Dec
07
2009
I’ve Been Taking 30 Mg Melatonin For The Past Few Nights And It Has No Effect. Could I Have A Sleep Disorder?
Posted by: Alan in Sleep Disorder, tags: Been, Could, Effect., Have, I've, Melatonin, Nights, Past, Sleep, Taking
I started out w/ 3 mg like the bottle recommended, but it didn’t really do anything so I doubled the dose. It still didn’t have an effect so finally I just went all out. Is that normal? I’ve had problems falling asleep my whole life, is it possible I’m like insensitive to melatonin?
Entries (RSS)
December 7th, 2009 at 4:09 am
Melatonin is a hormone in the body that is produced by the pineal gland. It has been linked to the sleep/wake cycle.
The theory is that high levels of melatonin can make you fall asleep.
Because of this, melatonin has been marketed as a sleeping pill. However, the results of tests trying to conclude the efficacy of melatonin as a sleep aid have not been evaluated by the FDA.
And if you look on your bottle of melatonin, it will say something along the lines of “dietary supplement” somewhere on it.
Because it is technically a dietary supplement instead of a drug, it does not have to be proven by the FDA to be effective. Other drugs like unisom have to be proven to be effective before they can be marketed as such.
So I think it’s very normal to not feel effects of melatonin as a sleep aid. It’s also very possible that you have a sleep disorder. There are OTC drugs like unisom or doxylamine that are approved by the FDA. However, you should discuss with your doctor before you start any OTC sleep aids.
I hope you have found this useful!
December 7th, 2009 at 5:44 am
melatonin has very short half-life (0.5hr), so spread around and take the 3 mg every so often throughout the night. the timed released type melatonin works better but twice more costly
melatonin works only when the surrounding is very dark and the person is very calm. wear an eye patch and meditate after taken melatonin. be patient
December 7th, 2009 at 6:29 am
Melatonin works best for people who do shift work or have jet lag, it helps you adjust your sleep cycle. It is Not a sleeping pill. I’m not an MD so I can’t say if you have a disorder but maybe you should try a different sleep aid.