Is melatonin safe for regular use. Can melatonin supplements affect your dreams and cause nightmares. What are the potential risks and benefits of taking melatonin for sleep.

The Rise of Melatonin Use in the United States

In today’s fast-paced world, sleep has become a precious commodity. With approximately one-third of U.S. adults struggling to achieve the recommended seven to eight hours of nightly rest, many are turning to melatonin supplements as a solution. Over six million American adults now rely on these over-the-counter sleep aids, available in various forms such as tablets, liquids, and sprays.

But what exactly is driving this trend? The culprits are numerous:

• Constant exposure to stressful news and headlines
• Excessive blue light from electronic devices
• Extended work hours, often stretching late into the night

These factors contribute to disrupted circadian rhythms, making it increasingly difficult for individuals to fall asleep naturally. As a result, melatonin has emerged as a popular choice for those seeking to regulate their sleep patterns.

Understanding Melatonin and Its Effects on Dreams

While melatonin is generally considered safe for short-term use, some users report experiencing vivid dreams and nightmares as side effects. Dr. Suzie Bertisch, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and clinical director of behavioral sleep medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, confirms that these experiences are not uncommon.

Dr. Kin Yuen, a sleep medicine specialist at the University of California San Francisco, adds that higher doses of melatonin can intensify dreams and nightmares, making them more memorable upon waking. But why does this happen?

The REM Connection

One theory suggests that melatonin increases the time spent in REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep cycles, which is when most dreaming occurs. As a result, the likelihood of experiencing nightmares naturally increases. However, it’s important to note that the exact mechanism behind melatonin-induced nightmares remains unconfirmed.

The Emotional Factor

Another consideration is the emotional state of the individual taking melatonin. If someone is already experiencing emotional distress and uses melatonin to help with sleep, it becomes challenging to determine whether the resulting nightmares are caused by the supplement or the underlying emotional turmoil.

The Regulatory Landscape of Melatonin

Unlike many other sleep aids, melatonin is classified as a dietary supplement in the United States and Canada. This classification has significant implications for its regulation and quality control.

• Melatonin is widely available without a prescription in the U.S. and Canada
• It is regulated more strictly in Australia, New Zealand, and most European countries
• The supplement status limits the oversight of its production and content

This lack of stringent regulation may contribute to the variability in melatonin products and potentially explain some of the reported side effects, including nightmares.

The Unpredictable Nature of Melatonin Supplements

A groundbreaking study examining 31 different melatonin supplements revealed alarming inconsistencies between the labeled and actual melatonin content. These findings raise serious concerns about the reliability and safety of over-the-counter melatonin products.

Melatonin Content Discrepancies

The study uncovered significant variations in melatonin levels:

• One supplement contained 478% more melatonin than advertised
• Another product had 83% less melatonin than stated on the label

These discrepancies highlight the unpredictable nature of melatonin supplements and the potential risks associated with their use.

Serotonin Contamination

Perhaps even more concerning is the presence of serotonin in some melatonin supplements. The study found that nearly one-third of the tested products contained significant levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that can counteract the sleep-inducing effects of melatonin.

Why is this problematic?

• Serotonin is associated with wakefulness and can inhibit REM sleep
• It is a strictly regulated substance not available for over-the-counter purchase
• Combining serotonin-contaminated melatonin with certain medications (e.g., SSRI antidepressants) could lead to serotonin overdose

Researchers have urged manufacturers to investigate the source of these contaminations, as their origin remains unknown.

Safe Usage of Melatonin: Guidelines and Precautions

Given the variability in melatonin supplements, it’s crucial to approach their use with caution. Dr. Bertisch notes that there is limited data on the long-term effects of melatonin supplement use in real-world conditions. However, she suggests that short-term use in adults, such as for managing jet lag, is generally considered safe.

Melatonin Use in Children

Both Dr. Bertisch and Dr. Yuen express concern about the increasing use of melatonin supplements in children. Parents should be aware of the following:

• Data on the effects of melatonin on minors, especially over extended periods, is limited
• There are theories suggesting melatonin supplements could impact fertility, though research is minimal
• Natural alternatives, such as limiting screen time at night, may be safer and more effective

Rising Concerns: Melatonin Ingestion in Children

Recent statistics have raised alarms about the accessibility of melatonin to children:

• Between 2012 and 2021, reports of children ingesting melatonin to U.S. poison control centers increased by 530%
• Melatonin became the most frequently ingested substance among children in 2020
• Over 4,000 reported ingestions led to hospitalizations

In response to these concerning trends, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine has issued warnings about melatonin gummies and chewable tablets, which can be easily mistaken for candy by children.

