Problems With Sleep? How Melatonin Helped Us Overcome Sleeping Difficulties

Melatonin - what does it do?

The hormone melatonin is found naturally in the human body and it is used to manage sleep. A number of people have found melatonin nutritional supplements to be useful in getting to sleep, especially those who cannot produce sufficient quantities of melatonin naturally. The human body creates melatonin during times of darkness. So as the sun sets, or as lights in a room are dimmed, this unique hormone starts to help you feel sleepy. Some people may have problems producing enough of it and may encounter sleep issues. This is where melatonin supplements could be helpful.

Is it safe?

In a number of countries, Melatonin has either not been evaluated by national food and drug bodies or it's considered as a food supplement rather than a drug. Wherever it has been assessed, it's been found to be relatively safe whenever used properly. It might seem like practical sense, but you should not take melatonin when driving a car or working with mechanical equipment. If a lady is currently pregnant, it might also be unwise to take a melatonin supplement. Quite a few suppliers might not offer any advice in relation to giving to a child, so you should always talk to a medical doctor or pharmacist first. Supplementation by melatonin is for the purpose of aiding the body's normal way of causing you to sleep, rather than a medicine that's making the body to do something it was not made to do. It is always essential to eat healthily and exercise and carry out all of the generally suggested things you require to undertake to get to sleep. Supplementation with melatonin can in some circumstances benefit some individuals with problems with sleep, however for people that do not have a problem creating melatonin, it is unlikely to make any difference. Additionally it is probably not going to be useful to individuals who continue by having an harmful lifestyle.

Personal Experience

When our oldest son was a baby, we had a lot of trouble getting him to sleep. Every night since he was born, he would wake up crying every 20 minutes or so, and took ages to get to sleep. As you can imagine, both my wife and I were exhausted and got no answers from doctors. Everything was investigated, from reflux to croup, but it wasn't until our son was diagnosed with autism, that things began to fall into place. We discovered that many children with autism and other learning difficulties have trouble getting to sleep. Over time, his sleeping got better, but he would still have great difficulty getting off to sleep in the first place, often lying awake in his bed for hours. We read about the use of melatonin supplements and how some children don't produce enough melatonin. I also had always had problems getting off to sleep, so I tried it out on myself first over a couple of weeks, and found it made a great difference and no side effects. We then tried out a low does with out son and made such a difference. He takes his melatonin about half an hour before going to bed, and on going to bed can be asleep within 20 minutes. When we run out of supplements, we really notice a difference. We couldn't be without it now.

More information can be found on thus subject at - Vitamin and Supplement A to Z
http://www.vitaminandsupplement-atoz.com

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Weighted Blankets for Sleep Difficulties in Children With Autism

You may or may not have heard of "Weighted Blankets " - if however, you have endless issues with sleepless or interrupted nights with children with Autism or similar disorders, it may very well be the best thing you have ever heard of.

As a young girl (too many years ago) I spent most of my nights wondering the house without a thought of sleep. As I grew my sleep difficulties came along for the ride. The impact of these sleepless nights was not something I understood for a very long time. Now in my forties I am well and truly understanding what going without sleep can do to not only your energy but also the impact it can have all around our daily lives.

As I said, I am now in my 40's and these issues are still a problem for me, however now-a-days there are bigger issues that led me to my appreciation of using Weighted Blankets for sleep. In late 2010 my two very young sons were diagnosed with Autism. Both of these boys are on the spectrum but are very different in many ways. The one way that they did not differ was that neither of them "Just slept ". Having other members in the family and my own age, made it difficult to deal with the seemingly endless nights of constant battles to obtain sleep. It seemed most nights that we would finally settle one child and the next would step in to take his place, meaning that total sleep for us consisted of maybe a couple of uninterrupted hours and even then it would be either on the floor beside their beds or in our bed with both boys stretched out and pushing against us in the middle of the bed.

Once diagnosed we attempted sleep with the chemist made version of Melatonin. It took a few drops and for the first time both my boys were asleep within 30 minutes. Melatonin was great.... and so it went, however it started to take a few more drops to put them to sleep then it lasted a little less time (wakening at 3am) and then we started to realise how much of this chemist supply we were going through with two children using it. The cost for Melatonin varies but we never found it for less than about $55 per bottle (very small bottle) We were using more and more with less and varied results. This was about the time that I had the opportunity to try a Weighted Blanket. I had heard of them before, I remember that I dismissed the idea because my boys never would leave a sheet or blanket on, so I assumed that they would not leave the blanket on either. Then also there was the cost. Too much I thought to take the risk that they did not use it. --- I could not have been more wrong and I'm very happy that I was, my older son (now 5) took to the blanket quite well and started to sleep better in under a week. Jayden who was then still 2 (almost 3) did not like the idea of his legs being covered and also likes his arms free, for him we placed the blanket across the core of his body and left his legs and arms free. - During that week our last bottle of Melatonin ran out and we have not had to buy one since.

Now I am not saying that life is perfect, that is a bit much to ask from a blanket, however we will never do without the blankets again.

The big question - How do they work?

I could make it complicated and talk about "Deep pressure therapy" and " Spatial Awareness" but to keep it simple I will explain it this way. The Melatonin that was produced by my local chemist can just as easily be produced by our own bodies. A simple example is that when we receive a hug, our bodies' natural response is to release a chemical called Serotonin. This is what makes us feel good. Serotonin is our natural relaxant, but it is also much more. When the sun goes down and it is time for sleep, the Serotonin in our body changes. Melatonin is what is produced at night time and is necessary for sleep. Having the all over cuddle of a weighted blanket helps this Melatonin production and therefore helps with natural calming sleep.

Around April last year I started to stock and sell resources for families in our area with children who have ASD. The first thing we put out to show families were Weighted Blankets. We now stock not only blankets but weighted wraps sized for car travel or school. Both my sons have one of these smaller lap blankets in their bags in the classroom. They use them not for sleep but for calming when pressures in the classroom get too much. We also use blankets for their laps while travelling in the car. It keeps them calmer and allows me to concentrate on driving safely rather than dealing with meltdown. If you are dealing with sleepless children, do not wait. Make one or buy one or if you are lucky enough to find someone who will part with it borrow one. But one way or another give them a try. It took a week for my boys so be prepared that it may not happen the first night, but it may very well be the best investment for yours and you child's health that you ever make.

You are welcome to take a look at our weighted blankets - visit us anytime at http://www.forourspecialsomeone.com

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