{"id":44556,"date":"2024-07-11T16:33:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-11T23:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/?p=44556"},"modified":"2024-07-22T10:36:27","modified_gmt":"2024-07-22T17:36:27","slug":"can-melatonin-help-you-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/news\/can-melatonin-help-you-sleep\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Melatonin Help You Sleep?"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"article\">\n\t<header class=\"header\">\n\t\t<span class=\"type\"><\/span>\t\t<h1>Can Melatonin Help You Sleep?<\/h1>\t\t<time>July 11, 2024<\/time>\n\t<\/header>\n\t<div id=\"block_a2cef536a675a6e817833e4dbb467a2f\" class=\"shs-block block-news-article entry-content\">\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<p>Many Americans don\u2019t get enough sleep. The inability to fall asleep or stay asleep for the 7 to 9 hours adults need for optimal health affects daily function and can increase the risk for health conditions and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some turn to sleep aids like melatonin supplements for help. Melatonin is not without risks, especially when taking certain medications, and it\u2019s not clear how effective it is as a sleep aid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-melatonin\">What Is Melatonin?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone produced by the body that regulates sleep and wake cycles. Darkness triggers the release of melatonin to help the body prepare for sleep. Light triggers the melatonin release to stop so the body can wake-up. When people have trouble with this sleep cycle operating as it should, it may be due to a lack of melatonin in the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Synthetic melatonin is produced in a lab, and comes in tablet, capsule, and liquid forms, as well as in topical creams and gels. These supplements can be taken without a prescription. Some supplements are fast-release, meaning they are quickly absorbed in the body, while others are slow-release and are absorbed over a longer period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTaking a melatonin supplement in the short-term may help in special circumstances, such as easing symptoms of jet lag, and for occasional insomnia.\u00a0 Studies are inconclusive about whether melatonin is effective as a sleep aide \u2014 and it is not something everyone should take,\u201d said Caelon Vecchio-Miller, pharmacist at Samaritan Pharmacy Services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-side-effects-of-synthetic-melatonin\">Side Effects of Synthetic Melatonin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Common side effects of melatonin can include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Headache.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dizziness.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nausea.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Daytime drowsiness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBecause melatonin causes drowsiness, be sure not to drive or operate machinery within five hours of taking it,\u201d said Vecchio-Miller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, melatonin can interact negatively with the following medications:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Blood thinners.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Blood pressure medications.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Birth control medication.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Diabetes medicine.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Medicine that prevents seizures.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Immunosuppressants.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Medications that are changed and broken down by the liver.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Other medications for more rare health conditions.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMelatonin can affect some people more severely than others, so I advise talking with your health care professional before taking the supplement yourself, or before giving it to your child,\u201d said Vecchio-Miller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-quality-amp-timing-matters\">Quality &amp; Timing Matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Because supplements are not regulated by the FDA, the quality of the melatonin and even how much melatonin is in each dose can vary widely or contain other ingredients. Your primary care provider or pharmacist will be able to suggest the best type of melatonin supplement for you and your health situation. They will also be able to advise you on proper dosage and the best time to take it. Generally speaking, a dosage of 0.5 mg to 3 mg of melatonin before bedtime appears to be safe for most adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMelatonin is not really a sedative, but acts more like a timed hormone, so the time in which you take it can make a difference in its effectiveness. It\u2019s mostly suggested that you take the supplement about an hour before you want to fall asleep,\u201d explained Vecchio-Miller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAlso, since melatonin is stimulated by darkness, dimming the lights in your sleeping room can help aid the sleep process,\u201d Vecchio-Miller noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-practice-good-sleep-habits\">Practice Good Sleep Habits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSince our bodies already produce melatonin, most people don\u2019t need to take a supplement for sleep. Sometimes, we just need to become more aware of possible ways we are sabotaging our sleep and <a href=\"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/news\/get-a-better-healthier-nights-sleep\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">practice good sleep habits<\/a>,\u201d Vecchio-Miller said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some tips for sleeping better:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li> Limit eating two hours before bedtime.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li> Avoid caffeine late in the day.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li> Avoid alcohol before bed \u2013 it can help you fall asleep but tends to interrupt sleep throughout the night.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li> Be physically active during the day, but do not exercise directly before bed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li> Minimize time on digital devices before sleep \u2013 the blue light in digital devices (including TVs) mimics daylight and can trigger the wake cycle.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li> Dim lights before sleep \u2013 consider using lower wattage light bulbs by your bed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li> Keep your sleeping area dark, quiet and cool.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li> Maintain a regular sleep schedule by going to bed and waking around the same time each day, even on weekends.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-could-you-have-a-sleep-disorder\">Could You Have A Sleep Disorder?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Occasional insomnia is normal, especially during more stressful times. However, if you are unable to sleep a full night most nights, if you snore heavily, or have moments when you stop breathing during sleep, you may have a <a href=\"https:\/\/medlineplus.gov\/sleepdisorders.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sleep disorder<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t need to suffer with chronic insomnia &#8212; there are many effective interventions to treat sleep disorders,\u201d said Vecchio-Miller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To determine if you have a sleep disorder, your clinician may suggest a sleep study, which monitors and records data that occurs in your body during a full night\u2019s sleep. This information will help determine the cause of your sleeplessness so your health care team can suggest the best treatment options for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe bottom line is that a good night\u2019s sleep doesn\u2019t have to be a thing of the past for you,\u201d Vecchio-Miller said.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<aside>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/man-sleeping-peacefully-CO.jpg\" class=\"attachment-cta size-cta wp-post-image\" alt=\"Man sleeping peacefully in his bed.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/man-sleeping-peacefully-CO.jpg 360w, https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/man-sleeping-peacefully-CO-300x250.jpg 300w, https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/man-sleeping-peacefully-CO-120x100.jpg 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 360px) 100vw, 360px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t<\/aside>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pharmacist Caelon Vecchio-Miller offers advice on melatonin and practical tips for sleeping better.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":44604,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","_shs_workflow_notes":"","_shs_exclude_from_navigation":false,"_shs_promote_article_on_blogs":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"news-topics":[293],"news-types":[270],"services":[262],"specialty":[53],"class_list":["post-44556","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","news-topics-wellness","news-types-feature-article","services-sleep","specialty-sleep-medicine"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44556","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44556"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44556\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44604"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44556"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44556"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44556"},{"taxonomy":"news-topics","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-topics?post=44556"},{"taxonomy":"news-types","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-types?post=44556"},{"taxonomy":"services","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/services?post=44556"},{"taxonomy":"specialty","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/specialty?post=44556"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}