Does melatonin work?

WhisperAnne

I've been suffering from insomnia for months now. I either cant fall asleep, or I cant stay asleep and I wake up every hour and toss and turn. My sister uses melatonin at 5mg and it works for her. I'm always a bit wary of pills, but I think I should take it tonight if I cant sleep. Who else uses it? is it safe? is 5 mg to much or to little?

shazbox1

I use it occasionally. Sometimes it seems to work, other times it doesn't. Get some you can dissolve under your tongue if you can, it works better (apparently).

ETA: It is generally considered safe, but should not be used for extended periods of time.

gotfatincollege89

Melatonin works great for me. It's categorized as a dietary supplement rather than a medication if that makes you feel better. About an hour after taking it, I always feel sleep and can fall asleep much more easily.

Other things you can do to help - do you nap during the day? Do you sit/lay on your bed a lot during the day? If so, stopping those things can help you sleep better at night.

kiwigal41

as far as I know.....melatonin is something that the body makes naturally anyway so it would be safer to take that than some chemical sleeping pill....I'm not sure about dosage though......I have a co-worker who uses it and takes it about an hour before they want to go to bed.....it doesn't work as fast as a regular sleeping pill I don't think......

1234terri

It's worked for me for yeas, but you have to take it *way* before sleep time, like 1-2 hrs. Also, do NOT take a bunch, like 5+ MG. try to find 1 mg. Or 3, but keep the dose low. It is a hormone and high doses are not good.

ChrisM8971

I've been suffering from insomnia for months now. I either cant fall asleep, or I cant stay asleep and I wake up every hour and toss and turn. My sister uses melatonin at 5mg and it works for her. I'm always a bit wary of pills, but I think I should take it tonight if I cant sleep. Who else uses it? is it safe? is 5 mg to much or to little?

Have you consulted your doctor yet?

venus_blue

Yes, for many people it does work. I've taken it for years for occasional insomnia. After you take it, try switching off all the lights and electronics for at least 30 minutes before you go to bed or settle down to sleep. This will help you r body secrete the hormone on it's own as well.

I would advise to not take too high a dose, it can cause very active/vivid dream states in some people if they take too much.

Sactown900

Never worked for me. I even added Magnesium.

What works is not eating three hours before bed, six workouts a week, I stopped drinking coffee and read something boring for an hour at bed-time.

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logicman69

For me melatonin works for getting me to sleep, but it does not keep me asleep. I'll usually take 10mg to get to sleep on some nights that I know I need to get to bed early, but if I am having a restless night it will not keep me asleep.

For me, going for a walk at night usually helps (if its nice out). In the winter, I'll usually end up cleaning something. lol.

Ddmck1

It does help but it is a short term solution. If you take it too long your brain will quit producing it on its own and you are worse off. I will take it on occasion if my sleep schedule has gotten way out of whack. There are things you can do to naturally boost your brains production of melatonin. Light can suppress melatonin production so I like to turn things down about an hour before bed. Low light... no TV or computer or anything back-lit.

Briargrey

I'd suggest speaking to your doctor first in case there are underlying mitigating issues.

As far as lifting - while I think it's a good complement to my workout goals, it isn't for everyone, and really doesn't have the bearing here that nutellabrah was trying to give it. Plenty of people lift and have insomnia or don't lift and have it, etc and so on.

LiftAllThePizzas

I've been suffering from insomnia for months now. I either cant fall asleep, or I cant stay asleep and I wake up every hour and toss and turn. My sister uses melatonin at 5mg and it works for her. I'm always a bit wary of pills, but I think I should take it tonight if I cant sleep. Who else uses it? is it safe? is 5 mg to much or to little?

I was like that through almost all of my 20's and 30's. This helped:
http://www.amazon.com/Reset-Your-Inner-Clock-Drug-Free-ebook/dp/B00CS74WGQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1392160924&sr=8-2&keywords=chronotherapy

(ETA and I wasn't 'catabolic' for two solid decades.)

magtart

I take a 3mg. sublingual melatonin every night and it works for me.

GiddyupTim

I believe that most sleep experts would advise you to look to improving your 'sleep hygiene" before trying an aide. That is, to make sure you are not: Going to bed too early or going to bed at vastly different times on different nights; not reading or watching TV in bed; continuing to lay there when you cannot sleep, instead of getting up and walking around or reading/drinking some warm milk; avoiding caffeine drinks; etc.
There are a number of good sleep habits that experts recommend. Google "sleep hygiene." You should find a list.

Jill_newimprovedversion

As others have stated, it is a natural hormone your body produces- but you need to careful not to counteract it-
They make 1 mg. pills- you might want to look for that dosage-
or, if you can't find, cut the 5 mg. pill in 1/2.
It's always best to find the lowest dosage that works for you- no need to take extra if 1 mg. works, right?


Avoid chocolate, coffee, tea (even decaf has *some* caffeine) in it at least 4 hrs before bedtime
and other things that might play a part in getting you wired up- surfing the internet, social media, watching TV, etc.
Try turning off all that stuff as well and UNwind

And, lastly, I also don't have any little ones at home anymore, so I'm able to block out any other outside noises
with soft foam earplugs
and eyeshades to help dim the lights even darker.

That combination of things has helped me considerably....
but like I said, if I add caffeine to the mix...no am't of melatonin helps.