Alternatives to Melatonin Supplements

While melatonin supplements can be effective for short-term use, there are several natural alternatives that can help improve sleep quality without the potential risks associated with supplementation.

Lifestyle Changes for Better Sleep

Consider implementing these strategies to enhance your sleep naturally:

1. Establish a consistent sleep schedule
2. Create a relaxing bedtime routine
3. Limit exposure to blue light from electronic devices before bed
4. Ensure your sleeping environment is dark, quiet, and cool
5. Engage in regular physical activity during the day
6. Practice stress-reduction techniques such as meditation or deep breathing exercises

Natural Sleep-Promoting Foods

Certain foods contain nutrients that can support healthy sleep patterns:

• Tart cherries: Rich in natural melatonin
• Kiwi fruit: Contains serotonin and antioxidants
• Fatty fish: High in vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids
• Nuts: Good source of magnesium and healthy fats
• Chamomile tea: Known for its calming properties

The Future of Melatonin Research and Regulation

As the popularity of melatonin supplements continues to grow, so does the need for more comprehensive research and stricter regulation. Several key areas require further investigation:

Long-Term Effects

More studies are needed to understand the long-term impacts of regular melatonin use, particularly in children and adolescents. Researchers are particularly interested in exploring:

• Potential effects on hormonal development
• Impact on circadian rhythm regulation over time
• Possible interactions with other medications or supplements

Standardization and Quality Control

To address the inconsistencies in melatonin supplements, there is a growing call for:

• Stricter manufacturing standards
• More frequent and thorough product testing
• Clear labeling requirements, including potential side effects and interactions

Prescription-Grade Melatonin

The development and availability of prescription-grade melatonin could provide a more reliable option for those who require melatonin supplementation. Benefits of prescription melatonin may include:

• Consistent dosing
• Higher purity standards
• Closer medical supervision

As research progresses, our understanding of melatonin’s effects on sleep, dreams, and overall health will continue to evolve. In the meantime, individuals considering melatonin supplementation should consult with healthcare professionals to weigh the potential benefits against the risks and explore alternative sleep-improvement strategies.

Is melatonin safe, and can it affect your dreams?

As many as one in three U.S. adults aren’t getting the seven to eight hours of sleep they need. Whether it’s a bombardment of stressful headlines, endless scrolling on a blue-light screen, or working into (or through) the night, our circadian rhythms are easily thrown off by modern life.

To fall and stay asleep, over six million American adults are turning to melatonin supplements, sold over the counter at pharmacies and grocery stores across the country.

Many of these users report side effects like nightmares. What’s causing them? And what’s in the melatonin tablets, liquids, and sprays we’re taking? 

Melatonin and vivid dreams?

Usually, side effects of melatonin include drowsiness and headaches, but experiencing vivid dreams and nightmares is certainly not uncommon, says Dr. Suzie Bertisch, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and clinical director of behavioral sleep medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Dr. Kin Yuen, a sleep medicine specialist at the University of California San Francisco, says higher doses of melatonin make dreams (and nightmares) more vivid and make us more likely to remember them after waking. 

(How COVID-19 can affect your sleep.)

One theory is that because melatonin increases time spent in REM cycles (when we dream), nightmares have a higher chance of appearing. Taking melatonin to help sleep when you’re experiencing emotional distress also presents a conundrum: are resulting nightmares a product of the melatonin, or the distress that caused poor sleep in the first place?

Currently, the reason many melatonin users experience nightmares remains unconfirmed. However, the fact that melatonin is widely available and doesn’t require a prescription in the U.S. and Canada—though it’s regulated in Australia, New Zealand, and most of Europe—may hold a partial answer.

Unpredictable product

Because melatonin is sold as a supplement, like vitamins, and not a medication, its regulation is limited. As a result, the amount of melatonin in a supplement can vary wildly, and may contain dangerous contaminants.

A landmark study that looked at 31 different melatonin supplements found melatonin content often varied greatly from the listed amount. One supplement had 478 percent more melatonin than what was listed on the label, another supplement had 83 percent less.

(How our body clock rules our lives.)

Almost one in three supplements tested also contained significant levels of serotonin, which can act in opposition to the supplement’s intended effect. Serotonin is associated with wakefulness and inhibition of REM sleep.

