🐘 A remedy millions of people take to help them sleep by: Sarah Klein
"Melatonin" Does it work?
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Melatonin, the sleep hormone produce in the brain's pineal gland, helps control sleep-and-wake cycles determined by the body's internal clock, or circadian rhythm. Natural melatonin levels normally rise in the later evening, a few hours before typical bedtime; production of the hormone slows with age.
Synthetic melatonin mimic's the body's own version and has long been touted as a drug free cure for insomnia. It's fourth on the list of the most frequently used natural products, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health ( NCCIH ) and it's currently taken on a regular basis by more than 3 million US adults.
But it doesn't work.
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THE CLAIM
Synthetic melatonin will cure insomnia, putting you to sleep even faster than the natural kind your body is already producing.
THE EVIDENCE
Insomnia comes in two forms:
Acute insomnia is occasional sleeplessness that can be traced to late-afternoon caffeine, racing thoughts, or naps; chronic insomnia last 3 or more nights a week for at least 3 months and can often be attributed to condition like acid reflux or anxiety. Melatonin doesn't help much with either type: In a 2013 review of 19 studies, people with sleep disorders, including chronic insomnia, who took the supplement fell asleep 7 minutes faster and slept 8 minutes longer than people who took a placebo.
When the body clock disrupted, however, melatonin may help. It can acclimate night-shift workers to daytime hours and adjust bedtimes for people with delayed sleep phase disorder, which shifts circadian rhythm timing, turning those with the disorder into extreme night owls.
"Taking melatonin can alter the timing of your body's secretion of the hormone by shifting the circadian rhythm ," says Cathy Goldstein, an assistant professor of neurology at the University of Michigan. If you have jet lag,
melatonin can get your sleep back on track, as long as it taken consistently at least 2 hours before bedtime. after 3 to 5 days, most people find their usual bedtime. "Melatonin is not intended to be taken every night,'' says Craig Hopp, a deputy director at the NCCIH.
Despite that, products for daily use, sometimes with excessive dosages, abound. The council for Responsible Nutrition, a supplement trade association, lists almost 40 melatonin product in its registry. Research suggests that the ideal dose is 3 to 5 mg for jet lag and lower for other conditions, yet supplements from nature's Bounty and Solgar, among others contain 10 mg. Other brands have more than amounts listed on their labels, because melatonin, like any supplements, isn't regulated by the FDA as a medication. Too much may leave you drowsy the next day and could worsen memory in some older adults in the early stages of cognitive decline, Goldstein says.
THE UPSHOT
If your body produces the proper amount of melatonin at the right but you still can't sleep, taking more won't help. Reserve melatonin for sleep problems related to your inner clock, like jet lag. Your best bet is a brand that displays the verification mark of the United states Pharamacopeia, which sets standards for some natural products. Insomnia suffers should consult their doctors for other remedies, which might include relaxation techniques or cognitive-behavioral therapy.
SCIENCE SAYS: Melatonin is generally considered safe, but it's not the quick and easy insomnia cure many people think it is.
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