Sick & tired? Try melatonin!
As I got older, sleep got further and further away from me. I was tossing and turning for hours, then waking up several times in the middle of the night and finally getting up hours before I needed because it was too frustrating to stay in bed any longer! I wasn't even 50 when that happened. At that rate, I figured I'd be awake 24 hours a day by the time I reached 60.
Circadian rhythm? Is that a cricket band?
Your wake/sleep cycle is called the circadian rhythm, and melatonin regulates it. Here's how it works. When it's dark, your body secretes melatonin; when it's light, you stop making it. Melatonin makes you sleep, and lack of melatonin keeps you awake.
The light/dark cycle doesn't have to occur at night. Have you ever been in the bright sun for hours and then gone into a much darker room, only to feel sleepy within a short period of time? The lack of light entering your optic nerve signals your pineal gland that daytime has gone and nighttime has arrived. Time to produce melatonin.
The less you sleep, the sicker you may get!
Humans, animals, plants and even microbes make melatonin. Babies make lots of it, that's why they sleep a lot. Cats seem to make a lot of it, too. More importantly, you make less of it as you get older. That's why senior citizens frequently sleep much less and get a lower quality of whatever sleep they do get.
According to researchers in the Department of Physiology at the University of Malaysia, sleep has such a profound effect on your entire health that you may be compromising it by not getting a full night of high-quality sleep. It's not necessarily the sleep, itself, that's doing anything for you, but the melatonin you're producing while you're sleeping.
Melatonin helps maintain health & halt disease
I found over 12,000 published articles and research studies on the benefits of melatonin. Here's a small sample of the research. I've included the medical journal after each quoted section.
Protects against neurodegenerative diseases: Melatonin provides "antioxidative protection and, in particular, neuroprotection. Findings are encouraging to use melatonin as a sleep promoter and in preventing progression of neurodegenerative diseases." [Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2005 Sep 27]
Slows the aging process & age-related health problems: "Melatonin is a prime candidate for slowing the aging process and targeting its underlying pathology. Profound gerontoprotective and antioxidant activities. Melatonin may become a promising, safe and effective intervention strategy to slow aging and the initiation and progression of age-related disorders." [Endocrine. 2005 Jul;27(2):201-12]
Assists your body's natural immune system: "Numerous observations published in recent years...have shown that one of the most significant of melatonin's pleiotropic effects is the regulation of the immune system." [Endocrine. 2005 Jul;27(2):189-200]
Cancer prevention: "Dietary melatonin supplementation working in concert with the endogenous melatonin signal has the potential to be a new preventive/therapeutic strategy to optimize the host/cancer balance in favor of host survival and quality of life." [Endocrine. 2005 Jul;27(2):179-88] "Melatonin may protect against breast cancer." [Am J Epidemiol. 2005 Oct 5] "The substantial reduction in risk of death, low adverse events reported and low costs related to this intervention suggest great potential for melatonin in treating cancer." [J Pineal Res. 2005 Nov;39(4):360-6] "The results strongly suggest that melatonin per se is beneficial during advanced breast cancer. It increases survival time, maybe by improving the homeostatic and neuroendocrine equilibrium which is imbalanced during advanced breast cancer." [Mol Cell Biochem. 2005 Oct;278(1-2):15-20]
Protection against skin ailments: "Melatonin could have a role in protection against solar radiation or even in the management of skin diseases." [Endocrine. 2005 Jul;27(2):137-48]
Helps diabetics: Melatonin is "a direct scavenger of free radicals...reduces serum lipid levels...and helps to prevent oxidative stress in diabetic subjects." [Endocrine. 2005 Jul;27(2):131-6]
Battles sexually transmitted disease: "Utilization of melatonin...may be advantageous for harmless prevention of chlamydial infection." [J Antimicrob Chemother. 2005 Sep 19]
Arrests neurodegenerative progress: "Melatonin has been shown to be effective in arresting neurodegenerative phenomena seen in experimental models of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinsonism and ischemic stroke." [Neurotox Res. 2005 Aug;7(4):293-318]
Increases energy: "Even ultra-low doses of melatonin may benefit the elderly by increasing their daytime activity." [Nord J Psychiatry. 2005;59(3):217-21]
It doesn't take much melatonin to help you sleep like a baby
When you don't make much melatonin due to age, illness or because it's light outside when you go to sleep, then you might want to consider taking a melatonin supplement. My husband and I have been taking melatonin for about six years. It's not addictive. You're simply replacing the melatonin that your body doesn't make.
