The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that more than one in three Americans is sleep deprived. The pandemic exacerbated this troubling trend with an increase in anxiety levels that created even more disturbances in sleep patterns. Many people turned to melatonin to help them slumber safely, but experts warn that this dietary supplement is not a sleeping pill and uses a much different mechanism to induce sleep.
According to the Food Network, melatonin is a hormone produced by our brains in response to darkness. It helps adjust our circadian rhythms, the 24-hour internal body clock that governs the sleep-wake cycle. Unlike sleeping pills that sedate you by slowing down brain activity, taking a melatonin supplement increases melatonin levels in the brain, signifying that it is nighttime and inducing drowsiness. Melatonin levels decline with age.
Melatonin doesn’t work for everyone, but psychologist Marsha Lucas says that is because they are taking it incorrectly.
“Melatonin can be a very effective way to help your body sleep better — not just longer, or faster, but better, giving your brain the rest and cycles it needs to work well,” she says, adding that the wrong time to take a melatonin supplement is just before bedtime. “You need to take it two to three hours before your desired sleep time.”
Lucas adds that people often take too much melatonin.
“I cringe when I hear people have been taking 10 milligram doses,” she says. “At most, the average adult should take no more than two milligrams to help with sleep, and there are studies that show even that is often too much depending on size and weight.”
The Washington D.C.-based expert says that if you take melatonin, avoid all blue light devices, or at least use a blue light filter. Try to use ambient or yellow light which helps your body relax and get into sleep mode so you don’t defeat the purpose of the supplement.
And don’t use any sleep aid, even melatonin, for weeks on end. Your sleeplessness may be due to an underlying mental, emotional, or even physical condition that should be addressed by a healthcare professional.
“What’s true for many is that sleep issues stem from problems with anxiety, stress, or depression — any of which can cause difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting deep restful sleep,” says Lucas. “Psychotherapy can be highly effective for helping with sleep and mood related problems.”
According to Forbes, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) says that melatonin may be used for some problems related to sleep timing, but it’s not a solution for serious sleep issues like chronic insomnia. Potential side effects of taking melatonin include headaches, an upset stomach and daytime grogginess. The AASM discourages people with dementia from taking the supplement because it may increase their risk of falling or feeling disoriented at night.
Researchers have also found that taking melatonin negatively impacts men’s semen quality and women’s fertility. If you are trying to get pregnant, talk to your doctor before taking melatonin supplements, says Forbes. And anyone taking prescription medication should check with their healthcare professional as melatonin may interfere with the effectiveness of drugs.