep. I wake up in the morning, and drink coffee. I could fall right back to sleep after I drink my coffee. But don't b/c I have work or school. And later that night, when it is time to go to sleep, I can't. I guess I am worried about stuff or think too much. So I have to take a melatonin every night. Is this a bad habit? Is it the same as having to take a tylenol PM to go to sleep every night?
I am out of melatonin, so that explains why I am posting this comment at 3:00 AM on a Sunday night...
I can sleep deeply and restfully on 1 mg of Melatonin a night. However, every time I take it more than 2 nights in a row, I end up spotting for about a month, so it definitely effects my hormonal balance. I think it's best used occasionally, not every night. Anonymous
I tried Melotonin last week after my mom suggested it. I used 1/2 the recommended dosage and was drowsy, however, I did not sleep through the night and I had horrible nightmares. I waited a few days and tried it again and still had bizarre dreams and nightmares. I am throwing it out.
i pound tylenol pm like candy cause im temp on night shift...
ive read the comments...
i bought 3mg tabs
i usually eat at 11am and then take 2-4 ty pm to sleep...
im gonna replace ty pm with
one 3mg melatonin
ill let you know......
I have always had a hard time falling asleep..can't shut down the brain! I used to take Tylenol PM but I never felt really awake until noon the following day! For the past year I have been taking 3mg Melatonin, then a warm shower...by the time I get out of the shower and under the covers, I'm just feeling groggy and fall asleep within minutes. I'm up and wide awake by 5am and feeling terrific...time for a nice power-walk!
i have intense nightmares when i take melatonin. well, when i take most any sleep aid, but it's worst with melatonin. i wake up feeling pain from things that happened in the nightmares and then startle myself awake for the rest of the night because i keep hallucinating. but i don't know what else to do because i'm such an insomniac. i guess to each there own.
I think that some people are indeed nocturnal. I feel very alert yet relaxed after sun down and can work or do anything else with high efficiency the rest of the night. During the bright daylight hours I'm nervous, tired, sleepy, and irritable. I've been this way all my life. But we live in a 9-5 world dominated by "morning people". The very best way I've found to adapt is 3 mg of Melatonin every night about 30 min before I try to sleep (and earplugs when necessary). I've noticed it makes my eyes actually heavy. When I first started using it several years ago it gave me very vivid dreams which was fun but it doesn't do that anymore. I still have to drink a lot of coffee to make it through the day but at least now I can have as much sleep as I want (providing I have the time) without laying in bed awake for hours and hours. The fact that melatonin doesn't work for everyone tells me that there are different reasons for insomnia. If in most people the light makes them active and the dark makes them sleepy is it so hard to conceive of this process somehow being reversed in some people?
I have been taking Melatonin for about 3 years. I use the 2.5mg sub-lingual formula which you place under your tongue at bedtime. This type is faster acting and enters your bloodstream faster. It is not metablized by the liver as the swallowed tablet type is. It comes in several flavors. I usually fall asleep within 10-15 minutes. I do find that, after about 3 weeks of taking it everynight, it looses some effectiveness, so I use Benedryl as a sleep aid a few nights a week and Melatonin the reast. So far....so good. I sleep good and awake rested.
I have had insomnia for years but the past few months have been really bad. I was taking an otc (over the counter) sleep aid but decided to try midnights, it is 1.5 mg melt-aways you can buy otc in the USA. I am amazed how well it works for me. Within 1/2 hour and usually less my eyes get very heavy and I just want to lay down and close them. I dont even have to lay down after I take it until I feel these effects. Once I do lay down, it puts me to sleep quickly. I also wake much more refreshed than when I took an OTC sleep aid. However, many nights, almost every night, I still wake at around 4ish and cant fall back to sleep. It says on the box that you can take it any time of the night but allow 3 hours to sleep. I need to wake at 6:30 am so I cant take another melatonin after 4, I dont want to be too groggy to drive my daughter to school. However the 4 hours or so sleep I get before I rewake are like heaven to me. It is a relaxing restful sleep, with normal dreams if I remember them at all. I still plan to go to the dr on Monday though to see if there is something better than melatonin that is non addicting with no next day grogginess, but I doubt anything will work quite as well, this is the best thing I have found so far. I will ask him how safe this is for daily use and what the maximum dosage I can safely take in case I start to need more. Also I want to ask him if its safe for my 10 year old as she is like her mother, an insomniac also. I actually think we are just 'night people' but like someone else said in this 9 to 5 world, you cant be.
Is it because I stopped smoking pot 3 weeks ago (cold turkey) after 11 years I am having sleeping issues & anxiety. I just lye in bed waiting & waiting to fall asleep. How long will this last?
Go back to the pot. alot safer than any drug.. i say this as i pop a lunesta
Does anybody know if melatonin is addictive? I've been trying to stop taking it and once I get into bed at night I get worried I won't be able to sleep and take one just to be "safe" and know I'm going to fall asleep. I don't know if I need it physically or mentally now?
Do I just fight myself to go to sleep and live with it?
I am out of lunesta, I am out of benedryl... I let myself run out because (I've been taking the first for six months and been taking benedryl, geee, for as long as I can remember) I allowed my husband give me the, "you just have to make yourself go to bed dear" talk. He does not understand what it's like to stay up for 2-3 days... You WANT to sleep, but you just can't. I'm going to buy some melatonin tomorrow- And call my doctor about the lunesta or trying something else. I have been this way all my life, but it wasn't a problem when I was single and could plan my life around my sleep. Just venting, sorry.
Take omega 3 fish oil about 30 or 45 minutes before bed. It helps me relax.
Anyone ever thought their insomnia was caused by some underlying issue...perhaps depression; stress; or bipolar???? Instead of just treating the insomnia try going to see a shrink once or twice and see if this isnt linked to another disorder. Then maybe we can all get a good nights sleep... I had one of those before and god did it feel great the next morning =)
I have a scrip. for Lunesta and havent used it because Iam afraid stupid aye. I am in Police work and dont want to be addicted to any sleep aid... I bought some melatonin and now my dumb but is afraid to take that reading all these comments anyone got any advise......
My Dr. recommended I take Melatonin since I have the worse time falling asleep; I didn't like it at all. I had vivid dreams and kept waking up all through the night. A while back I used Valerian; this seemed to work really well (you have to give it a couple days to get in your system); it's not addictive and I didn't wake up in the middle of the night nor did I have any nightmares. Another product I tried before was Sleep MD; this worked really well also. I think I'll be switching to either of these now and throw the Melatonin away.
I'd like to know why Dr.'s won't prescribe Valium. I have tried that (someone gave me some) and it is wonderful. It relaxes you and makes for a great sleep and you don't feel groggy at all the next day. I would wake up refreshed and feeling great. If a Dr. will prescribe Ambien, etc. and these drugs can be habit forming, why won't they prescribe Valium?
okay so i'm fifteen and i've been told i have a case of insomnia i have extreme problems falling asleep and have had problems with this scince i was six. i have been using ambien for about four months. my doctor just made me discontinue my usage of ambien because she said its not for long term use and can be bad for your brain, im trying melatonin tonight, but im skeptical because i tryed it about two years ago with little result, i took a melatonin suplement and drank a cup of chamamille tea. i dont know if this will work but i have 2 months until i get to see a 'sleep specialist' and im despret, and open for ideas, or suggestions as to anything i could use to make me sleep... any ideas???
I have fibromyalgia. I have tried a few remedies. The only thing I have found that works is Ambien. It gives me 5 hours sleep. I can fall asleep without med, but I can not stay asleep. I'm wondering if I can take Melatonin and Ambien.
I take melatonin when I need to adjust my sleep schedule for work. I'm a freelance editor, so I typically work 2-3 months on (9 to 5) and then have a month off. During that month off, I always find myself slipping into a nocturnal schedule, and correcting that without a sleep aid is a total pain in the butt
Melatonin is the only thing I've taken that knocks me out and doesn't make me groggy in the mornings. Any synthetic sleep medication makes me a zombie for the entirety of the next day. The only issue I have with melatonin is the nightmares I get after taking it. They're not very bad; they're just not pleasant.
