If you haven’t heard of melatonin I would be surprised. In the U.S. it is categorized as a supplement and as billed as a natural sleep aid, though in many other countries it takes a doctor’s prescription to get your hands on it.
What is Melatonin?
The melatonin sold in stores is a synthesized version of a natural hormone released by the pineal gland at night, which tends to make us sleepy when the sun goes down. For this reason, it’s often used to help blind patients establish regular sleeping habits in the absence of natural light-based stimuli.
Melatonin is generally viewed as a safe substance, hence it’s OTC status. It’s pretty hard to overdose on melatonin, and very few adverse effects have been documented. Although, anecdotal reports indicate some folks don’t like the way it makes them feel.
A curious fact about melatonin is that it also has anti-inflammatory properties. Some research has been done into giving melatonin to children with atopic dermatitis (skin rash) since the condition can also cause sleep onset disturbance. The result of the studies indicated that melatonin played a small anti-inflammatory role but its value was mostly in helping kids fall asleep safely, despite their chronic itchiness.
Melatonin for Apnea Patients
I have been asked about melatonin use in the course of my treatment of sleep breathing disorders and the truth is that there hasn’t been sufficient research done on the subject to say whether it is a safe treatment, one way or another.
Most sleep aids are discouraged if you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), because sedatives affect the central nervous system. CNS-affecting drugs can actually make OSA worse because, along with relaxing your nerves, they also relax the tissues of the airway passages and can lead to greater obstruction. Just like alcohol. But melatonin is does not affect the central nervous system, so it may be a safe alternative if you have trouble falling asleep.
But “may be” is the right term here. Not everyone responds well to melatonin. It doesn’t present obvious side effects that are harmful to the body—but not everyone is comfortable monkeying around with their brain chemistry via synthetic hormones.
If You Have Trouble Sleeping
If you are looking for natural ways to fall asleep and stay asleep, there are a number of sleep hygiene tips from the experts that may help you. A lot of people cultivate terrible sleeping habits, such as falling asleep while looking at a screen, exercising too close to bed time, or consuming foods and beverages that aren’t conducive to rest. It’s always a good idea to try behavior-based approaches before you look to pills.
If you have an OSA diagnosis and have trouble falling asleep, should you try melatonin? Maybe. It probably won’t hurt. If your sleep habits are irregular it may help you establish new, healthier routines.
But the key to safe effective melatonin use is making sure you get it from a trusted source. As a supplement, there is very little federal regulation of melatonin, and you can’t always trust what’s written on the labels of every product you find on the drugstore shelf.
Research your source. Better yet, talk to your physician and ask for a prescription for melatonin. Getting it from a pharmacy ensures you get a consistent product and can experiment with dosage. It’s typically advised that patients start with 3-10 micrograms of melatonin for sleep onset problems—but again, your doctor may have more specific advice.
As with all supplements, do you your homework before you start taking something new. Find out what research has been done and discuss it with your physician to make sure it is a safe option for you.
About the Author: Dr. Mickiewicz owns a private practice in Sacramento and lectures across the nation on TMD treatments. He is a diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management and holds membership in many professional associations for dentistry, sleep medicine, and TMD. In addition, Dr. Mick, as his patients call him, founded Pacific Orofacial Pain Consultants, a team of experts in various disciplines, who tackle the issue of TMD pain and treatment, to help sufferers find relief from chronic pain. To talk with Dr. Mick, call his Sacramento dental office at 916-457-7710.