Serotonin is also strictly regulated and cannot be purchased over the counter. If someone taking another medication like an SSRI antidepressant took serotonin-contaminated melatonin, it could lead to serotonin overdose. Researchers urged manufacturers to identify where the serotonin was being introduced to their product—the origin of these contaminations are still unknown.

Medical-grade melatonin can be prescribed by a doctor and may help patients take a more pure, predictable dose.

How to use melatonin safely

Because the contents of melatonin supplements vary, Bertisch says there’s little data on the real world use of melatonin supplements over time. She says it’s generally safe for short term use in adults, like for getting over jet lag.

But kids’ use of melatonin supplements concern both Bertisch and Yuen. Bertisch says many parents are administering melatonin to their kids, but data on how this active hormone affects minors is very limited, especially over time. One theory is that melatonin supplements could affect fertility, though again, research is minimal at this point.

Melatonin is secreted naturally in people of all ages to signal us to wind down for bed, so changing habits like limiting screen time at night could be safer and more helpful than taking melatonin supplements.

(What is sundowning?)

Between 2012 and 2021, reports to U. S. poison control centers of children ingesting melatonin increased 530 percent, and melatonin became the most frequently ingested substance among children in 2020. Over 4,000 of the reported ingestions led to hospitalizations.

In September, The American Academy of Sleep Medicine urged parents to beware of melatonin gummies and chewable tablets on the market that can be easily administered to kids. They said this could lead to a melatonin overdose, which can manifest as headaches, dizziness and irritability.

Experts agree parents should check with a doctor before administering melatonin to kids. Also, given the lack of research on extended use, be careful about using melatonin long term, even if you’re an adult.

Does Melatonin Really Cause Nightmares?

Melatonin can be a powerful hormone that promotes deep, restful sleep. But does this deep sleep cause nightmares? We examine this common concern.

Millions of people use melatonin supplements to support a restful sleep. It’s become one of the most common and popular supplements. Still, people worry that melatonin may give them nightmares. With the benefits melatonin offers, we’ll examine where this belief comes from and what you can do to get the best, most restorative sleep.

What is melatonin?

Most people are familiar with melatonin as a sleep support supplement. But melatonin is also naturally produced by the body. It is the only hormone made by the pineal gland and encourages drowsiness. Melatonin production is triggered by darkness and supports a healthy sleep and wake cycle. Daylight (or lights in the home) will decrease the body’s production of melatonin, signaling waking hours and keeping the body in a proper circadian rhythm. But melatonin isn’t just the “sleepytime hormone.” It also has antioxidant benefits and can collect free radicals, preventing them from causing damage to cells.

How melatonin affects sleep

Melatonin is a hormone that the body produces to induce sleepiness and more uninterrupted sleep. It can also be taken as a supplement to promote deep sleep. When taking a supplement, it usually takes between one to two hours for effects like drowsiness to start. Melatonin supplements can be especially helpful as a sleep aid for jet lag when traveling between time zones. Care/of’s Sleep Blend: Snooze Button, for instance, relaxes the mind for better sleep and can help with falling asleep naturally.

Does melatonin cause nightmares or vivid dreams?

There are multiple phases of sleep, which combined are often referred to as “sleep architecture.” These phases include:

• Non-REM Sleep (NREM): This type of sleep cycles through even more specific phases, from initial light sleep when you first fall asleep to deep sleep that is hard to be awakened from. Breathing and muscle movement slow during deep NREM. Brain waves also slow and the body uses this time to regenerate.
• Rapid Eye Movement Sleep (REM): As the name implies, this is when brain activity increases, dreaming occurs, and heart rate and blood pressure rise. This phase occurs around two hours into a night’s sleep and usually lasts for approximately ten minute spans. As we get older, REM sleep diminishes.

Melatonin’s exact effect on sleep architecture has not been definitively determined by clinical research. In fact, no conclusive evidence has been published to show how dreams differ while using melatonin. However, because melatonin can encourage greater levels of REM sleep – the sleep phase when dreaming occurs – there may be a reason why melatonin has been linked to more vivid dreams.

“In fact, no conclusive evidence has been published to show how dreams differ while using melatonin.”

One study of a small group of college students taking 6mg of melatonin found that female college students had more occurrences of bizarre dreams involving fantastical images like object transformation. They did not describe bad dreams or nightmares, however.