My advice to people who don't want to take synthetic sleep aids is the try chamomile tea and some valerian root supplements an hour before bed. I used to brew the chamomile and the valerian root together and use honey to cover up the bad taste. If that isn't strong enough (it only worked for about a week in my case), switch to 1 mg of melatonin, and if you still can't sleep, up it to 3 mg the next night. Just make sure that you do all of these things at the same time every night, or your body clock will end up confused and your insomnia will get worse.
Hope this helps.
I'm 60 years old have been taking Melatonin for 12 years and it has always worked for me. I started with 5 mg., but, now I can take less than 3 mg (I cut them up into pieces), with the same results. Some nights, though, I still need the 3 mg. My concern now is that I read an article which states that if you take Melatonin for an extended period of time, your body stops creating Melatonin. Is this true? I tried to stop taking it, but, became anxious about not sleeping, and ended taking it anyway. So, will I need to take Melatonin for the rest of my life?
I too have sleep problems from both chronic pain and PTSD. I am going to try Melotonin so I decided to look it up. I see a lot of people complaining about the side effect 'nightmares' Something I am on and revere is "Prazosin". Works wonders on nightmares brought on by PTSD so it might work with 'Melotonin' as well.
Valerian root. Stuff smells (in your best british accent) "nosty"! but it will calm you noticeably. think it is also the natural form of pharma cos modeled valium after if i heard or read right...
Melatonin: It's odd to see that so many have experienced nightmares.? I partied my face off during my mid 20's and the effect of that left me with the inability to sleep consistently.I'm 33 now. I've taken melatonin for about the past 2 years. Works really quite well for me. I however have quite pleasant & vivid dreams though. here's the kicker... 8 of 10 times the dreams are sexual. I've been through some dark times before that would make me a candidate for some dimented dreams, but the dreams are usually pleasant and help me feel like i solved something...? I'm married, have a decent sex life, and if i don't take melatonin, i don't dream. that i know of...
On the side, I too have experienced rapid heartbeat before i fall asleep, kinda like a rush of warmth, the tinitus in my ears becomes a bit more acute for a sec and my eyes get drowsy. But then, I'm fixing to fall asleep.
If your wheelz are turnin at night you haven't used all your energy that day. You got things to figure out, exercise or take care of... Bet.
Make sure that your sleeplessness is not caused by bipolar mania, endocrine disorders (hyper-thyroid or hyper-adrenal) or other physical causes. I think Melatonin is great, especially when getting day/night sleep/wake cycles straight, but long term, for a person who CAN sleep, I'm not sure it's the best idea.
Establishing a bedtime routine - warm bath, aromatherapy, chamomile tea, soft music can be very conducive to sleep - especially if the true problem is over-stimulation or stress.
I was reading about Delayed Sleep Pattern Disorder....I suggest some of you look into it. This gets confused with Insomnia alot. Great read and finally had some answers to my sleep problems.
And like all problems..when you can identify it...you can aim to fix it a little clearer. hope that that helps any of you who are like me....which i know you are here...lol.
I have slept poorly for about the last 6 years. I am 40. Last summer I had a sleep study done and was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea. I had an oral device made (it holds my jaw at a certain angle to make breathing while asleep better). For the most part, that has solved a lot of my sleep problems, and my family is VERY happy that I no longer snore. If I need some occassional help falling/staying asleep I will take 3mg of Melatonin. If I take it for more than a week or so straight, I stay pretty dopey during the day, but OH what a treat to fall asleep quickly and stay asleep!
I have slept poorly for about the last 6 years. I am 40. Last summer I had a sleep study done and was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea. I had an oral device made (it holds my jaw at a certain angle to make breathing while asleep better). For the most part, that has solved a lot of my sleep problems, and my family is VERY happy that I no longer snore. If I need some occassional help falling/staying asleep I will take 3mg of Melatonin. If I take it for more than a week or so straight, I stay pretty dopey during the day, but OH what a treat to fall asleep quickly and stay asleep!
The Doctor's comment in this article about Canada is NOT correct. Melatonin does not require a prescription in Canada - it can be purchased at any health food store.
For Anonymous who asked why s/he couldn't be prescribed Valium for his/her sleep difficulties: Rozerem, Lunesta and Ambien are all designed to aid sleep and thought to have a very low risk of addiction. Valium, on the other hand, is a benzodiazepine, all of which are extremely addictive even in tiny doses. They are also meant to be used for anxiety and as a tranquilizer. Your doctor or psychiatrist is usually quite unwilling to prescribe any benzo purely because of the high risk of dependence.
Now, my question: more than a decade ago I heard of Melatonin as a sleep aid, but never tried it, in part because I wasn't having so much trouble then, but also because I heard that there is some danger in taking it if one is also taking an SSRI. I'm on an SNRI now, but the question still holds; did I get bad information, or is there some risk with either an SSRI or an SNRI? I have gone ahead and tried it and results there are also mixed: I've found 1mg is not enough but 2 will get it, SOMETIMES. I think I've been taking it regularly, so it shouldn't be that, but I think some people said there was a certain window of time in which one had to go to bed. I'm guilty of liking to stay up and watch the late shows to the exclusion of any prescribed bed time. One more question: I DO deal with bipolar and many times my depression has been worse than usual; could the Melatonin be the cause? I had to stop taking Lunesta (Rozerem didn't help at all) because of that exact problem.
By the way, all those who said they're using Tylenol PM: that product is nothing but acetaminophen (generic Tylenol) and diphenhydramine (generic Benadryl). No sense in paying beaucoups for combination drugs when you can buy the generics separately and more cheaply and use them separately or together as you need.....
Hi boys and girls.
I am a 46-year-old male, and a longtime sufferer of insomnia (all of my adult life).
My sister-in-law gave me 5mg melatonin to try a couple of days ago, and I have now used it for the last 2 nights. It is working for me so far. I did have pretty vivid dreams last night, but not nightmares. From my limited experience, it seems to really help.
I have problems sleeping as well. Sometimes melatonin works great, sometimes not. It's about getting the right dose. Too much can cause vivid dreams or nightmares. My cortisol level is high at night too. This is when its suppose to be low..so it's like drinking coffee at night. You can check this by getting a saliva test from a naturopathic doctor. It is also related to thyroid and the endocrine system in many cases.
I travel extensively, often times to completely opposite time zones. I take 1 Tylenor PM with 2 Melatonins (3mg) when I need to sleep wherever I am. This works for me very well with jet lag problems as well as other days when I need to get an extra help to fall a sleep and stay sleep. I have been doing this for over 3 years. Lately, I am noticing that I am waking up soaked in sweat. I am assuming this must be related to my age (49 yr old female). I just wanted to know if there are any major side effects with mixing Tylenor PM with Melatonin.
My wife and I take Melatonin every nite about 15 minutes before going to bed....no nightmares, just sleep.
Have to admit that it's ok with us.
Mitch & Patt
Went to the doctor MARCH 3, 2008 to consult about a violent sleep disorder that manifests itself in older males. After researching this disorder, we (wife and I) heard about melatonin helping to stop the physical reactions to natural dream states. After successfully experiencing deeper ( and non violent) sleep, we went to the doctor to see if this condition might be linked to other serious conditions (dimentia and/or Parkinson's). He prescribed CLONAZEPAM and recommended stopping melatonin (saying it had many side effects), and also said that Clonazepam had no bad side effects.
Before we went to fill the prescription, we decided to search the internet for information. Incredibly BAD side effects were reported concerning the use of Clonazepam. Incredibly GOOD side - BENEFITS were reported with the use of melatonin. We also realized that the doseage on bottles (3mg does NOT equal .3mcg) should make everyone a wary consumer.
SO, we are in the process of searching the Internet for quality Melatonin in the doseage that works for us!
Good luck and do your homeowork!
Jim & Judy in New Jersey
Thats why melatonin kicks ass! I have been taking it for 3 years and I love the fact that you get to remember your dreams!!! I guess if you had a terrible upbringing or you were a depressed person maybe you wouldnt want to remember your dreams?? I have had a great life and to get to look back on it while sleeping is a bonus! : )
I took Melatonin one night, and didn't see much of a difference. I then took it two nights in a row the next week and barely noticed that I was getting to sleep slightly faster. However, the next day I seemed to become depressed. I stopped taking the Melatonin, and I still feel the effects of depression. I have insomnia and nothing I've tried has seemed to work for me other than a dose of liquid benedryl at night (the only problem with that is I stay tired for longer than I want).
