The Melatonin neurohormone is best known as a mild, natural sleep aid. In contrast to many prescription sleeping pills, melatonin is not addictive and causes symptoms of withdrawal. It comes in two forms, short and long. Melatonin enables us to fall asleep; melatonine enables us to sleep. You can choose short-acting, long-acting or a mixture of both depending on your sleeplessness pattern. Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant as well . It helps control energy metabolism and immune function.
The pineal gland produces melatonin. The suprachiasmatic nuclei, a tiny light-sensitive structure in the hypothalamus, regulate the melatonin. Daylight inhibits the development of suprachiasmatic nuclei and melatonin. Darkness enables the suprachiasmatic nucleus to signal the release of the pineal gland, which regulates our circadian rhythm, including nighttime sleep, and early morning waking. As daylight changes, the pineal gland shifts its release of melatonin every year to adjust our biorhythms to suit the seasonal changes. One reason for insomnia is that it is more difficult for some individuals to adjust their sleeping wake cycle to seasonal modifications in ambient light. As a result, they create insomnia, sleeping problems. For instance, with aging, others may have a reduction in melatonin manufacturing. We might interrupt our circadian rhythms through too many time zones, stay overnight too late, work at night, sleep too late or take day naps.
For mild insomnia, all that is required may be 1 or 2 mg of melatonin. 3 to 6 mg is an average for most adolescents for mild insomnia. Severe insomnia may involve melatonin up to 9 or 10 mg. Melatonin can be used securely with sleep medicines (sedative hypnotics, benzodiazepines, antidepressants and antipsychotics, for example). Sleep hygiene is crucial for better sleep, whether you use melatonin, herbs or prescription medicines. Sleep hygiene involves setting up periodic bedtime, avoiding stimulating activities in the morning before bed (distressing TV shows, video games, keyboards), setting up a bedtime routine, getting up at a moment every morning to avoid naps and not drink stimulating (chocolate) foods or beverages in the early afternoon or evening.
Here are some less recognized advantages of melatonin
May Help Melatonin Reduce Jet lag
When traveling through two or more time zones, many individuals have problems adapting themselves to their sleep-wake cycle. Sleeping at 6 p.m because your body clock feels like sleeping until midnight or until noon can ruin the first few days of a European holiday because your body feels like 6 a.m. And if you travel for company, your efficiency may be reduced by jet lag. If you are susceptible to jetlag, you might get 3 to 6 mg melatonin from your destination the first night you are at and 150 to 300 mg Rhodiola Rosea when you need to wake up in the morning.
Behavioral Disorder of Melatonin and REM –Restless Nights
REM Behavior Disorder (RBD) generally develops after 70 years of age, though it may happen sooner or in individuals with a brain injury. It is defined by sleeping, kicking and even punching. Sometimes, as the brain ages, the neural circuits that should stop us from acting physically impair our dreams. When the motion inhibition is lost, the motion can interrupt during sleep. This requires a toll on the bed partner, of course, and can become hazardous. For instance, if an 80-year-old person pushes his 78-year-old wife off his bed unintentionally, she might have a concussion or a broken bone. Unfortunately, RBD is often not diagnosed and the husband is doomed to sleep alone on his couch. A sleep study can confirm the diagnosis. RBD is generally handled with benzodiazepine, clonazepam but this class of drugs, especially in elderly people, is difficult because it may increase the risk of falling, mental confusion, disorder and habituations or dependency. Melatonin has less negative impacts compared to clonazepam and can be very useful in the therapy of RBD. Melatonin is often efficient for control of RBD symptoms, but it can need to gradually increase the dose to 10 mg during bedtime. Melatonin should be taken approximately one to two hours before your goal sleeps.
Sundowning and Melatonin
Sundowning. Sundowning’ is a word used to define what can occur to seniors when the sun sets, particularly when they stay in unfamiliar settings like a hospital or elderly hospital. When the lights are small, it becomes harder for the elderly to use visual indications. As they get confused and disoriented, they can wander and go lost or hurt. Common sleep drugs, such as ambien or benzodiazepines, can exacerbate confusion, fall, drop, daily sleepiness, abnormality, or other issues. It is safer and frequently efficient to start with a small dose of melatonin such as 1 mg and gradually increase until’ sunrise’ stops but not exceed 10 mg at night.
Melatonin May Help with antidepressant sleep problems
Some people have difficulty sleeping when certain medications are given such as serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) antidepressants. This side effect of prescription antidepressants can be counteracted by melatonin, thereby restoring sleep.
Retinal health, and Good Vision, Melatonin
Preliminary studies indicate melatonin could enhance retinal health and deteriorate retinal deterioration or stop retinal deterioration (Crook et al 2017). Retinal issues, especially macular degeneration, usually arise as we age. Excess sun exposure leads to explosions of free radicals that can cause cumulative harm to the sensitive macula cells in the core region of the retinal nerve. The greatest protection is to wear UV protective glasses whenever we are outside on a sunny day. Unfortunately, until we are older, many of us do not learn about this issue after the harm has been achieved. More study is required to evaluate to what extent melatonin can prevent, delay or repair macular degeneration and other retinal issues.
Cognitive function and melatonin
Melatonin prevents free radical harm to the brain cells, neurons. This is supposed to be a main mechanism for improving the cognitive function of melatonin and potentially reducing cognitive decrease. The brain consumes a very elevated level of energy. Whenever cells consume energy, freely released radicals harm cellular elements, including membranes, mitochondria and DNA as their byproducts. Fortunately, our cells are able to repair the harm caused by free radicals. However, aging, chronic disease and surplus stress may affect cells ‘ capacity to maintain the rate of free radical damage. As a consequence, cumulative harm affects memory and cognitive functions. The addition of antioxidant to our body protection systems can help maintain optimal brain functions.
Tardive dyskinesia is a grave disorder of motion that can happen as a side effect of the antipsychotics and other drugs (including reuptake inhibitors of serotonin). Late dyskinesia (TD) usually starts with abnormal mouth or tongue movements. It can also start with jaw tightening. Melatonin has been discovered in patients exposed to antipsychotic or antidepressant drugs to decrease and in some instances stop TD’s from developing (Shamir et al. 2001). These advantages are partly ascribed to the antioxidant impacts of melatonin, which are thought to safeguard and repair medicated neurons. Insufficient evidence has been discovered by the American Academy of Neurology Guidelines to determine the effects of melatonin on late dyskinesia. However, given the low risk of a melatonin trial and the prospective advantages, it is worth attempting up to 10 mg melatonin per day in TD patients.
Autism and Melatonin
Sleep disorders are often a element of their physiological dysregulations in children with autism spectrum disorders, which include disturbances in melatonin secretions (Rossignol and Frye 2014). Studies indicate that melatonin improves the sleep of kids in the range in a secure and efficient way.
Melatonin Medicines Interactions
Melatonin does not interact with frequently used medicines clinically significantly. In addition, it affects cognition, memory and postural stability and does not adversely influence it.
Melatonin quality
It is essential to obtain the highest quality melatonin for excellent outcomes. Consult credible supplementary quality sources. Here are a few of them:
- National Institutes of Health Information on Dietary Supplements
- ConsumerLab
- NSF International
- Machoah Vitamins