Article Research- Melatonin for Sleep

Melatonin As A “Greener” Sleep Aid?
By Alicia Sparks January 7, 2009
Midweek Mental Greening

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been trying melatonin as a sleep aid – not every night, mind you, but here and there.
You probably have a working knowledge of melatonin. It’s the hormone your brain’s pineal gland produces at night, when it’s dark and your body needs rest. Thus, melatonin helps your body know the difference between day and night and lends a hand with your circadian timing and sleep cycles.
Though it may not be the most environmentally green sleep aid around (your body produces it naturally but, hey, if you’re taking it orally, that means someone else is manufacturing, bottling, and selling it and it’s no longer natural – it’s synthetic) melatonin definitely seems preferable to traditional prescription and other over-the-counter sleep aids as far as greening your mind and body are concerned.
The fewer chemicals we can get away with the better, in my opinion.
The Mayo Clinic graded melatonin’s effectiveness with an “A” for jet lag, and a “B” for delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS), insomnia in elderly people, sleep disturbances in children with neuro-psychiatric disorders, and sleep enhancement for people who are normally pretty healthy.
My own personal experience? I love it. The directions for the melatonin strips I purchased recommended taking the strips immediately before bedtime; however, I usually took them about a half an hour before hitting the sheets. Fortunately, my rebellious behavior didn’t seem to affect the success of the melatonin – each night I used the strips, I fell asleep more easily and slept through the entire night.
That’s a pretty big deal for me.
The Mayo Clinic also provides information about dosing and ssafety - as do numerous other resources like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) - but as always it’s best to clear it with your doctor before trying anything new. As far as I know, the FDA does not regulate melatonin production, so you should definitely discuss the amount you take – and how long you take it – with a medical professional.
So, what about you? Do you have any experiences – good or bad – with using melatonin as a sleep aid?



I found this article interesting because I had always wondered how people with severe sleeping disorders were able to get sleep and be able to function properly in society. This new solution can also help with jetlag which is a major plus for people traveling long distances. I also like the fact that they are researching medicines for sleep that are produced naturally in the body instead of the mixes of chemicals that are often sold. The fact that there are no known side effects when taken properly. This might be something for me to look into for my trip to Greece this Summer.