I see that many of you who have tried melatonin are taking 3 MG to start with. I have been taking pills that are ONLY 3 MCG to start. That is 1/10th the dose of a 3MG pill! Maybe you are taking WAY too much. Start small, then increase.
I've been taking melatonin on and off for several years (along with Tylenol p.m. and sometimes, prescription meds). Never realized it could contribute to high blood pressure (which I already have). But I thought the nightmares were due to a crappy marriage (not kidding) but now, after reading these posts, I see that it's the melatonin. I will no longer take it!
It seems I can take up to 4-5 x 3mg doses of Melatonin and nothing happens. It is as if I am immune to the sleep-aid effects. It does give me a great dreaming experience though...
I sometimes take 1/3 to 1/2 of a milligram (mg), that is 300 to 500 micrograms (mcg) of melatonin, about 1 to 2 hours before I want to go to sleep. It works wonderful for my occasional insomnia. Too much melatonin can cause overly vivid dreams, those 3 mg tablets are just way too much for me. All these endless "medical" cautions about common everyday nutrients seem like just so much hype and FUD. If they really don't know about something, because they haven't done their research, they should not say anything about what they don't know about. "Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food " - Hippocrates. Nutraceuticals are the best way to go, most of the time, IMHO. I also turn the lights way down late at night and have a daylight lamp that comes on with a timer about 1 hour before I need to wake up, to help my body better manage it's own production of melatonin. SFrahm
I used to think I was nocturnal as well until I got a third shift job. Now I have the same problem trying to stay awake at night. Turns out work is just really boring and puts me to sleep no matter what time it is.
I have been using melatonin without consistancy for years. Only recently have I been taking one nightly. I sleep very well and naturally with melatonin, but have recently heard the connection between it and nightmares. I have very vivid dreams and occasionally nightmares, but never considered a connection. The dreams are more intense when life is more stressfull, so I don't blame melatonin alone. I will experiment some and perhaps lower my dose. I agree the helath benefits may override unpleasant dreams. Also, melatonin for me does not make me drowsy the next day where other things do. For me, I take a melatonin and allow myself ant least an hour to read a book, take a hot shower, or relax some other way to ease into sleep.
I used Melatonin for 3 yrs. never had a problem. Try doing some research on it, to actually find out more. Should be sleeping now & after reading all this I think I should get some more. I wonder if some of you took a plcebo would still feel high, speedy, & have nightmares? If your that worried & afraid don't take it. Take the medication made by the drug companies that do their so-called research so they have a reason to overcharge, & put the fear in the public about anything that is natural or that really helps so you'll buy their product,which usually have a long list of side effects! It was on the news that a person on one of these sleep aids mentioned here, actually drove 20 miles, killed someone, & went home & went to bed, they didn't remember a thing cause they where ASLEEP!! That was some good stuff, they didn't have a problem w/nightmares or sleeping on that medication! Also there is a cure for the common cold & flu! I've been using it succesfully, when needed, for the last 20+ years! It's been around since the 1800's. Now why doesn't the public know anything about this??
I take Melatonin about 20 min. before I want to fall asleep - I started out taking 3 mg., and then realized it was too much, and cut it into halves and quarters, and now I only take 1 mg., and it extremely effective. Sometimes I'll wake up around 4:00 a.m. for about 2-3 min., then fall right back asleep. I never feel groggy and I am so grateful we do not have to get a prescription in this country for this synthetic product - someone was asking me about it and said they didn't want to "mess" with taking hormones? Melatonin is a hormone that is produced naturally in our bodies when it becomes dark, AND it is found in small amounts in some meats and fruits; however, the production of this hormone is reduced as we get older. I am turing 40 this year, and still look great because I am able to get 7-8 hours of uninterrupted (mostly) sleep every night, and I wake up at 5:45-6:00 naturally a few min. before my alarm goes off, as the sunshine streams through the sides of my dark brown roman blinds! I love it, and I will continue to take take it.
Hi all. I had to post, because I tried one of those sleep md products with melatonin, and it was the wost nights sleepI have ever had... I had the scariest and most intense nightmares....awful. so now I am taking lunesta, the happy butterfly. 2 mg works great, 3 in bouts of severe insomnia. Good luck~!
I just wanted to say thank you to oharabrat, even though they may never read this. I always called my "condition" insomnia because I didn't have a better word and I had never heard of Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome. It never sat right with me though (calling it insomnia, that is) since I could sleep, just not like "normal" people. Reading about DSPS was like a reading a verbatim description of my sleep struggles. And you are right that knowing can help you deal. So thank you for pointing out DSPS.
I take been on Ambien 10MG for one year. How do I get it out of my body?
I use melatonin to get to sleep -but it can leave me "floatey" the next day; just a little slowed-up. recently I learned that cherries have melatonin in them, and they work for me, but even cherries can cause the "floatey" effect. I've been cutting down from 8 cherries before bed - to 4 to 2. 2 seems about right. Still works.
Those of you who say melatonin won't work may want to try lower dosages before you give it up completely. Most bottles seem to come in 3 mg, however we have a 300 microgram which is equal to .3 milligrams. I've read (online) that this is closer to our bodies natural melatonin levels, or at least what it is supposed to be at night. For those having nightmares and laying awake the next night try a lesser amount. Even 1 mg may be too much. It's like doing your own research. The sad fact is that everyone really is different and needs differnt things that work. Were all human and you would think that what works for one person should work for another, but if you think about it we are all in different environments exposed to different things and all eating a variety of foods (which I believe causes the problems to begin with). I've also read that eating cherries...in particular tart red cherry juice raises melatonin levels. My daughter takes melatonin every night (300 mcg). She is ADHD and is 10 now, but ever since she was born she has had trouble sleeping...which meant no sleep for parents at least until 1 or 2 am (dad had to quit school, I was always a grouch) Then, in 1st grade started taking Trazadone (sleep aid) we didn't know the opiate effects in the morning that developed were from the trazadone. We took her off and melatonin is sooo much better. Hope this helps.
Thanks to the last anonymous commenter. Your tips on melatonin may help me because I didn't have a good first experience with it and your explanation makes sense.
I travel overseas a lot, and work shift work. One week it might be on the graveyard shift, another - the day shift. I take 1/2 of a melatonin before going to bed at 11am and have a great sleep. I do wonder about its addictive affects (hence reading this post) but suspect that when my life gets back to 'normal' I wouldn't likely need it/forget to take it etc. So for now the melatonin works for me and I recommend it. But I do agree with the other posters, you don't necessarily need an entire pill. And as to its addictive affects, I did feel a bit stressed yesterday when I realized I didn't bring enough with me to the Philippines!! ;)
I was given melatonin from my Doctor due to my terrible sleep patterns because of my M.E. It gives me migranes and Nightmares but i do find it works though? The only thing is, the nightmares are so bad i actually get to scared to go back to sleep if i wake up in the middle of one, so um, that isn't brilliant!
I swear I'm nocturnal too. Tired, sleepy and irritable during the day, but once the sun goes down I'm wide awake until 4am. I've been forcing 'sleep' by drinking alcohol until I've got a buzz (and/or smoking a few hits of weed) and can sort of pass out and get a couple hours in before I have to drag myself out of bed and to school. Been considering trying some type of sleep aid, but don't want to get "hooked". Now I think I will go to my local health food store and try some Melatonin and Valerian Root, so thanks for the tips, info, and opinions everyone has posted.
Also, my dad's girlfriend took Lunesta for a while... caused extreme depression and suicidal thoughts. After the temptation to drive her car into a concrete bridge pillar on her way home from work, she went to her Doc the next day... and he told her that was becoming a fairly common side effect and to stop taking it immediately. Another friend of mine tried both Lunesta and Ambien, was very groggy, depressed, forgetful, and just felt "out of it all the time"... his Doc advised him to stop using too. So for anyone taking those, see your Doc if you start having those types of problems.
For those of you taking Benadryl or Tylenol PM on a nightly basis, you may want to talk to your doc also... they may be available OTC, but they are still drugs and have effects on your body. I just took physiology last semester and my Prof. went into detail about the effects that common drugs have on the body systems. If I'm remembering correctly, excessive Tylenol use can cause liver damage, and I'm sure there's other things that can happen. There are instructions and warnings on medication labels for a reason, people!