We started by taking a dose of 1.5mg. We use sublingual melatonin because it gets into your system much faster and doesn't have to be digested. Digestion can delay, dilute or completely eliminate the benefits of melatonin. I've spoken to a number of people who've tried melatonin capsules or tablets but have not gotten any help falling asleep. All were helped when they switched to sublingual versions.
We moved up to 2.5mg sublinguals and finally to a 5mg dose. Your body can get used to a dosage level of melatonin, and you may have to increase the dose after using it for a while. It's also possible that the level of melatonin produced by our bodies has decreased over the past six years due to aging, and the increased dose is nothing more than compensation for the natural reduction of our own melatonin production.
You'll have to find your own melatonin dose. If you take too much melatonin, you'll be groggy in the morning. Don't take melatonin unless you plan to go to sleep. Don't take it for just a little nap. You'll need at least six hours of rest for the melatonin to work through its cycle.
We SWEAR by the Source Naturals brand of melatonin!
Source Naturals is a maker of high-quality supplements, and their melatonin is no exception. It comes in both sublingual tablets and spray. Some manufacturers make a sublingual liquid in an eyedropper bottle. The advantage of the liquid or spray is that you'll be able to take a little bit more or a little bit less, depending on your requirements. With tablets, you're tied to whatever dose is in the tablet.
Sleep tight!
Additional sources:
Exp Gerontol. 2005 Sep 22
Neurotox Res. 2005 Aug;7(4):293-318
* * * * * * * *
I am not a doctor and have no medical training.
The information in this blog is not intended
to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Statements made on this blog
have not been evaluated by the FDA.
Consult a healthcare professional before using any products,
treatments or exercises mentioned on this blog.
Circadian rhythm? Is that a cricket band?
Your wake/sleep cycle is called the circadian rhythm, and melatonin regulates it. Here's how it works. When it's dark, your body secretes melatonin; when it's light, you stop making it. Melatonin makes you sleep, and lack of melatonin keeps you awake.
The light/dark cycle doesn't have to occur at night. Have you ever been in the bright sun for hours and then gone into a much darker room, only to feel sleepy within a short period of time? The lack of light entering your optic nerve signals your pineal gland that daytime has gone and nighttime has arrived. Time to produce melatonin.
The less you sleep, the sicker you may get!
Humans, animals, plants and even microbes make melatonin. Babies make lots of it, that's why they sleep a lot. Cats seem to make a lot of it, too. More importantly, you make less of it as you get older. That's why senior citizens frequently sleep much less and get a lower quality of whatever sleep they do get.
According to researchers in the Department of Physiology at the University of Malaysia, sleep has such a profound effect on your entire health that you may be compromising it by not getting a full night of high-quality sleep. It's not necessarily the sleep, itself, that's doing anything for you, but the melatonin you're producing while you're sleeping.
Melatonin helps maintain health & halt disease
I found over 12,000 published articles and research studies on the benefits of melatonin. Here's a small sample of the research. I've included the medical journal after each quoted section.
