Melatonin - A Cure For Sleeping Disorders?

Melatonin, also known as 5-methosy-N-acetyltryptamine, is a hormone that is produced in the center of the brain by the pinealocytes in the pineal gland. Melatonin regulates the sleep/awake sleeping cycle (circadian rhythm). The production of melatonin is externally influenced by the amount of light in the environment.

Production of melatonin is stimulated by light and inhibited by darkness. As we age, our sleep cycles change and so does the quality of our sleep. It typically deteriorates as longer lasting awakenings become more common. This disturbance has been linked with a decline of melatonin secretion. Melatonin deficiency has also been linked with the onset of some degenerative diseases.

Research suggests that melatonin may help with insomnia in older people and reduce their dependence on sleeping medications. Melatonin may be the answer to a host of sleeping disorders and disturbances. It has been shown that the use of melatonin can help blind people in retaining their circadian cycle. Melatonin may also be used to treat jetlag, as well as reduce the use of sleep aids in the general population. People who suffer from irregular sleeping hours might also be able to benefit by taking melatonin to get on a regular sleeping pattern and still maintain a good night's sleep.

Melatonin is widely available and can be found in alternative health food stores, as well as some drug stores. Not a lot is known about melatonin, but so far it seems to be able to help some individuals and cause very few side effects. The manufacturing and marketing of melatonin is currently unregulated in the United States. There is no guarantee of consistency between brands; quantity and quality in supplements may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Understandably, most doctors do not prescribe or recommend melatonin as more research is needed to discover the benefits and side effects on the general population, as well as older people.

Sarah Walker is a health and fitness enthusiast. She currently runs a website helping people with Insomnia. To find out more information and help on insomnia, go to http://insomniasymptoms.org

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Melatonin and Sleep - Two Common Sleep Disorders You May Be Able to Cure

The natural hormone melatonin has several recently proven health benefits, but one stands out as the most immediate and practical use.

Sleep.

Melatonin is a hormone directly related to regulating the sleep cycle, and is produced by the body when light levels are low, and switched off when light levels are high. Now available as an over-the-counter supplement, you may seek it out as a sleep aid instead of the more common Benadryl or Ambien. But does it actually work?

For insomnia, it has limited usefulness. While several studies have been published showing no difference between insomniacs who took melatonin as opposed to those who took a placebo, it may still have some effect for you if you are suffering temporary insomnia. Some users on the popular health forum Healthboards.com have reported that it did not help them fall asleep as well as a traditional sleeping pill, but it did help them feel tired, sleepy, and ready for bed.

Other users reported greater success with a smaller dosage. For instance, one woman tried 1 mg, then 2, then 3. No effect. She then tried 1/2 a mg and it worked well for her.

There may be somewhat of a subjective process with this supplement. In other words, if you have insomnia, try it for yourself and see if it helps. And experiment with the lower doses. Even if it isn't effective for your insomnia, there is one sleep disorder that it is invariably successful at treating.

And that would be jet lag. Long airline flights can throw your sleep cycle so out of sync that melatonin can get you back into a regular pattern much quicker than just time. This is the best use of melatonin that exists, and it's aligned with its main purpose in the human body.

While I highly recommend the use of melatonin for the occasional insomnia, there is no guarantee it will work for you. But if it doesn't, try a few different amounts of the supplement, and even see if a much lower dose works better. If you are going to be on a long flight, though, melatonin can be quite a useful supplement, re-aligning your circadian rhythm with your new day and night cycle.

Read about other health benefits of melatonin, as well as the possible dangers at [http://www.supplementzone.org/melatonin] Alan Glender is one of the chief editors and regular writers for SupplementZone.org, supplying you with the truth on supplements before you take them.

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