I forgot to add that this is not a new problem for me. I have been a night owl since I was a toddler, and have had issues with sleep and school/work schedules since I was a child. Looked up Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome... sounds exactly like what I'm dealing with. Also came across a few articles that say too little vitamin B-12 can also cause sleep issues, so a supplement may help.
OK people i have never taken melatonin but after reading comments on here i never will. i have a sleeping disoreder iv had it since 9 months the thing that has helped the most has been the book solve your child's sleep promblems by Richard Ferber, M.D. it can also help adults <3
I have taken Melatonin for a while now, but never more than 3mg. Last night, I took 6mg (as an experiment) and actually had two back-to-back nightmares for the first time in ten years. I also feel drowsy after 12 hours of sleep! Never doing that again.
I've been using 5mg of Melatonin, 2 Tylenol PM's, and 50mg of 5-Htp about 1 hour before bedtime. It works like a charm. I've been doing this for 1 - 1.5 years. I've never experienced any nightmares and typically get a very restful night's sleep, though I do still wake up during night. I can usually fall back asleep easily.
My doctor's prescribed prescription medicine's like Ambien, Ambien-CR and Lunesta, but my health insurance doesn't cover any of them.
I am concerned at the toll the long term use of so many pills may have on my liver, but without them, I don't sleep. And without sleep, I won't have a job or a husband any longer. I guess I need to keep the job and save my money to buy a liver in the future...because I bet my health insurance won't cover that either. As for the husband, I wonder if he could be a donor? :0)
Sorry, but what the heck are most of you people talking about? I have had nothing but GOOD experiences with Melatonin for over 6 years!
I'm a very light sleeper. I wake up at nearly any noise, discomfort, worry, or other distraction. I've always been so, and it makes a good night's sleep very hard to come by for
me. Not so much that I've ever sought professional treatment for it, but enough that it has had some effect on my work performance and other aspects of my school and personal
life. I'm a 38 year old male, 235 lbs, in average-to-good physical, mental, and emotional condition, and I always have been.
Also, I don't get into all that homeopathic voodoo herbs and muscle testing and positive/negative energy and that idiotic stuff. I'm an engineer by trade (and by DNA) and I believe something when it's proven to me through experiment, not through imagination and wishing for magical results. So what I say below is not something I hoped would be true or "believed" would work, it's something I tried off and on for a lont time and proved to myself the results of.
In 2001 I accepted a 3rd shift position that lasted 2 years. During that time I had a terrible time trying to sleep during the day so I could be functional at night. A co-worker
suggested Melatonin and it worked beautifully. Without it I would have a hard time falling asleep in the daytime, and I'd wake up 3 or 4 hours into it and not be able to fall
back asleep again. Then I'd have a horrible, non-productive (even dangerous) night at work and have to rely on lots of caffeine and other things I didn't want to use.
With 1 to 3 mg Melatonin I was able to fall asleep; typically within 45 minutes to an hour (if I didn't have too much in my stomach when I took it to slow the absorption rate),
and I was able to stay asleep for 6 to 7 hours. Not out-cold asleep like I'd never wake up at all, but nicely asleep where I slept comfortably and deeply, and if something did
wake me up (which used to be my nemesis) I still felt drowsy enough to fall back asleep for the remainder of the 6 to 7 hours.
I never, ever had a single nightmare, although I had significantly more dreams with Melatonin than without. And I never felt groggy, cloudy-headed, or anything when I got out of
bed 6 to 7 hours (sometimes 8 hours) later--I only woke up feeling rested and refreshed.
I've been on 1st shift again for several years now and don't really use it that much, but when I feel like I really need a good night's sleep and haven't been getting it (or
expect not to get it for some reason) I still take a 3 mg tablet right before bed and it helps me relax and sleep all night long with fewer occurrences of waking up, and a much
easier time falling back asleep when I do wake up.
Our government regulates the heck out of every dang thing they can get their hands on if there's even the slightest chance that someone will cry wolf about it, or if they see
the slightest opportunity to increase their greedy powergrip on aspects of American's lives. The fact that they haven't tells me two things: it's not dangerous enough to get
anyone's attention (notice I didn't claim there are no side effects at all), and there isn't enough money to potentially control or tax or regulate that they haven't had a keen
interest in it yet. Both of those reasons, in addition to my substantial personal experiement (6 to 7 years of occasional/infrequent use with NO noticeable side effects and only
positive results) are all the convincing I need to recommend it to every person I discover has trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.
I totally understand that the same substance can and will have different effects for different people, but I highly recommend anyone who has tried it and thinks it A.) didn't
work or B.) gave them negative side effects to try it again! Don't take it on a full stomach or it may not have much effect. Don't take it after you just had a Coke or other
caffeinated beverage within a few hours of bedtime--that will screw anyone up. Same thing goes for alcohol, only even more so (alcohol is known to disrupt brain activity and
throw off sleep patterns and cause restlessness). And maybe don't take and expect good results if you've just finished watching a stupid horror movie in the past week. ;)
I'm wide open to comments. I enjoy hearing what other people think in contribution to my thoughts or in rebuttal of my thoughts. I know I'm just one person with just one point
of view, but I know that my results were positive, significant, and real.
I've been using Melatonin, and other herbal relaxants such as valerian, kava and hops for many many years with success and very few side effects or complaints.
But, along the way, I started to take more Melatonin (was up to 3-4mg recently) probably due to tolerance buildup and yet didn't realize that was the very reason I was getting 'night sweats' and was 'thrashing' a bit as well, which materially affected my ability to get a sound sleep, and I was taking More melatonin in the attempt to sleep through them, which lead to more sweat and thrashing and grogginess the next morning..
Needless to say this 'round robin' wasn't working out, and that's why I came searching here for answers.
Thanks to all who posted, in aggregate they have helped point me in the right direction.
I'm now cutting Way back on the Melatonin, using only 0.5Mg, divided into 2, one piece an hour or so earlier, and one right at bedtime.
Short term results have been positive. NO more night sweats or thrashing, Yet, I slept continous and soundly for just under 8 hrs and woke up not feeling as groggy as I would with the higher dosages I was using prior..
So, the caveat is to watch our individual bodies response, and use the least dosage that's effective to avoid undue side effects. (btw, I never experienced nightmares, but did have good dreams.)
I hope that this positive outcome continues and will follow up with a later update post if relevant.
Yes, hands-down I do believe that some people are just nocturnal!
I've been taking melatonin since my sleep study in Nov 07. The Dr was hesitant to give me a Rx sleep aid right away. I started with the 3mg OTC Melatonin from GNC but that made me sleep for 14 hrs straight and made me feel "high" or "punch-drunk". So, I knocked down to 1mg dissolve-tabs and that worked much better. Childhood, I don't remember having many problems with sleep but definitely required 8-10 hr. In my adulthood these days (mid-30's), I'm lucky to get 6-7 hrs of "good" restful sleep and has mostly been very difficult for me to attain unless I exhaust myself. I've become a light sleeper, I wear earplugs but that just muffles the night noises. My husband and I sleep in separate rooms now because his snoring & night sweats have added to my sleep issues.
My sleep study proved I did not not have sleep apnea disorder but was labeled "problem sleeper because I don't know how to relax or de-stress. (Well, shahhh...maybe it's because I CAN'T SLEEP!!)
Now, my hair has begun to fall out in massive clumps every single day and my Dr's are suggesting that I discontinue use of Melatonin. Great, now I have to give up the one thing that was working for me...arrgghh!
Anyone else experiencing this?
I've been taking melatonin for 12 years and I do think it depends on the person taking it and what other illness may be associated with the person already to prove any significant assistance (ie depression). It does cause vivid dreaming not necessarily nightmares (depends on person) also if you are an individual who constantly experiences SP (sleep paralysis) I would recommend this product since it helps regulate your sleep cycle, I've also had problems with SP since I was 6-8 years old. Just make sure you stay as true to your sleep pattern as much as possible, it's hard work, but you'll benefit in the end.
melatonin did put me to sleep, but gave me the strangest side effects. stomach aches, nauseia, breathing problems, and low energy.