Protects against neurodegenerative diseases: Melatonin provides "antioxidative protection and, in particular, neuroprotection. Findings are encouraging to use melatonin as a sleep promoter and in preventing progression of neurodegenerative diseases." [Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2005 Sep 27]
Slows the aging process & age-related health problems: "Melatonin is a prime candidate for slowing the aging process and targeting its underlying pathology. Profound gerontoprotective and antioxidant activities. Melatonin may become a promising, safe and effective intervention strategy to slow aging and the initiation and progression of age-related disorders." [Endocrine. 2005 Jul;27(2):201-12]
Assists your body's natural immune system: "Numerous observations published in recent years...have shown that one of the most significant of melatonin's pleiotropic effects is the regulation of the immune system." [Endocrine. 2005 Jul;27(2):189-200]
Cancer prevention: "Dietary melatonin supplementation working in concert with the endogenous melatonin signal has the potential to be a new preventive/therapeutic strategy to optimize the host/cancer balance in favor of host survival and quality of life." [Endocrine. 2005 Jul;27(2):179-88] "Melatonin may protect against breast cancer." [Am J Epidemiol. 2005 Oct 5] "The substantial reduction in risk of death, low adverse events reported and low costs related to this intervention suggest great potential for melatonin in treating cancer." [J Pineal Res. 2005 Nov;39(4):360-6] "The results strongly suggest that melatonin per se is beneficial during advanced breast cancer. It increases survival time, maybe by improving the homeostatic and neuroendocrine equilibrium which is imbalanced during advanced breast cancer." [Mol Cell Biochem. 2005 Oct;278(1-2):15-20]
Protection against skin ailments: "Melatonin could have a role in protection against solar radiation or even in the management of skin diseases." [Endocrine. 2005 Jul;27(2):137-48]
Helps diabetics: Melatonin is "a direct scavenger of free radicals...reduces serum lipid levels...and helps to prevent oxidative stress in diabetic subjects." [Endocrine. 2005 Jul;27(2):131-6]
Battles sexually transmitted disease: "Utilization of melatonin...may be advantageous for harmless prevention of chlamydial infection." [J Antimicrob Chemother. 2005 Sep 19]
Arrests neurodegenerative progress: "Melatonin has been shown to be effective in arresting neurodegenerative phenomena seen in experimental models of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinsonism and ischemic stroke." [Neurotox Res. 2005 Aug;7(4):293-318]
Increases energy: "Even ultra-low doses of melatonin may benefit the elderly by increasing their daytime activity." [Nord J Psychiatry. 2005;59(3):217-21]
It doesn't take much melatonin to help you sleep like a baby
When you don't make much melatonin due to age, illness or because it's light outside when you go to sleep, then you might want to consider taking a melatonin supplement. My husband and I have been taking melatonin for about six years. It's not addictive. You're simply replacing the melatonin that your body doesn't make.
We started by taking a dose of 1.5mg. We use sublingual melatonin because it gets into your system much faster and doesn't have to be digested. Digestion can delay, dilute or completely eliminate the benefits of melatonin. I've spoken to a number of people who've tried melatonin capsules or tablets but have not gotten any help falling asleep. All were helped when they switched to sublingual versions.
We moved up to 2.5mg sublinguals and finally to a 5mg dose. Your body can get used to a dosage level of melatonin, and you may have to increase the dose after using it for a while. It's also possible that the level of melatonin produced by our bodies has decreased over the past six years due to aging, and the increased dose is nothing more than compensation for the natural reduction of our own melatonin production.
You'll have to find your own melatonin dose. If you take too much melatonin, you'll be groggy in the morning. Don't take melatonin unless you plan to go to sleep. Don't take it for just a little nap. You'll need at least six hours of rest for the melatonin to work through its cycle.
We SWEAR by the Source Naturals brand of melatonin!
Source Naturals is a maker of high-quality supplements, and their melatonin is no exception. It comes in both sublingual tablets and spray. Some manufacturers make a sublingual liquid in an eyedropper bottle. The advantage of the liquid or spray is that you'll be able to take a little bit more or a little bit less, depending on your requirements. With tablets, you're tied to whatever dose is in the tablet.
Sleep tight!
Additional sources:
Exp Gerontol. 2005 Sep 22
Neurotox Res. 2005 Aug;7(4):293-318
I am not a doctor and have no medical training.
The information in this blog is not intended
to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Statements made on this blog
have not been evaluated by the FDA.
Consult a healthcare professional before using any products,
treatments or exercises mentioned on this blog.
posted by Edith Gaylord | 5:30 AM
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