Why melatonin causes nightmares or vivid dreams

If you notice you have more vivid dreams when taking melatonin, it may be because your body is experiencing more periods of deeper sleep. Melatonin may encourage your body to remain in REM sleep for longer periods. REM sleep is when we dream the most. So melatonin may support more REM sleep, an important component of a restful night’s sleep. But it would be the REM sleep which actually brings about those vivid dreams. But it’s not just melatonin that may inspire vivid dreams. Stress, anxiety, emotional trauma, grief and certain medications can all lead to nightmares or vivid dreams.

Other side effects of melatonin

Melatonin helps promote sleepiness, so it naturally can cause drowsiness. For this reason, it should only be taken when you are in safe surroundings to fall asleep. It should not be used when operating a vehicle or machinery. It should also not be mixed with alcohol or certain medications. It’s best to consult with your healthcare provider before beginning a melatonin supplement to make sure it does not interact with any medications you may be taking.

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What should you do if you’re experiencing nightmares after melatonin supplementation?

The first thing to do if you experience nightmares while taking melatonin is to decrease your nightly dosage. Begin with a small dose. Care/of’s Sleep Blend supplement, for instance, comes with 2.5mg of melatonin in each capsule. This allows each user to tailor their dosage to their needs. Some people may want to take two capsules, while others may only want to take one. Care/of’s Sleep Blend also includes sleep promoting herbs such as passionflower, ashwagandha, and valerian extract. As a result, you get to enjoy a more diverse sleep aid that doesn’t rely entirely on melatonin for sleep support. These herbs can also be used individually, if preferred.

Tips to limit having melatonin cause vivid dreams

Combining a smaller dose of melatonin with good sleep hygiene can further prevent vivid dreams. Sleep hygiene can help you fall asleep more quickly and with a more relaxed brain and body. Some positive steps to take to support good sleep hygiene include:

• Putting away all electronic devices at least one hour before bed.
• Setting time aside before bed for relaxing, including enjoyable activities like reading or meditation.
• Turning down lights beginning one to two hours before bedtime and following the cycle of the sun.
• Maintaining a regular and consistent bedtime and morning wake-up schedule.
• Taking in natural sunlight for at least 15 minutes each day.

When to seek a healthcare professional

If you continuously experience sleep challenges, nightmares, or unsettled sleep, there may be other physiological issues to address. Talk to your doctor, who may recommend a sleep study to detect possible physical issues. If no physical causes are found, talking to a sleep psychologist can be helpful to learn cognitive therapy techniques for addressing issues that may be disrupting your sleep.

Can melatonin make dreams more vivid? Side effects of melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone produced naturally in the human body. The small pineal gland, which is shaped like a ball and located in the center of the brain, is responsible for its production. In addition, it is responsible for the use of serotonin, which is also necessary for the regulation of sleep cycles. Melatonin is a key hormone responsible for the circadian rhythm – the period of falling asleep and waking up. Therefore, this substance is often advertised as a dietary supplement that can improve the quality of sleep and speed up the process of falling asleep.

Due to the fact that the human body is able to generate this substance on its own, research on whether supplemental melatonin improves sleep quality is not entirely conclusive. But other experiments report an interesting side effect that melatonin provides, which is strange or more vivid dreams that cannot be experienced without increasing melatonin levels.

Let’s take a look at what the research says about the effects of melatonin on dreams. Let’s see if this substance can cause nightmares, and what processes take place in the brain with side effects from taking melatonin.

Melatonin and dreams

Before we get into the side effects of melatonin, it’s worth discussing a study that suggests the exact opposite. It reports that melatonin can treat people who experience agonizing hallucinations at night.

Hallucinations

In 2018, Trusted Source Laboratories conducted a series of studies in which they studied cases when people saw frightening objects or events at night and heard strange sounds that disappeared when the lights were turned on. As a result of the experiments, it was found that taking 5 milligrams of melatonin with a delayed release helps to reduce the number of cases of hallucinations. However, taking less than 5 milligrams of the substance had no effect. The result of this study showed that taking the indicated dose of melatonin can get rid of nightmares.

Vivid dreams

Some studies have shown that melatonin may have the opposite effect. Taking this supplement may reduce the likelihood of vivid dreams. However, can he make dreams more vivid?

Memory processing

In 1987, Trusted Source Laboratories studied the involvement of melatonin in the brain’s ability to store and erase recent memories. Research has shown that during deep sleep, melatonin promotes the release of a substance called vasotocin, which helps the brain erase memories of real-life events. At the same time, it is in this sleep cycle that a person has the most vivid dreams, which are best remembered.