It works for me
I have a challenge from time to time of falling asleep at a reasonable time so I decided to try Melatonin 5 mg every other night sometimes nightly. I just purchased it over the counter. I remember using it as a teenager and it helped me to sleep peacefully. Now as an adult it does help me to fall asleep and not wake up prematurely so much but I do get the stomach cramps the next day in the evenings. I'm so thankful that this website was able to explain the side effects the bottle sure didn't. I now know what the stomach cramps are from.
I was a very light sleeper. I started taking 3mg of melatonin because I was having nocturnal hypertension. My blood pressure is fine during the day, but shoots up at night. I had researched and found out that melatonin puts you in a much deeper sleep which allows your smooth muscles to relax, hense lowering blood pressure at night. I have only been doing this for about 2wk but have noticed I sleep much deeper. I don't wake up when my husband gets up tp pee...so I get a better uninteruped sleep and my blood pressure seems to be getting lower upon waking. I only had one bad dream, but I didn't think it was bad, but my husband said I was talking and was restless. I didn't know about the nightmares, but I wouldn't say I had one. I hardly ever dream. But I do get a better night sleep and hopefully the blood pressure continues to be lower in the morning than before.
I've been taking melatonin for 4 months and don't have side effect the first and pretty much can't sleep without it or some other sleep aid. WORKS FOR ME!
I'm 54 years old and am living proof that our body produces less natural melatonin as we age. I didn't experience serious sleep problems until I was middle aged. My use of 5 mg.Melatonin a few times a week has helped a great deal. Tylenol PM makes me groggy the next day, Unisom makes me very groggy to the point where it takes a few waking hours to come out of it. I don't experience any of these side effects with melatonin.
I am so grateful to have found this site for melatonin. I have taken 3 mgs for about 2 years and didn't realize I could try less -and will now. But besides that,
two responders - one in her 40's and one in her 50's - mentioned the night sweats. I had that for the first time for about a week this summer - August in Florida -
and kept looking for people to agree with me that our terrible humidity was doing it to everyone.
But I couldn't find anyone to agree!! Now I know and am relieved
and expect to see a difference when I try the one mg pills very
soon. I enjoyed everyone's infor-
mation and made copious notes. Oh,
I am 77 so the information that we
make reduced amounts as we get older is certainly important too.
I have been working night shift for the last year and have trouble getting to sleep at least 2 times per week. Over the counter sleeping pills work for me, but they leave me groggy for hours and I dont always feel well rested afterwards, even after 8 hours sleep.
I decided to try 3mg melatonin and it works great. It is more gentle than sleeping pills and seems to give me a deeper sleep with lots of REM sleep, which is the most important type of sleep. No side effects at all! Im a really healthy 32yo male. I would recommend melatonin highly.
Works for me 60 yo male. No side effects. However, loses effectiveness after about 2 weeks continuous use. I alternate one week on/off. I use 300 mcg x 2.
anonymous
can melatonin cause a false positive for barbiturates on a company drug test.
what over the counter drugs show positive on a drug test for barbiturates? I take a lot of "natural" drugs.
As a person who just wants to get good sleep once and awhile, and not having a sleeping disorder, I can tell you that I have found melatonin to be a nice sleeping aid.
Get the information straight - these are not sleeping pills. This is a sleeping aid and will help you fall asleep, not PUT you to sleep. There is a difference, ambien being the latter.
If you are diagnosed with a sleeping disorder, this product is not for you.
I only take 1, as that is the instructions. I'm Male, 5'11 and 145lbs.
I find that it works well, I tend not to wake up until an alarm goes off, which is nice. I hear the alarm and have never slept through one, EVER. After which I am able to wake and recover quickly, especially with a a shower. I never feel groggy unless I just plain didn't get enough sleep, however some definitely might.
Some people note nightmares, let me just say, you will probably have vivid dreams, I've experienced them and actually like it, as you will go into a deep REM sleep (the best kind of sleep). I usually remember the dreams and, I don't mind it, it makes me feel good to know I slept that well. Nightmares - well, bad luck, sorry. There is no evidence this increases or causes nightmares, obviously.
My suggested use is: 1st time - use on a weekend with no 'wake up' time scheduled. See how you feel, go about your normal routine. Assess yourself around 2 to 4 hours later. If you feel groggy then, try cutting the pill in half or discontinue use.
2nd use - Sunday night before work. Note how you feel about 10am to 12pm noonish, not 5 minutes after waking up - not a fair assessment, is that?
I find that around 10am to lunch time, I feel very alert and refreshed and generally glad I took them.
I can never distinctly remember after years of occasional use (once a week or less) I ever feelt hungover, drunk and/or stoned off of pot (all of which I know what they are like), not something I could say of Ambien or actual sleeping pills.
I only ever use it if I know I need a nice deep sleep for a busy next day, or know that because of the conditions of the day - mentally and or physically - I'll need a bit of help shutting down the cranium activity.
I absolutely must state - don't take more that the pill bottle says, and don't use them as a sleeping pill. Talk to any physician or doctor if you think you need more than one, please never misuse any kind of drug, and don't assume your body is capable of handling more. You may be tragically wrong.
Diabetics be warned you might incur some blood pressure rise, and labels generally say like all drugs to talk to a doctor first if your pregnant or use inhibitors.
I have a son who has ADHD and has experienced great difficulty in falling asleep. We started taking Melatonin about 3 months ago and it is working really well. He is 10and has always had good sleep 'hygiene' - e.g. - bathtime, storytime, lights out and audio cd but would still be awake after midnight. I give him Melatonin at 8.30pm and he is now asleep before 9.30pm. I hate having to give this to him but it means that he is not tired or irritable throughout the day, which would lead to much greater problems in managing him. He doesn't have nightmares but he swears by his 'dreamcatcher' so maybe this is the answer to all those who suffer! I am closely monitoring him as I realise it is early days and I have noticed that he has had some broken nights. Without Melatonin he would go to sleep much later but sleep through. Now he is falling asleep much quicker but does seem to have more broken nights but after waking up settles back down quickly.
A friend gave me a Melatinin and it worked good.. I bought some and took tow times and had horrible nightmares. I also felt really racey and bad the next day...I came to this site to see if anyone else had this... My friend has been taking it for years and had NO problems. I am very sensitive to drugs and now I see I am sensitive to this... No more for me..
***THE RECOMMENDED DOSAGE IS NOT 3MG*** Please try a lower dosage first then graduate to higher dosgages. Cut your tablets in pieces or find a brand that makes them in lower dosages. (your weight has a lot to do with effectiveness so it's best to "research" to find your best dose.)
There are brands that sell it at 200 micrograms instead of the usual 3 milligrams.
I have been taking 3mg of Melatonin for about 5 mo. I was having trouble falling asleep because I was having very vivid, horrible nightmares and was scared to fall asleep. Since staring the melatonin, I fall asleep in about 30 min. after taking it and have not had any nightmares! After suffering from nightmares for a couple of years, it feels so good to get a full night's sleep without waking up in a panic. I would recommend Melatonin to anyone who is having trouble sleeping.
I have found metatonin to be very effectve. I have taken it for a while now to help counter act the adderall take for adult add. I have never experienced side effects and it doesn't leave me groggy at all the next morning like any sleeping pill will.
Melatonin is also used quite frequently in children with certain disorders like add, or austism.
I do agree with a previous poster though who stated that maybe some of you are starting out with too high of a dosage. I think the best one out there now is the one at Trader Joe's. They have a chewable tablet that tastes like a mint that is only 500mcg's, which is only one half of a mg. So, you could start out with one and slowly increase it until you find what works for you. Plus, Trader Joe's stuff doesn't have all of those additives and junk in it, which may be causing some of the side effects some of you are complaining of in these other pills.
I really think that some of you may be imagining these side effects because of your anxiety over your sleep issues to begin with. The way I see it, is just relax, take some before bed and just tell yourself you're going to sleep great tonight. You all are worrying way too much and over analizing this stuff, it's no wonder none of you can sleep.
What works great for me too is to read a bood or magazine once I'm in bed, nothing will knock me out quicker than that.
I also found it very effective with my children. They don't have any disorders, but last winter, I was having a heck of a time getting them to sleep at night, probably a little sad disorder maybe. But, I can tell you, what a difference! I gave them each one of the Trader Joes 500mcg tabs, and a half hour later they all came up to me and said they were ready for bed, and could I tuck them in? They slepts great the whold night and woke up with no grogginess or anything. So, after about two weeks straight, I just stopped and they continued on the same pattern.
