Insomnia can have adverse effects on your mental, physical, and psychological health, while taking away from productivity at work and other activities. Being unable to sleep can have many causes ranging from health issues like chronic pain and stress and anxiety. An intake of caffeine too close to bedtime or other medications could also interfere with your sleep-wake cycles. If you haven’t found an effective solution for your kind of insomnia, consider getting CBD gummies, capsules, or edibles that are available over the counter at your local pharmacy. The key ingredient in these products is the hormone melatonin, which is critical for regulating sleep. Here’s some additional information about how melatonin works.
Understanding What is Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by the body in the pineal gland of the brain. As the brain senses darkness, it releases the hormone into the bloodstream. Melatonin facilitates the transition into the deep sleep state and ensures that your body gets consistent rest. As morning approaches, daylight prompts the brain to stop producing the hormone and you wake up. In this way, melatonin regulates the circadian rhythm to synchronize sleep and wake cycles. The hormone produced naturally in the body is called endogenous melatonin. Any disruption in the normal production of the hormone results in insomnia.
Taking Melatonin Supplements
Melatonin can be produced synthetically in a lab and this version is called exogenous melatonin. You can find supplements containing the hormone available in the form of gummies, liquids, capsules, pills, gummies, and chewables. Taking these supplements just before bedtime can help you fall asleep and stay asleep all through the night. Research indicates that people who work night shifts or travel across time zones can use them to regulate their cycles. If you’ve been experiencing insomnia because of a Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder (DSWPD) where you have to schedule sleep around work or personal commitments, you could use supplements to fall asleep.
Possibility of Side Effects
Before taking supplements, it is always advisable to check with your medical practitioner. Taking melatonin can have short-term side effects like dizziness, drowsiness during the day, headaches, and nausea. For this reason, you should refrain from driving and operating heavy machinery while on the pills. Depending on how your body tolerates the supplements, you might also notice after effects like anxiety, confusion and disorientation, abdominal cramping, and depression. Some patients have also reported hypotension or excessive low blood pressure. Long-term use may raises the risk of getting dementia.
Appropriate Dosage of the Hormone
Choosing the appropriate dosage of the hormone can help you avoid the after effects. You should always start off with a minimal dose and work your way up with the advice of your doctor. Typically, supplements are available in dosages ranging from 1 to 12 milligrams (mg). Most may contain between 1mg and 3mg, but the right dose depends on other factors like your age and the extent of insomnia. If needed, you could find pills containing micrograms (mcg) of the hormone. Patients who find that 1mg gummies cause excessive side effects can go with a lower dosage since oral supplements have been found to raise melatonin levels in the blood much faster than usually released by the brain.
Melatonin supplements are typically safe to ingest. But, if you take prescription medicines for diabetes, epilepsy, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure, check with your doctor for information before starting. In this way, you’ll avoid any possible risks from combining medications.
Patients with insomnia can choose from the different melatonin supplements available today. Make sure to start with small doses to see how well your body responds and benefits from this sleep aid.