Melatonin

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Clarissa

January 23, 2018

So folks, tell me honestly. Is taking melatonin a really bad idea?

I’ve never even known what it means to spend less than an hour lying there with my eyes closed until I finally fall asleep. And an hour is a good night. Usually it’s longer.

So I took melatonin for the last 3 nights and it’s been amazing. I feel so rested and energetic, even after getting up at 6. But I fear that something that feels this great must be really shitty.

Does anybody around here know anything about it? You know how I feel about any medication. I see a Tylenol pill and think that a severe heroin addiction is the next step. And obviously I don’t trust anything that Google can find on it.

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11 responses to “Melatonin”

Dreidel

January 23, 2018

Free medical advice:

Come on, you’re diabetic, and on a specific diet and medical regimen that’s being carefully monitored by your doctor.

Some studies have shown melatonin raising blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics and interfering with prescribed medication. Don’t be foolish enough to add any supplements without discussing them with your physician first.

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1. Clarissa
  
  January 24, 2018
  
  I’m not diabetic. I was on a program that reversed the course I was on and now I’m in the normal range! Yippee!
  
  But it’s good to know that melatonin is connected to blood sugar. I had no idea. I will be ditching it. Thank you!
  
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  1. Shakti
    
    January 24, 2018
    
    But there’s a link between sleep deprivation and elevated blood sugar levels. So…talk to your doctor and check your blood sugar levels in the morning?
    
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    1. Clarissa
      
      January 24, 2018
      
      Absolutely! Things got really bad with the blood sugar while I was breastfeeding because the sleep was constantly interrupted. And then after she started sleeping through the night, it eventually got better. So there’s a definite connection.
      
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Stille (@aperfectbalance)

January 24, 2018

Check it with your doctor, the interaction with blood sugar levels looks fascinating but troublesome.

The good news, though, is that melatonin is a substance your body naturally produces, so even if you can’t safely deal with the large doses in supplements (http://blog.dansplan.com/research-reveals-an-odd-connection-between-melatonin-and-type-2-diabetes/ tells me a 4mg dose leads to a 65-fold increase in melatonin level) there are still lifestyle changes you can do to increase your nightly melatonin levels and decrease your morning ones. I also used to have insomnia issues, and managed to fix them by getting my melatonin levels in check by messing with the levels of white/blue light around me (melatonin secretion is inhibited by blue light). I try my best to get some sun every morning (or, for prolonged cloudy weather, I use a full-spectrum light lamp for an hour or so), and I avoid cool light after sunset. My apartment is lit by strategically placed lamps with bulbs as warm-coloured as I could find, and all my electronic devices have f.lux/redshift/similar installed on them, to shift the colour balance to a more reddish, firelight-like set point. You might want to try to implement some changes in that direction too – the effect will be subtler than melatonin supplements, but it’ll still help.

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Sugs

January 24, 2018

I agree with the comments above, do ask your doctor. There may be medically approved doses which could suit you.
Also agree about lighting, it’s well worth trying, may help with sleep problems and won’t interfere with blood sugar. I have special daylight bulbs which help me to overcome winter ‘sadness’ (Seasonal affective disorder).

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Lucy

January 24, 2018

I use melatonin and I get a more rested sleep. My dr told me they also help regulate other hormones that are influenced by levels of melatonin, and in some cases can reduce impact of breast cancer, etc.
I also have the blue filter in all my devices, and throughout the whole day, not just at night.

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Sugs

January 24, 2018

Thanks, this has got me interested as I too often don’t get to sleep easily.

Apparently blueish light from screens is particularly likely to keep you awake. So I will banish tablet, phone and TV from my bedroom, this may help. I will let you know.

On the other hand my husband puts on old episodes of Star trek Stargate, etc. and is asleep within five minutes. Old sci-fi shows do have some value…

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UDR

January 24, 2018

Sleepytime tea usually works for me: http://www.celestialseasonings.com/products/herbal/sleepytime-classic

I like to drink it while I watch something short, silly, and mindless before bed.

I also keep my phone on very low light towards the end of the day.

All together, it helps my brain slow down and get ready to rest.

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Fie upon this quiet life

January 24, 2018

There are different doses of melatonin you can take — I think the smallest is 3 mg. We have used it before when we need to get to sleep but can’t. Sometimes I use a pill cutter to cut it in half to get the smallest amount possible (it crumbles a little, so it would be hard to make it even smaller). I think if you don’t use it every day, it probably wouldn’t be a problem, but do talk to the doc about the blood sugar implications. My kids, honestly, love warm milk when they can’t sleep, and it usually puts them out.

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1. ei
  
  January 25, 2018
  
  I have also seen several different doses. 3 mg does not seem very small, as I have “extra strong” ones, that contain 1.9 mg.
  
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