Melatonin

Most of us experience trouble sleeping once in a while. Lack of sleep may be inconvenient; it’s often temporary though. When occasional sleepless nights turn into a regular occurrence of many nights in a row with interrupted sleep, we might have a sleeping problem.

When we don’t get enough sleep for an extended period of time our tiredness impacts every part of our life. Physically, we might notice a decrease in our productivity and daily activities. Emotionally, we may experience relationship problems or a change in our personality. Mentally, a chronic sleep problem can
create stress and anxiety. There are increasing highway traffic fatal car and coach accidents due to drivers dozing off while on the wheels. Lack of sleep and the desired to earn more money by plying several trips per day puts the passengers and commuters life at risks.

Melatonin (chemically named 5-methoxy-N-acetyltryptamine) is a naturally occurring hormone in humans. The pineal gland, a tiny organ at the center of our brains, secretes melatonin at night to help our bodies maintain a sleep schedule.
The body’s internal clock that tells us when to sleep and when to wake up is the body’s circadian rhythm. This rhythm is regulated by melatonin. Darkness encourages the pineal gland to release melatonin, while light represses the release of melatonin.

Researchers have found that the pineal gland’s release of, and the production of, melatonin decreases, as we get older. This explains why young people typically have less sleep-related problems than older people.
Scientists have synthesized naturally occurring melatonin, and it is now available over-the-counter as a supplement. No prescription is needed, and the supplement is available in drug and health food stores around the world.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other government agencies do not regulate melatonin. Since it is naturally occurring in some foods, the U.S.
Dietary Supplement & Education Act of 1994 permits it to be available as a dietary supplement.

Melatonin is has proven to be successful when used to treat sleep problems.
Two of the sleep situations most helped by melatonin supplementation are insomnia related to jet lag and delayed sleep-phase disorders.

How much melatonin should you take? Each individual should begin with a small amount of melatonin (about 1 mg), and increase their dosage if needed.
Melatonin comes in pill form and range most commonly from 1 mg to 3 mg.
When should you take melatonin? For maximum effectiveness, take melatonin about a half an hour prior to bedtime.

If you regularly sleep during the nighttime, you should not take melatonin during the day because it can impact your circadian rhythm. The opposite is true if you sleep during the day and work at night. If you want to prevent jet lag when traveling across many time zones, take a dose prior to flying and a second dose 30 minutes before going to bed.
As with any supplement, there are several issues to consider. Although melatonin has been used for a long time without problems or side effects, it is not FDA-approved, and is unregulated by any regulatory agency.
Anything you ingest that is not FDA-approved does not have a seal of approval regarding the supplement’s safety or purity, and the effectiveness of the product cannot be guaranteed. Another concern is the lack of study and information regarding interactions with other medicines.Consult a doctor before taking melatonin if you have diabetes, a depressive disorder, an autoimmune disease, epilepsy, lymphoproliferative disorder, leukemia, or are taking an MAO inhibitor. Adults should use this product only and is not for use by children, teens, or pregnant or breast-feeding women.