Melatonin supplementation can increase the production of vasotocin, which is released in your brain. This leads to an increase in the duration of the deep phase of sleep, erasing memory, increasing the brightness and duration of dreams.

Trusted Source research in 1998 found the effect of melatonin tablets on the quality of sleep of people suffering from schizophrenia, whose brain constantly has trouble remembering information. The average person’s brain erases the memory of dreams as soon as you wake up. Therefore, people are able to tell the difference between dreams and real memories. But in the brain of a person with schizophrenia, vasotocin is not always properly released by melatonin. This means that dream memories are not erased upon awakening, which weakens the brain’s ability to distinguish them from reality. Thus, melatonin is used by the body as a mechanism for storing, erasing, and making sense of memories. This means that any change in melatonin levels affects the brightness and perception of dreams.

Sleep quality

Other studies support the notion that melatonin leads to more episodes in the sleep cycle when a person has the ability to have vivid dreams.

During a major study conducted in 2013, Trusted Source conducted 19 different experiments involving 1683 people. In them, the laboratory studied the effect of melatonin on the quality of sleep in ordinary people and those suffering from insomnia. The results showed that melatonin improved sleep quality, increased sleep duration, and reduced the time it took to fall asleep.

A 2012 Trusted Source study showed that melatonin can improve jet lag by synchronizing the internal clock with the new time zone. People who frequently move from one time zone to another often report that they do not remember dreams due to impaired REM sleep. However, melatonin supplementation may enable people to fall into deep sleep and have vivid dreams.

The effect of melatonin on people with various diseases

A 2018 Trusted Source study found the effect of melatonin on the sleep of people with Alzheimer’s disease and other health conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, insomnia and high blood pressure. According to his results, a decrease in the level of melatonin released at night in people with Alzheimer’s and other diseases negatively affects the sleep cycle. This exacerbates symptoms and has a devastating effect on the condition of people, which significantly impairs their quality of life.

However, supplementation with melatonin may relieve some symptoms by supporting brain fitness and sleep cycles. But more research is needed to confirm these results.

Melatonin and nightmares

There is much less research to suggest how melatonin might affect nightmares. A 2015 report from a research center found a possible link between melatonin and nightmare episodes. However, there is no guarantee that the hormone melatonin was the source of the nightmares.

This report looked at the case of a person with insomnia who started taking a drug called ramelteon, which interacts directly with receptors in the brain, allowing melatonin to stimulate the person’s natural sleep cycle. After a certain period of taking ramelteon, the person reported that he was having nightmares. At the same time, the nightmares stopped almost immediately after the doctor told the patient to stop taking the medication.

This case suggests that melatonin is directly involved in the processes that control visions and nightmares during sleep. The study also points out that the exact reason for this effect is not clear. Therefore, in order to more accurately understand what is happening, it is necessary to conduct additional experiments.

Why this happens

It is still not entirely clear why the level of melatonin in your body directly affects the vividness and richness of dreams.

Vasotocin

Vasotocin production during sleep may be one of the key factors affecting sleep. This substance is directly involved in the regulation of sleep, and increasing the amount of melatonin can affect how much vasotocin is generated in the body. Therefore, melatonin supplements can affect the duration of sleep and the vividness of dreams.

Memory processing

Dreams themselves are the result of melatonin and vasotocin. These substances help the brain make sense of your memories. The more melatonin in your body, the more impact it can have on memory and remembering events that occur in a dream. Including melatonin supplements in your diet will increase the vividness and number of your dreams, as well as help your brain distinguish between reality and dreams.

Side effects of melatonin supplements

There is not much evidence that taking melatonin, even at high levels, causes any harmful, dangerous, or long-term side effects. But some side effects have been documented. One of the most common side effects of taking melatonin is feeling sleepy during the work day.

In fact, increased sleepiness is not a side effect of melatonin in the truest sense of the word. This effect means that the additive is doing its job. Melatonin may improve the quality of sleep at night, but supplementing with it may cause drowsiness during the day.

Before taking melatonin for sleep, you should be familiar with its other side effects. These include:

headaches;

dizziness;

nausea;

depression;

trembling in hands;

anxiety;

disruption of the gastrointestinal tract;

increased irritability;

decrease in the level of attention;

disorientation;

lowering of blood pressure;

moderate decrease in body temperature.