I think that is the same for alot of people, sometimes, you just need to get a good sleep pattern established and then you can stop and your body will continue on with it.
So, my advice to you all is, just relax, you are worrying way too much! It's keeping you awake at night!:)
I have sleep paralysis. I have had it occur every so often for years but in recent years it became almost a nightly routine. Basically I become awake before some chemical is released to make me awake and unparalyze the body.
It is more hellish then it sounds as what happens is I open my eyes, and while 100% awake I am still in a dreamy hallucination state which is scary (think of a very bad drug trip!)
Unable to move so much as a finger I am sitting there with the sensation of suffocating like I am unable to breathe,feeling watched and if I DO NOT FIGHT IT UNTIL the brain figures out what is going on and sends my chemical to give me mobility I fall back into a sleep state where all that which is happening is even more intense and doesnt end for the rest of the night until I am actually up.
My doctor told me it is not anything that is life threating but a quality of life issue and didn't give or recommend anything for me. After reading on the net I decided to try melatonin. I started at 3mg and after a few days it corrected. After taking the 3mg after so long I had to bump it to 6mg as taking the 3mg no longer did anything!
I am up to 12mg (4 pills) and am wondering how high will this dosage have to go/was I just low-dosing it as it seems to be acting like painkillers where as they work for a while but get to the point where you need much elevated doses to get any relief.
I have always had intense dreams and can remember them (and I seem to have some that re-occur) if that matters.
My two year old and five year old used to be great sleepers. My five year old began having nightmares at aobut age 3 and we have had some trouble getting her to sleep and staying sleep. My 2 year old recently started doing the same thing. He would be up until midnight even though we put him to bed around 8. My peditrican recommended Melatonin. We gave it to them for one month and then took them off because that's what the bottle said to do. Bedtime became a nightmare. I would be in and out of their rooms sometimes ten times form 8 till the morning. I called the doctor and he said put them back on Melatonin. I asked if it was safe and he said it won't hurt them. I now love bedtime. I give it to them at 7:30 and by 8 or 8:30 they are heading up the steps. My daughter asked to go to bed last night.
I still am a little concerned because I read it can cause depression. I worry because they are so young and I wonder what is causing them such vivid nightmares and fears of bedtime. We do the same routine everynight. Any suggestions.
I take 1mg of Source NATURALS sublingual Melatonin right before I want to fall asleep. It works well and I sleep thru the night and wake later in the morning. I have had NO side affects and think it's a great option for people who now and then can't sleep or need to get their sleep cycles back in order. ** I also started covering my windows before bed so that NO light comes thru. Sleeping in a very dark room is very helpful as well. Also try YOGA and STOP drinking coffee and sodas ...
Hello all,
What about the other side of the equation? At about 3am I'm wide awake every time. At 3pm? I nearly collapse of fatigue. On long drives I have to stop the car and walk around a bit. When in the office, I just can't get my mental acuity on track until maybe 4:30pm. Tea seems to help. Coffee too. I'm also suspicious that a couple of drinks at dinner are bad. I'm in the middle of experimenting with an off on off routine to test that theory. I'm 63, male, 40 pounds overweight. Trying something infrequently and at low dosage sounds like the way to go such as the 300mcg. I'll try it. Thanks everyone for the remarkably consistent stream of comments. It appears that these dosages vary in impact depending on most features of human existence. Start small and don't hesitate to stop taking it for awhile. Be kind to your liver--tylenol sounds scary. So does the other stuff. Hops could be the best idea--drink a beer! Don't take a sleep aid if you have to be alert the next day--an ironic twist if rest is good for us. It's 4:45 am and I'm going back to bed where I expect a one to two hour nap. Been up since 3. Just now getting serious about taking some sort of sleep aid.
I'm 17 years old and have Attention Deficite Hyper-active DIsorder (ADHD) but I think Ive probably grown out of it by now. I've been on melatonin for many years now, possibly as many as 3 or 4. I started with .5 mg of the regular pill, worked my way to 1, then 2, then eventually 3, which I've been on for approximately a year I'd say. For people who do not normally use melatonin in large doses or better yet don't use it at all, the side effects are going to be at a greater chance than to someone that is used to the pill's strength. Melatonin is a strong hormone to tamper with, and if you're going to use it, use it wisely and in a proper amount for your body. Nightmares do spring from the pill every once in a while, but then again nightmares can occur any night without warning. It's all about risking a simple chance of a "horrifying nightmare" or getting a good night's rest. Being the person I am, I need the rest for the next day. And as with many medicines, if you take melatonin, give yourself plenty of time for the pill to wear off before you get up the next day for activities, because the pill does take time to wear off.
Believe me I do know what I'm talking about. I'm, young, but I've been on this pill longer than many people I know on it currently. For some people this pill will simply NOT work. For others, it can work IF you give it a chance.
To the commentor that thought I would never read it. Your very welcome. Delayed Sleep Pattern is extremely common and not read enough up on. Im glad to have been able to help you out. I suggest everyone read about Delayed Sleep Pattern. Lots of good unknown information.
I used to take melatonin supplements and also have terrible nightmares. I told my doctor and she said the reason was I was taking a synthetic melatonin and not natural melatonin. Once she learned about my terrible night’s sleep she recommended tart cherry powder from Fruit Advantage. She told me tart cherries are nature’s #1 source of natural melatonin and each gram of the Fruit Advantage tart cherry powder delivered over 650ng of Melatonin. Since take the cherry powder I have slept like a baby. Here is a link if you are interested: http://www.traversebayfarms.com
Melatonin is great. But ..melatonin enhances your dreams. Sometimes dreams are nightmares or vivid, action dream. Sometimes I take melatonin and it causes me to dream so much that I sleep restlessly. Other times no problems. I use it alternatively with Valerian, which relaxes me. Valerian is available in tea or tablets. I take one or the other when I get off schedule with my sleep. It helps to have options.
I take melatonin only if i want to go to sleep quick. i was told not to take it every night. i don't have nightmares, just very vivid dreams
I am just shy of 73---I go to bed every night (for the last 15+ year) with my TV---listening, not watching, to the History, History International, or Military channels. I set my "shut-off" timer for 30 or 60 minutes, depending upon how sleepy I am. Always wake up, exactly, four hours later, regardless of the time I went to sleep. I then go thu the same routine again til my 8, 9, or 10 hours (total) of sleep is up. A month ago I stated taking the IC ZOLPIDEM TARTRATE 10 MG TABTEV, a prescribed sleeping tablet. I still wake up after 4 hours. For the first time tonite, I am taking the 3MG Dual Release Melatonin. I am striving for the straight 8 hour sleeping period, with no interruption at the end of 4 hours. Will it work? I don't know!
POSTSCRIPT:I am taking the melatonia dual release in conjunction with the 10 MG TABTEV.
I was nervous and hyper about a new job I was starting. I knew that I was going to have problems sleeping. So, I went to General Nutrition Center at a nearby mall and bought a bottle of 3mg.
I took one tab the first week (Monday - Thursday) and then one tab each night (Sunday - Tuesday) for a total of 7 tabs. It didn't help me to sleep. I think it made my situation worse. For about 3 days I felt like I would never be able to sleep again. I've discontinued using it.
I've taken between 3-10mg of melatonin for the past couple of years. 3 being normal nights and 10 being nights that I need to get back on a good sleeping schedule. Besides very vivid dreams, I've experienced no side effects. I wake up refreshed and ready to go.
An extension to the previous comment. I take melatonin about an hour before bed and typically read up until the words start to get fuzzy.
I find it very difficult to sleep, and so I decided to try taking melatonin. At first, it helped a lot, but recently, a very big change has occurred. Sometimes I will become very awake after taking it. The times that I do fall asleep, however, I don't sleep well, and it's very, very hard for me to wake up. With someone waking me up, it usually takes 30-60 minutes. Throughout the day I get drowsy and often times, when I'm not doing anything, I simply fall asleep. Even with the sleep, I never really feel rested! I've stopped taking the melatonin now, and I'm slowly noticing a change in my sleeping behavior. If anyone else has gone through symptoms like this, I'd be happy if you could tell me anything that I could do to improve my sleep more, since I'm still not sleeping as well as I should.
im exactly tthe same if i dont attempt to sleep before 10pm im uo all night and when the un hits im tired. has anyone heard of any sexual side effects of lunesta? like lack of sex drive......
