You’ve heard or probably even seen it, influencers, public figures, and experts using melatonin for sleep. It’s almost like this little magical pill that knocks you out after you take it, and you experience your best slumber yet.
Now, as with everything else, there is a lot of debate when it comes to taking this viral hormone for sleep, we’re here to really determine if it’s legit.
Our guide explores the efficacy of melatonin for sleep: does it work? We’re breaking down and taking apart this product’s benefits, if there are any. So, is melatonin the real deal? Or is it just another example of snake oil bandwagon-internet-hype? Let’s find out.
What On Earth Is Melatonin?
Melatonin is a hormone that the body naturally produces. Let’s get technical for a second: It’s produced by the pineal gland in the brain, which regulates and operates our sleep-wake cycle.
Think of it as the puppeteer that pulls the strings on your natural clock and basically decides if you’re going to get a great night’s sleep or toss and turn the entire night.
The cool thing about melatonin is that it is released in response to darkness, so when it gets dark outside, it’s notifying your body that it’s time to hit the sack. Kind of like a “charge your device” notification when it’s on low battery.
How Does Melatonin Work?
Now let’s get down to the nitty-gritty: how does popping one of those purple melatonin gummies or pills actually get you drowsy?
To put simply, synthetic melatonin supplements mimic the natural process of your ability to regulate the sleep-wake cycle, helping you fall asleep faster and improve the quality of your sleep.
The hormone works by matching up the body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm, with the natural dark and light cycle.
What it’s basically doing is triggering you to keep up and respond to the darkness, so when the lights go low, you’re naturally sent word of sleep, courtesy of your brain. But the question remains: how long do melatonin gummies take?
It depends. Melatonin promotes and brings about drowsiness and cuts down the time it takes you to fall asleep. You know, the excruciating minutes you spend tossing and turning, trying to get some shut-eye, counting everything from sheep to goats jumping over the fence?
Melatonin, if it’s able to do the work effectively, knocks you out at your 50th sheep count or maybe even 10th. So it could take you anywhere from an hour to 10 minutes to fall asleep!
But Wait!
But it’s important to remember that melatonin will work depending on several factors, such as timing of the dosage and the underlying cause of your sleep issues. You see, if the reason behind your sleepless nights go beyond just your sleep cycle going awry, using melatonin won’t cut it.
Who Is Melatonin For?
Melatonin isn’t for everyone, but it works fantastic for some people who probably have circumstantial hiccups disrupting their sleep or even those who struggle for real. Let’s look at who are the best candidates to use melatonin for sleep.
1. Jet-Lagged Folks
You already know how jet-lagged feeling feels: the overwhelming sense of grogginess and irritability keeps you from getting a good snooze after long hours of traveling across time zones. Jet lag can throw off the body’s natural circadian rhythm and make it difficult to get it back in shape.
This is where melatonin comes in. It can help realign this rhythm, get things back on track, and naturally induce sleepiness.
2. Shift Workers
Melatonin can be great for those who work night shifts or have rotating schedules. Their sleep cycles are irregular and ever-changing, and getting on melatonin can realign their circadian rhythms and help them get some sleep.
3. Older Adults
Our body’s melatonin declines with age, like a lot of other things, and taking a melatonin supplement to offset the decline can help older adults regulate their sleep cycles.
They’re more prone to sleep disturbances for other associated factors besides melatonin decline and regular supplementation can greatly improve their sleep.
4. Those Struggling With Insomnia
While melatonin is not recommended for those struggling with insomnia, it can help ease some of the difficulties falling asleep due to temporary and short-term disruptions in their sleep patterns.
But of course, if you struggle with insomnia and have been an insomniac for a while now, make sure to consult with a medical professional before taking melatonin supplements. It may not be enough to deal with your problems.
Let’s Get Scientific
Put on your goggles and apron; it’s time to delve into the science behind melatonin. Fortunately, there are many, many studies on melatonin, and they vary greatly.
Research shows that melatonin levels rise in the evening, nodding to the body that it’s time to sleep, and decrease in the morning to promote wakefulness and get you up and out of bed.
Several studies suggest melatonin supplements help cut down the time it takes to fall asleep, especially for those with conditions like delayed sleep phase syndrome or jet lag.
However, for those struggling with chronic insomnia, melatonin’s efficacy is not as clear, with some studies showing very little progress compared to placebos.
Its benefits are also dose-dependent, with lower doses usually considered to be more effective than higher doses for most users. But the good thing is, studies on melatonin are constant, so results are always changing.
Potential Side-Effects and Challenges
Although melatonin is considered safe for short-term use, like all things, there are potential side effects and challenges in taking melatonin for sleep.
Let’s look at a few of them below.
- Some users have reported feeling drowsy throughout the day upon taking melatonin, which is a major inconvenience if you’re at work and need to stay awake during the day.
- Some users have also said that they experienced headaches after taking melatonin. Some of these aches followed after taking the pill at night and even throughout the next day.
- Users have also reported feeling dizziness after taking melatonin, which may also contribute to loss of appetite and lethargy.
- Nausea is another side-effect users have experienced upon taking melatonin, where users could also feel dizziness, lethargy, etc.
This is why it’s super important to talk to a healthcare professional before using melatonin, especially for those who are pregnant or nursing. Or if you’re taking medications that may interact with the supplement and bring about any adverse effects that you definitely don’t want.
Does Melatonin Actually Work?
Now, to answer the question of the moment, does melatonin actually work? Long story short, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. While some may experience instant and significant improvements and progress in their sleep patterns, others may not feel much of a difference.
It’s like any other type of supplement you may be taking; maybe with the Biotin gummies, you’re actually seeing a great difference in your hair health. While for others, it might as well be a placebo.
This is where factors like dosage, timing, and individual sleep issues play a major role in determining melatonin’s efficacy. Like we said before, if you have any underlying issues that are exacerbating your sleep cycle, you should talk to a doctor first and self-supplement later.
Are There Any Alternatives to Melatonin?
Yes! If you’re looking for any alternatives or dupes, as they say, to melatonin, we’ve got some for you below. Don’t expect other supplements though, these are changes you can make today, without buying any other pills or gummies!
- Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule is the key to a healthy and regulated sleep pattern. You already knew this was coming!
- Stop taking your phone to bed! We know this can be difficult to do, but try reducing screen-time before going to sleep. Consider putting the phone in another room before bedtime. It’ll be hard, but it works!
- A relaxing bedtime routine can do wonders in helping your dose off. Use heavy curtains to make your room darker, turn down the temperature to keep your room cool, use weighted blankets, and invest in soft and good quality bed sheets, pillows, and mattresses.
- Doing this can help you see instant results, take a leap of faith, and reduce caffeine and alcohol consumption. Limit yourself to one cup of coffee a day, and switch to green tea for a calming alternative.
As for limiting alcohol intake, you already know that improving your sleep is just one among the multitude of benefits it can have on your health.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed our take on using melatonin for sleep. Like we mentioned above, it isn’t a universal solution for chronic sleep issues.
Not everyone will experience their eyes getting heavy and their bodies relaxing upon ingestion, it depends on so many factors from dosage, any underlying issues, and other aspects.
If you are considering melatonin for fixing your sleep, we strongly advise you to talk to a medical professional to make sure it’s the right choice for your specific situation.
