What are your experiences with Melatonin supplements?

Question

I have been waking at night for about ten years. I always wake up between 2 and 3 pm. One doctor told me that it's just 'natural body rhythms'. Whatever it is, I'm sick of it!

I tried taking 3 mg melatonin the first night, then doubled it to 6 mg. I just read that higher doses can be less effective. I just woke up at 2:30 a.m. I feel groggy, but I still can't get back to sleep. I also have a headache, and I cannot stand the hangover effect in the morning.

I see the research is saying a dose of 0.3 is most effective, but I have two different bottles - a new one with 3 mg pills, and an expired on with 1 mg pills (expired June 2007, and I just found them).

Where can I get 0.3 mg pills? Might the 1 mg pills be diluted or toxic? What dose has been effective for you?

Thanks in advance for answering my question!

Answer 1

I take a very low dose because I started out with a 2.5 mg tablet and it left me depressed and just weary all week. I should also point out that I take melatonin lozenges from Nature's Way. I don't know if lozenges form differs from the other forms...?

Now I just l**k or swirl my tongue on the tablet about 3-4 times and within 15-30 mintues I feel my arms getting heavy and sleep comes.

I also sleep with a humidifier in the room and listen to soothing music, boring lecture notes, or Ekchart Tolle seminars on my ipod just until I fall asleep so that might affect the state I'm in as well.

This process works for me and I rarely wake up during the night unless I just ate a big meal and fell asleep.

Hope this helps, good luck!!

Answer 2

I suppose you mean 2 and 3 am (not pm).

In my experience, this is due to a Liver problem and - as you have noticed - Melatonin will not help very much. It will on the contrary increase the liver problem as you give it extra work with breaking down the pills.

The symptoms you are having the day after show that this is not what you need.

If I were you, I would try to work on this with my diet - keep off fats, pastries, sugars, dairy products all together, keep off cigarettes as well if you smoke. Some liver detox with f. ex. artichoke leaves might be good if changing your diet doesn't work within one month.

I wish you all the best.

Lisa J.

Answer 3

Perhaps melatonin from food is more effective than a melatonin supplement.  If you eat some dried cherries (rich in melatonin) an hour or so before bedtime perhaps that might help.  You can find further information in a web search for cherries + melatonin + sleep.

To get 0.3 mg of melatonin in a single dose perhaps you could crush a melatonin tablet to a powder and then take the relevant amount of the powder.  A very messy option unless there are better ones.  Perhaps melatonin is only available in capsule form.

Other natural remedies include warm milk, valerian, 5-HTP and others that you can find in a web search for "natural sleep remedies" that hopefully will teach you how to sleep better.

Answer 4

Melatonin, and the drug based off it called Rozerem are in a weird little family of substances that seem to be very effective(above a placebo) in a certain part of the population, and do absolutely nothing in the rest. The anxiety medication Buspar behaves similarly. Somewhere between 15 and 20% of the population gets a very good response to the above substances, and the rest might as well be taking chalk.

Isn't human pharmacology strange sometimes?

Answer 5

I'm sorry but I think your mind and body are looking forward to their midnite binge and this is programming you to wake. You can change the body clock by not giving in to that habit anymore if you don't like waking which I'm sure you don't as you are just losing sleep and gaining weight. Try to get some control over your diet. Like Lisa says, this probably starts with cleansing your liver. That would help with cravings for foods too.

Answer 6

1 mg is the dose I take.  My friend took 3 mg and said he felt dizzy next day.  I'm very pleased with 1 mg and it works almost every time I need it.  

I wouldn't take any medication that expired over a year ago; toss 'em out, melatonin is inexpensive.

Answer 7

I find that taking sleepy time tea at night makes me go to sleep. This tea is only about 3 dollars and has valerian in it. It also tastes good too. I can almost guarantee that if you make a cup with 2 bags in it about 10 minutes before you go to bed you will get some rest.

melatonin is to help adjust your regular sleep cycle. It works to get you to sleep but does not relieve your nerves from anxiety. Valerian is to calm your nerves. Try this tea and see if it works better. You can buy it at Kroger or any store.