I've used meletonin. It works sometimes for me but I found that it actually gives me restless leg syndrome where I'll actually have to get up and run in place for a bit. to try and shake it off. I'm going to try and get some velarian and see if that will work for me.
I have had sleeping problems for years. From age 15 to 19 I took Tylenol PM almost every night. I am 25 now and started taking Melatonin 2 weeks ago. I LOVE IT. I have never fallen asleep so peacefully and easily.
The recommended dose for men is 150mcg and women 100 mcg. THESE ARE MICROMILLIGRAMS, not millograms. A micromillogram is 1/100 of a millogram. If you are taking millograms you are taking way too much and that is WHY you are feeling bad the next day or it isn't working or you are having bad dreams.
They do sell them in mcg amounts, I got mine from Publix and it was about $8. These have totally changed my life and I would recommend to anyone. Try it, it's worth it. Make sure when you take them you turn the lights out, the release of melatonin in the body occurs naturally when it is dark, so in order for it to work you need to go to bed and wind down.
As for bad dreams, I don't have any. I have awesome, funny and interesting dreams. I enjoy them a lot as I generally NEVER remember my dreams. I have been looking forward to my nightly dreams now, and this morning began to wake up from a good one and was able to fall back to sleep and resume the dream, something I was able to do as a very young girl and never again until now! I love this stuff.
I have also suffered from sleep problems for years. I used to sleep too much...and usually slept better during the day than at night. Now I cannot seem to sleep at all. I have been up for 38 hours now with 2 hours of sleep!! I tried melatonin but it gave me horrible nightmares. After reading the above post, I will check the dosage I was taking & try changing it to see if that helps. I have been taking Tylenol pm every night to sleep; but it gives me restless leg syndrome & makes me feel droggy most of the next day. Any other suggestions?
I have had very little side effects from this drug! I find my dreams to be more vivid and far more exciting - maybe we should look at ourselves and acknowledge what has happened in OUR PAST to stimulate these "negative" thoughts in our dream state... sleep well friends!
I took Ambien and Lunesta -- no question that 10mg of Ambien works like a charm. No question. Here's the only drawback >> you will ABOLUTELY experience higher blookd pressure if you take Lunesta or Ambien, so beware.
But Ambien does get the job done if you're looking to sleep well.
Check out the following web site for more info on Melatonin:
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/psychology/health_psychology/melatonin.htm
I used to take Ambian until one evening I took it and didn't remember anything I said or did after that. I guess I carried on a conversation with slurred speech, kind of like I was having a stroke. After an ER visit the next day, and many tests, to no avail, I had a second incident. Only then did I make the connection to Ambian. The second incident I got in my car and drove to a friends house. I don't remember any of it. I have never taken it again. I have tried Meletonin since then. I have developed HORRIBLE night sweats. I only realized by reading on this site that it could be related to the Meletonin. I am determined to relearn how to sleep without drugs. I think that once you have a sleeping problem, you keep reinforcing it by telling everyone, including yourself, that you can't sleep. I am trying to "reprogram" myself to think otherwise. After all, there was a time in the past when we could sleep.
I'm 14 years old and i started taking Melatonin (5mg) about a month ago, and it worked for me if i take 2-3 hours before going to bed after the third week i stopped taking it b/c my mom thought i could become dependent to it. Can that happen?
I have a 2 Yr old boy and his doctor told me to give him a half a pill and i tell u with out that he can stayup till 2-3 am.
REgs the post about "I have now created a "cocktail" I am experimenting with. Benedryl, Requip, extra strength tylenol and lunesta taken about 15 minutes apart before bed. Anyone have any experience or comments about this?"
Comment: Call & talk IMMEDIATELY with your Dr. about this, telling him exactly what you have been doing. Mixing drugs can be very dangerous, especially if you happen to take a drink of alcohol with it. Call your Dr. NOW!
My 3 year old son would be up until 5 or 6 am if his doctor had not recommended melatonin. He takes half of a 3mg every night crushed up either put in a drink or a cup of pudding. The only problem I have with melatonin is when he goes to bed around 9 or 10pm, he is up at 5am and sometimes earlier. He is going to be starting school soon, should I wait until 10 or 11pm to give it to him to make sure he sleeps through the night?
I don't think that it's a nocturnal thing. I think that what happens is we stay up late and get our sleep hours reversed without even realizing it. Once your body gets used to going to bed at a certain time, it becomes a biological schedule. Your body gets tired at the same time every day or night. Try Unisom to get to sleep at night. Do that for a few days, and your body should get used to the hours in to time. You'll be right back on track.
After being in intercontinental aviation for any years - an old trick to get to sleep - have a hot shower - the body cooling from an elevated temperature seems to have some physiological sleep inducing effect
it is almost midnight here and i just finished a 12 pack of beer. i do this every night and it has been about 3 hours since my last drink...... I CAN'T SLEEP! Yes, I know I need "help", but can this "watermelon" or whatever it is called make me sleep???? Maybe it will help tired me out so i don't want to drink???
I like melatonin. It's shortens the time it takes to fall into a deep sleep. I do experience more vivid dreams but never any nightmares. The only problem I've had with it is an occasional night sweat, but nothing too serious. For me melatonin is a must, every night.
I have been taking a sleep formula that has both Melatonin and Valerian Root for several years to help me sleep. It's been very effective, and I don't have any trouble with nightmares. I also take magnesium before bedtime, which helps relax you. Also, just recently I started taking Zyrtec for my allergies, and that helps too in getting restful sleep, and being able to breathe better at night.
My sister-in-law- thinks it is OK to give her 2 and 4 year olds melatonin. She has started giving it to them on a regular basis instead of Benadryl to get them to take naps during the day and to put them to sleep at night. I considder this to be abusive and neglectful. Any opinions?
to the rest of the night owls. i have delayed sleep sydrome. yes its real and my internist say 3 out of 2,000 people have the genetic marker for this. we are night owls and do just fine untill we have to live in the real world in real time. like getting up at 6am when you have only had 2 hours of sleep and would like to sleep till 11am.melatonin was prescribed it does a fair job if i stick with my sleep program. i have other health problems and feel some may be related to my inability to sleep and stay asleep or worse fall asleep at all. has anyone experienced upset stomach or loose stools with this hormone. seems like it all started with my regular use of the supplement
For anyone taking Tylenol or Advil PM..... ALL it is, is Benadryl with that pain releiver in it.... Save yourself some money and go by sleep aid from WalMart, which has the same exact ingredients as Bendadryl.
This is what my dr told me to take to help me sleep. This does help better than the Melatonin did, and without the horrific nightmares
I've been using melatonin every night/every other night for a few months now, and i've noticed a definite case of "diminishing returns," so to speak. The first few times i tried it, i only took 3mg, and i had extremely vivid dreams, but woke up refreshed. Since then, I've been taking 5mg quite regularly, and it's getting to the point that it doesn't do much more than make me a little bit dozy. If there's something on my mind keeping my awake, melatonin doesn't really help anymore. thoughts?
Some info to share with fellow insomniacs: I've been a very light sleeper all my life, but since menopause it's become a serious problem. I can't fall asleep, sleep fitfully, wake up at the slightest noise and can't fall back asleep, fall asleep but wake up at 3 or 4am, etc, etc. I have Ambien Rx for occasional use, and I go thru spells where I just take the stuff every night, because it works. But there are side effects and you are kidding yourself if you think there aren't (brain fog, hangover, daytime drowsiness, muscle and joint aches). Ambien is not strictly addictive, but it is habit-forming (ie, your body will come to rely on it). Valium is extremely addictive, which is why doctors do not prescribe it much anymore. When not taking Ambien, I rely on the time-release melatonin sleep formula from Nature's Plus, and various herbal tincture combinations. Herbs traditionally used for insomnia include skullcap, hops, passionflower, chamomile, motherwort, valerian & others. Herbs & supplements have side effects and can be habit-forming too, and they will affect each person differently, and even act differently on the same person at different times. Gather all the information you can before trying anything. The thing I wanted to share is that I am also a yoga teacher and there are breathing, relaxation and re-patterning techniques that can slow down your thoughts so you can fall asleep naturally. Quiet music, turn off lights, & no computer or watching TV just before bed, are also helpful. This is the ideal solution and I encourage you all to at least give it a try. It has worked for me (some of the time...) Good luck ;-)
Just about what in your brain. "Enjoy being now" If you guys want to sleep imagine that sleeping is wonderful thing to be. Emptied your head . .and sleep. I sleep 6 hours only, but straight with out moving at all, so I feel fresh when I wake up!