Best Wishes for a Good night's sleep

SouthernMommy11

My obgyn recommended it while I am breastfeeding bc its fine

Hungry_Annie

I take it often, and I get plenty of exercise and take vitamins, yet I have sleep issues. My doc said taking melatonin is fine. Talk to your doctor, and if there are no reasons you shouldn't be taking it, theres no harm.

I`ve been taking it pretty consistently for about a year, yet im not addicted.....

Hearts_2015

I've been suffering from insomnia for months now. I either cant fall asleep, or I cant stay asleep and I wake up every hour and toss and turn. My sister uses Melatonin at 5mg and it works for her. I'm always a bit wary of pills, but I think I should take it tonight if I cant sleep. Who else uses it? is it safe? is 5 mg to much or to little?

I swear by it! I would suggest you not start at 5mg though, perhaps 2mg to start out as that's what many ppl take if they are having slight issues. Hopefully your body will reset and you can go off them or stay at a low dose.

The ones I take are capsules and the brand I use is below.. I really have found this brand to work best for me. I've tried others and to me they aren't all the same.

Here's a great article that explains a bit more about how it works, why and when it works best.

http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/tc/melatonin-overview

I find it works very well for me, particularly during the long days of Winter when the level of light is far less than Summer. I take 5mg of Sundown Naturals brand, Super Snooze Melatonin Formula.

Good Luck... also I agree, perhaps check with your doctor or a pharmacist to figure out the best dosage and be sure there's nothing else going on first.

Hungry_Annie

Lol...are you just sitting there refreshing your page waiting to answer every single comment???

Everyone is different, do what works for you, because guess what??? You don't know everything!!

NancieFeatherston

I personally consult with my doctor and if I need medication he prescribes it. The doctor is your best educated resource frankly, not folks on MFP, nor your sister and her prescription. Your right too, its not anyone's business if you take a multi vitamin, nor that you suffer from insomnia either.

WhisperAnne

is it safe to split a 5mg pill in half?

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RunningSparkes

as long as its a solid one - if its capsule its suppose to stay as a capsule

kuntry_navy

i sleep through everything with melatonin! and wake up ready to destroy the day! though...i've heard of people that hate it. something you gotta try. like dark beer..some people like it, some don't

MizTerry

My daughter uses it from time to time. 5 mg is a bit much for her and makes her sleepy the next day, but 3 mg works fine. Either use melatonin or valerian. I'm a fan of valerian because it works faster.

PlanetVelma

As for the melatonin - there's a 10mg time release that works REALLLLY well for me. 5 mg wasn't enough for me and the 10mg puts me to sleep but I don't stay asleep.

Try the 5mg and go from there. Good luck to the OP.

dakotababy

I take Melatonin on an occasional basis. This is a medication found in the vitamin isle, there for - not regulated.

I take 3mg and it works like a charm! It is very helpful for individuals who work night shifts, or like myself, can not fall a sleep due to anxiety. 3 mg is good for me - I take it 1 hour before bed, and by the time the hour is up I can hardly keep my eyes open.

You can become dependant on Melatonin if you take it daily for long periods of time. I have also heard that you can develop an increased tolerance (you need a higher dosage for it to work) I am not a doctor, but I would not recommend this product for daily use because of this.

extraordinary_machine

OP: I have the 5 mg pills and I usually split them in half when I'm struggling to sleep...which is a couple nights a week. If I'm still wired and mind-racing after an hour, I'll take the other half. I've suffered from some sleep issues since the birth of my first kidlet, I was prescribed Ambien, but I hated it.

Oh, and NutellaBrah, I *do* lift, so your, "do you even lift?" argument is invalid.

Hearts_2015

is it safe to split a 5mg pill in half?

If it's not a time released pill it should be fine. Obviously if you have capsules of any type that won't work either.

Sorry you're getting such heat from the crowd, there's some great responses and the others are blocked so I can only imagine how ridiculous those posts are.

Take what you need and leave the rest on a thread like this... fighting over who's lifting and who's not doesn't have much of anything to do with your original question OP. Just ignore them, maybe they'll go away, or put them on ignore, it makes the threads much shorter.:drinker:

ETA: Absolutely agree with trying some tea to relax in the evening ... mecaseyrn suggests Yoga/tea etc., most definitely good ways to relax and unwind from the day. :flowerforyou:

Some brands come with Magnesium in the Melatonin brand, which mine does. I think that's what helps relax me and keep me sleeping restfully the entire night. I've never felt that druggy feeling or anything waking up like prescription pills sometimes leave you with.

mecaseyrn

Melatonin is great. The thing you need to remember is that it needs to be taken at bedtime for about 1 week to 2 weeks before you see the full effect. You can start at 1 mg and go all the way up to 10 mg. As someone said before, the disolvable kind works better than the digested kind and if you can take it on an empty stomach it works even better. Give yourself 8-9 hours from when you take it until you need to function. It can make you drowsy in the AM but after a week or two that side effect is gone. In addition if you are a migraine or headache sufferer start at low doses. Another great thing to try with it is Magnesium which I think someone also suggested. If you want to go even more homeopathic try chamomile tea and yoga right before bed (haters gonna hate on this one.)

Most of all, talk to your doctor. This can be a signal of something more worrisome such as Hypothyroidism.

Other adjustments:
No TV, cell phone or laptop 1 hour before bed
Exercise daily, cardio, lifting, etc can help but give yourself good recovery time
Do not eat within 4 hours of going to sleep
No caffeine after 2 pm
No water or carbs after 6pm
Remember the bedroom is for sleep and sex, nothing else.