Melatonin can also interact with other drugs. Thus, the use of this supplement in combination with sleeping pills can adversely affect memory and muscle reaction speed. Therefore, when using melatonin, it is strongly not recommended to drive a car.

The supplement may also thin the blood and enhance the effects of similar drugs, especially warfarin.

Conclusion

There is no conclusive evidence that melatonin supplementation affects the vividness of dreams. However, scientists have proven a close relationship between melatonin and vasotocin, which is released during sleep, which allows you to dream and separate them from real memories. Therefore, changes in dreams after taking melatonin or any drugs that affect the production of this substance are not accidental.

Sources

• Ferracioli-Oda, E, et al. (2013). Meta-Analysis: Melatonin for the Treatment of Primary Sleep Disorders.
  ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3656905/
• Kelly P.H. (1998). Defective inhibition of dream event memory formation: A hypothesized mechanism in the onset and progression of symptoms of schizophrenia.
  ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9667811
• Lysenko L, et al. (2018). Melatonin-responsive complex nocturnal visual hallucinations. DOI:
  10.5664/jcsm.7074

how it works in the body, how it works in tablets, is it possible to drink without prescription

Medicine and health

11/14/22

Daniil Davydov

medical journalist

Author profile

The short answer is that it depends on the dosage.

But you need to keep in mind that melatonin is in principle contraindicated for some people.

Go see a doctor

Our articles are written with love for evidence-based medicine. We refer to authoritative sources and go to doctors with a good reputation for comments. But remember: the responsibility for your health lies with you and your doctor. We don’t write prescriptions, we give recommendations. Relying on our point of view or not is up to you.

What is melatonin

Melatonin belongs to the class of neurohormones — this is the name of all hormones that are synthesized in the brain. Based on available data, melatonin has many biological functions, from fighting inflammation to lowering blood pressure.

What is melatonin – an international textbook for medical students StatPearls

But the main task of melatonin is to maintain the daily rhythms of the body. Simply put, melatonin is responsible for the regulation of our biological clock: it moves it from the “sleep” to the “wake” position, and vice versa.

Why do we need melatonin – an international directory of medicines Drugs.com

This is necessary to separate different physiological processes in time: to make sure that the mechanisms responsible for digestion and, for example, learning, turn on during the day. And at night, during rest, it is more convenient to do other things – for example, the restoration of cells damaged during the day and the formation of a long-term memory that stores the knowledge gained during daylight hours. As a result, the body really starts to work like a clock: it does everything on time, so that different processes do not interfere with each other.

The biological clock, which ensures the smooth functioning of the body, consists of three elements:

1. The retina of the eye, which captures light.
2. The suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus, or SCN, is an area of ​​the brain that is sensitive to the change of day and night.
3. The pineal gland is a part of the brain where melatonin is synthesized.

The eyes tell the SCN the time of day and it decides if it’s time for the pineal gland to stimulate melatonin

If no light hits the retina, it relays the information to the suprachiasmatic nucleus so that the pituitary gland tells the pineal gland to begin melatonin synthesis. Melatonin is the message “night has come” encrypted in the chemical.

When this neurohormone enters the bloodstream, the brain and internal organs understand that it is time to do night activities. As a result, we begin to feel sleepy. And the more melatonin in the blood, the more you want to sleep.

The effect of light on circadian rhythms, sleep and mood of people – the journal “Somnology”

The peak of melatonin synthesis falls on the period from 23:00 to 03:00 – at this time, the concentration of melatonin in the blood reaches 200 pg / ml, and sleep in healthy people is the strongest.

If even a little light hits the retina, it sends another signal to the suprachiasmatic nucleus, and the hypothalamus tells the pineal gland to stop melatonin synthesis. As a result, the body decides that morning is coming, and gradually begins to wake up, that is, it turns off the night processes and turns on the day ones.

The more light, the less melatonin: during the day, the concentration of this hormone in the blood drops 10 times to 20 pg/ml. That is why it is not recommended to use a smartphone and other devices with luminous screens at night: blue light from gadgets suppresses melatonin synthesis and it becomes more difficult to fall asleep.

6 things for healthy sleep

How melatonin drugs and supplements work

People have created melatonin drugs to manually reset their body clock. The body does not care where melatonin enters the bloodstream – from the pineal gland or from a pill.

