Melatonin for sleep
 

I take this and it works like a charm, just wondered if any of you have tried it and what kind of results you had with it. For some people it doesn't do a thing for but for me I start yawning within about twenty minutes of taking it. And after that I have to lay down and go to bed within another twenty minutes or I sit here yawning with my eyes watering. LOL! :D

hi Pamster

yes, I benefit from melatonin when I need a good nights rest..I dont take it often but when I do it works real well..

BUT

if I take more than 300 MICROgrams it has the opposite effect and makes me edgy and restless at night and mega groggy next day!

guess being as it is hormonal, it must be related to individual hormone levels

melatonin
 

in high doses can give a "hangover" I have found. When I worked some midnight shifts several years ago, I needed 6mg to fall asleep in the morning (10-11am).

I used it thru my menopause, on and off, successfully. I found that it shortens the sleeping time for me, but that time was restorative. In other words I did not get a full 7-8hrs on it, but more like 4-5.

What really worked long term for me was B12 supplements. Even tho I tested in the 800+ range I took some during my menopause and found that over time it enabled me to sleep more naturally. 1mg methylcobalamin is what I used taken at night on an empty stomach.

One thing that also works is to NOT get up if you are insomniac. Exposing your eyes to light, affects the melatonin receptors in the retina, turning off internal melatonin production. This in turn makes the insomnia a vicious circle.

Recently with age, I found my melatonin cycles totally screwed up...to the opposite point. I have had to resort to light therapy to get back on track.
Oversleeping and depression was the result.
This may be a combo of aging and working swing shifts too much.

the melatonin i have been taking is helping.

but boy-o-boy you are sooo right about the light mrsd. in our masterbedroom is one of the security system panels. we have motion decetors all over the house, so the system scans. the panel blinks 3 different color lights. :eek: if my eyes open even a sliver..yeppers i'm wide awake.:(

so i cover the panal or sleep in my office.

I really like how fast it works for me and my son, we're both down for the count within half an hour or forty minutes. I sleep about 6-9 hours a night, depending on whether or not I wake up and can't go back to sleep. I knew about the light receptors and their sensitivity to light if you're in the half sleeping stage, light can definitely wake you up fully. Thanks everyone for the great replies! :D :cool:

A few years ago before i started taking all these other meds,i took melatonin.
It worked like a charm for me too!
I used to take a handful of vitamins everyday actually!
Now i take so many other meds,it's hard to work them all in..LOL
So,i don't really take them like i should anymore.
I recently started back on the omega 3's:rolleyes:
Hey,it's a start....:)

Good for you ~KELLWANTSANSWERS~! :D It's definitely a start, I know I have been meaning to take my vitamins daily but it's hard to remember when I have meds to take too. I am going to get another pill organizer just for vitamins soon then I won't have any excuses. ;)

just a reminder............
 

for those who are on meds....it is alwauys a good idea to check to see whether any vitamins, minerals or other supplements interact with your meds

there is a comprehensive list of meds plus their interactions with supps on iHerb's Health Encyclopedia

I always either talk with my doctor or call my pharmacist to make sure there are not any conflicts. Very good advice there Chemar. ;) :D

Melatonin didn't do a thing for me... I tried increasing the dose (it is very safe, and increasing the dose will help some people) but it didn't work then either.

I preferred to use this to sleep (natural, won't hurt your body), but I had to switch to a medication to get some rest.