But mantra is very important . . .so what ever you believe pour out your mantra before sleep in a very sincere manner.Good luck!
I had taken my first 3mg Melatonin a few months back, found that it put me to sleep fast, dreams felt really real so I stopped taking it. Just in this last week I decided to start taking it again because I've been having a horrible time trying to sleep..Well I had what I THOUGHT was the worst dream ever a few nights ago, my boyfriend died right in front of me...It's now 2:40am and I am on this computer, shaking and very disturbed because I just had a dream my 7 yr old son got shot and died, NIGHTMARES ARE SOOOO BAD....THROWING OUT ALL MELATONIN!!!!
lol. I take ambien and melatonin nightly.. never had one problem..
I take 10- 3mg tablets of my melatonin and 1/2 of an ambien nightly.I sleep like a baby and have no effects upon waking.. I would die without my MELATONIN.. I WILL NEVER BE WITHOUT IT. Read all the reviews you like but Until you try something, how will you know what works for you??? Its all natural.. the body just needs help sometimes.
I'm a single mother of two and work some crazy hours, sometimes only 10 hours between shifts. So for years I have used Melatonin in a low dose (500 mcg) in a pepermint chewable tablet when I know that I won't get enough sleep I take a half of one. It lets me fall asleep quicker and the quality sleep is better, without feeling groggy when I get up even though I may only had 3 or 4 hours of sleep. I don't take it all the time just when sleep is rushed. Sometimes 3 times a week other times none for weeks at a time.
i'm 15 and my aunt came home with melatonin one day to "fix" my insomnia in a "safe way". the first night i took it i slept like a log. after though, i noticed i was falling back into the same patterns of being crazy tired and not sleeping. just staring at the ceiling all night until eventually falling asleep sometime around 3AM. I decided to quit the stuff but ended up not being able to sleep AT ALL without the melatonin. Im becoming increasingly irritable, i can't conentrate in class, my grades are slipping (normally I'm and A student but now i've been failing tests and getting C's). I cannot remember anything from even just five minutes ago and I continuously get in trouble. I already constantly had night terrors more than 3 times a night nearly every night, i have severe PTSD, two types of Depression, chronic anxiety, insomnia,somethings wrong with my lungs and heart but the doctors still need a scan, and i live with my aunts, whom i do NOT get along with at ALL. What does this mean? what do i do??
I've had trouble sleeping for the past 10 years. About 2 months ago however I tried Melatonin, 5mg, for the first time and ever since I have gotten the best sleep ever. I feel stronger in the workouts, I'm in the best shape of my life. I ran out of the stuff a few nights ago and could not get to sleep so then I became concerned that I was addicted. Bought some more only this time I'm using 3mg and its having the same benefit as the 5mg. Is there any reason I can't continue to take it for the extended future? I don't like being addicted to something but the way I see it is this is something our bodies make anyway so maybe its ok to take?
I have been taking Melatonin for a couple of weeks now...I use to just take Tylenol PM but was afriad I'd never be able to sleep without it :( I haven't had any problems with the Melatonin until today...I experienced at least 10 "episodes" of deja vu. It was a very strange feeling and it was so intense it made me sick to my stomach. It's been a pretty scary experience as I've been at work all day. I took a nap on my lunch break and woke up twice with the same feeling. I realize this probably sounds silly, but has anyone else experienced anything like this?
I just bought Melatonin to try tonight after a friend told me she knocks out after just 1mg. Ive been reading that it causes nightmares but ive been taking other sleep aids that cause nightmares, so its not just with melatonin.
Ive had insomnia for many years and dont want to get presciption meds in fear of getting an addiction. Im taking some stuff with the ingredient Diphenhydramine used in most sleep aides and want to stop taking it because it can possibly cause liver damage so the side affects of melatonin sound a lot better if i need something every night.
Hope this helps... I have been having sleeping issues for over a year now, and it has gotten worse recently after losing my father and my job. I was taking Tylenol PM for a while, and it worked, but I got worried about the potential liver damage due to long term Tylenol usage... then they came out with the non-Tylenol version (it's just the sleep aid), and it also seemed to work. However, I seemed to start building a tolerance to it (went from falling asleep within an hour, to 1-2+ hours, and was sleeping 8+ hours, but then started waking up sometimes earlier). I tried the Melatonin strips that Avon sells, and they do seem to work if I'm already feeling tired, but I don't always get the same effects. One bonus is that their Melatonin strips taste like chocolate mint, so that makes it a little more fun. ;-) I did not experience any bad side effects from the Melatonin, other than it not always providing the sleep inducing effect that I need. HOWEVER, I was at a store the other night that didn't carry the Tylenol PM, so I decided to try the Exedrin PM, and I suffered one of the worst nightmares I think I've ever had. If you already suffer from sleep disorders or severe/traumatizing nightmares, I would be careful with the Exedrin PM for sure. It is 5 AM, and I have no other choice right now but to take it again... need to go get more Tylenol PM (minus the Tylenol... think it's called Simply Sleep?) ASAP for sure!
This post has been removed by a blog administrator.
All comments must meet our Terms and Conditions. This includes not "posting material that is unlawful, obscene, defamatory, threatening, harassing, abusive, slanderous, hateful, or embarrassing to any other person or entity as determined by WebMD in its sole discretion." Posts that do not meet our terms and conditions will be removed.
I have always been a light sleeper, but menopause has brought on full-fledged insomnia. I tried Ambien, but the side effects were too weird. I think I slept just as badly, just didn't remember. Since switching to 5 mg of melatonin, I have been sleeping fine and have had none of the side effects mentioned by other posts. After 6 months it is still working for me. I am a 56-yr old female.
I am a 21 year old female. I have taken Melatonin 2 times... Both nights I had nightmares! Very realistic nightmares! I HAVE NEVER HAD NIGHTMARES IN MY LIFE. Last night was horrendous and absolutely disturbing. I woke up petrified, trying to distinguish between reality and my dream. This is very out of character for me. I'm scared to death. I do not reccommend.
Melatonin will cause nightmares if taken in too high a dose. Try like 1/2 of a 3mg dose. For those like me that amien starts to not work but sides are there, try this. I took ZMA along with 6mb melatonin spread out by 40 minuits and it worked like a charm. This actually helped quite a bit without memory issues caused by ambien. I like ambien but dont dilude yourself, it is has some pretty bad sides those who struggle for sleep often choose to ignore. Iwill still use it but I try not to unless is it 100% needed due to memory loss and other sides.
I've been taking melatonin every night, 3 mg, for about two weeks now, (only sunday through thursday so i can fall asleep and be rested for work). It has been working great; I fall asleep immediately and wake up rested. I was wondering what the long term health effects are if I continue this habit?
I am post-menopausal and have used melatonin for the past year and a half. It works fine most of the time, but it has lowered my blood pressure and in the past four months I've had two bouts of heart palpitations. I take a break from taking it every few months and on days I know I won't have trouble falling asleep. With the recent bout of heart palpitations, I am quitting it cold turkey because the heart episode was quite scary and unpleasant.
I take it occasionally in 1 mg strength. I also take a beta blocker for bp and haven't seen any increase in bp. as far as dreams go , it did make some vivid type and some with very real life like interactions with people I know and some I don't ,almost like a parallel dimension.
see if anything happens big on the news on Feb/12/2010 had a dream I was watching CNN and saw the date and some Breaking News over and over.
I used to take 3mg of melatonin because it really helped me fall asleep, but i decided to stop taking it because it gave me horrible nightmares and of course they were so vivid and i could remember them so well that i was afraid to fall asleep because i didnt want to have another nightmare. needless to say i have stopped taking melatonin.
Post a Comment