How melatonin drugs work – an international guide for doctors Uptodate

And if so, then theoretically such drugs can help with insomnia and other conditions in the regulation of which melatonin is involved. For example, with the jet lag syndrome that occurs due to long-haul flights – jet lag. People suffering from jet lag complain of fatigue, insomnia, headache and loss of appetite.

However, medicines and preparations in which melatonin is the active substance have not been fully studied, and their effect is still relatively modest. The strongest evidence for the effectiveness of melatonin is associated with sleep disturbances in blind people, as well as in those who have trouble falling asleep and disturbed sleep-wake cycles. Some authors add jetlag to the list.

Melatonin is only effective for sleep problems – International Drug Directory RxList

Melatonin may be effective for jet lag MSD

Sleep disorders. Results from 19 clinical trials involving more than 1,500 children and adults showed that people who took melatonin for 2-5 weeks fell asleep 7 minutes earlier and slept about 8 minutes longer than those who received placebo. True, it was not possible to prove that in the end they slept better. The dosages of melatonin taken by the participants varied, ranging from 0.5 to 5 mg on average.

Jetlag. Four studies involving 232 people showed that people who took 3-6 mg of melatonin tablets for 5 days before and after a flight rated the severity of jet lag symptoms on a 100-point scale of 27 points. Those who took the placebo rated the severity of their symptoms on the same scale at 45 points.

Melatonin may well be effective for endometriosis, high blood pressure, anxiety before surgery, jaw pain, low platelet counts, as an adjunct to chemotherapy for certain tumors, or as sunscreen. But to say for sure, more research is needed to clearly show its effectiveness.

Why participate in cancer clinical trials and how to find them

Likely melatonin does not help with drug withdrawal, does not alleviate dementia, does not help correct sleep patterns in shift workers, does not improve performance in the gym, does not cure infertility and depression.

At the same time, most researchers note that melatonin is a rather promising substance. To finally admit it to the world of big medicine, several large clinical trials will be required. Without this, it is difficult to figure out which diseases benefit from melatonin the most and in what dosages it works best.

Until such studies appear, the attitude towards melatonin in the world is ambiguous. In the USA, for example, there are no medicines with melatonin, but only nutritional supplements that can be bought in any dosage without a doctor’s prescription. Both OTC medicines and melatonin supplements are available in our country.

Preparation with melatonin. Price: 150 R. Source: “Asna” Additive with him. Price: 990 R. Source: “Vitaminonline.ru”

But in the UK, the European Union, Japan, Australia and Canada, melatonin is available only in the form of a prescription drug.

Why melatonin is only sold in the European Union in drug form – Bulletin of the European Medical Agency

The sale of melatonin supplements in these countries is in principle prohibited, and this ban has serious justifications.

What happens if you take melatonin without consulting your doctor

It depends on the concentration of melatonin in the supplement or medication. Studies show that the effect depends on the dosage.

At a daily dose of 0.3-0.5 mg melatonin levels in the blood do not exceed the natural nocturnal peak. As a result, the effect of it is the same as that of “natural” melatonin, that is, a person falls asleep faster and more soundly. Melatonin in such dosages does not harm health.

At a daily dose of 1-10 mg of , the level of melatonin in the blood increases by 3-60 times. Although melatonin itself is not poisonous, at such concentrations it has an overly powerful biological effect on the body. A person who has taken a supplement or medication may experience severe daytime sleepiness, reduced performance, and a drop in body temperature that will feel like an unpleasant chill.

Melatonin 0.3-0.5 mg is considered safe and can be taken without discomfort by most people.

Side effects of melatonin – Drugs.com International Drug Directory

However, it can still cause side effects in some people:

1. Daytime sleepiness.
2. Depressed mood, feeling of irritability.
3. Headache or dizziness.
4. Abdominal pain.

Pregnant women, children under 18, and people with medical conditions should always consult their doctor before purchasing melatonin products. In pregnant women and children, melatonin sometimes behaves unpredictably. And in people with diseases, the consequences can be very severe.

Melatonin supplements and medicines do not work well with certain medicines. For example, caffeine and the antidepressant fluvoxamine can increase plasma melatonin concentrations, increasing the risk of side effects from taking this drug.

Melatonin: 7 things you need to know – International Medicines Guide Drugs.com

Melatonin can lower the concentration of nifedipine. This is quite dangerous, because nifedipine is a drug for high blood pressure. If such a medicine does not work or is not effective enough, it is life-threatening.

Melatonin supplements and medications cause severe side effects in some patients.