Melatonin Dosage - Melatonin for Child - Melatonin for Insomnia
Melatonin is a natural hormone used for
sleep and other conditions.
Melatonin for Insomnia
Melatonin may help insomnia, but it is preferable not
to use melatonin on a nightly basis.
1) Tolerance develops in some people with insomnia when melatonin is used every night. After a few weeks
some find that melatonin is not inducing or maintaining sleep as well as it did in the
past. To avoid the creeping up of tolerance, melatonin should be used at most every other
night, or preferably every third night. Those who have insomnia should consider
other options besides melatonin. See
insomnia for more options.
Another helpful page is sleep.
Melatonin Tablets, 1 mg and 3 mg
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Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal
gland that aids biorhythm regulation. Biorhythm is disturbed by stress, crossing
time zones and changing work shifts.
Melatonin production declines with age. The sustained release form of melatonin provides a slower, more physiological
absorption.
Suggested Use: 1/3, 1/2 or a full melatonin tablet one to 4 hours before bedtime.
Melatonin works best
if used only a few times a week as opposed to nightly.
Melatonin Supplement Facts:
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine HCI)
Melatonin
Melatonin daily value not
established
Other Benefits of Melatonin:
1.
Lessens the effects of jet lag. Daily dosage of melatonin, at 1 to 5 mg, taken an hour or
two before bedtime at the new destination for 2 to 4 days may be helpful in reducing
symptoms of jet lag. It's very difficult to know exactly the dosage of melatonin
that would be effective. There is a wide range of individual response to
melatonin.
For more
melatonin information
by Ray Sahelian, MD.
2.
Is a strong antioxidant.
Evidence continues to accumulate regarding the antioxidant
benefits of melatonin. In laboratory studies, melatonin has been found to stimulate
natural antioxidant systems in addition to offering protection to the DNA present within
cells. While these effects have been observed primarily using pharmacological (very large)
doses of melatonin, in a small number of experiments melatonin has been found to have
antioxidant properties in small, physiological doses as well. The ability of melatonin in
inhibiting oxidative damage has been tested in a variety of neurological diseases where
free radicals have been suspected as being in part causative of the condition. Thus,
melatonin has been shown to reduce amyloid protein toxicity of Alzheimer's
disease, to reduce oxidative damage in some types of Parkinson's disease, to
reduce brain injury when exposed to low blood or oxygen flow, and to lower brain
damage due to a variety of toxins.
Low dosage melatonin treatment in mice
enhances the body's natural anti-oxidant system, and this may have anti-aging
properties. This study has convinced me to take 0.1 or 0.2 mg of melatonin a
couple of nights a week. I have a melatonin pill of 0.5 mg and I take a portion
of it about an hour to three hours before bed.
3.
Melatonin may enhance the immune system. The details are fuzzy and the
right melatonin dosage is not known.
4.
May have anti-tumor abilities. There's been quite a
few studies with melatonin and cancer, most of them done in Italy. Most of the
studies have shown benefits using 10 to 40 mg of melatonin dosage nightly. However,
much is yet to be learned about this approach, and hardly any oncologists in the
US are familiar with the use of melatonin as an anticancer agent. Therefore, at
this point, the use of melatonin is still experimental. However, since cancer is
ultimately a fatal disease in most cases, it may be worthwhile to try melatonin.
Your physician can easily access all the research on Medline.
5. Melatonin may have anti-aging potential due to its anti-oxidant
properties. We won't know for sure for many years to come if
melatonin
increases longevity, nor will we know in the near
future the ideal melatonin dosage, timing, and frequency.
There are so many forms of melatonin.
Should I take the regular melatonin pills, the sublinguals, or the time release?
A. Most of the melatonin presently on the market is the regular 3 mg
pill. You may want to cut this pill into a fifth or even a tenth and use this dose your
first night, about an hour or two before bed. Alternatively, you can also
purchase melatonin pills at 1 mg or sometimes even lower dosages are sold. If this low dose is effective, then you may
keep using it as needed for sleep. If you don't feel any effect, then take a little more
the following nights.
If your main problem is falling asleep, then
try the sublingual form (also available in liquid form), in the melatonin dosage range of 0.3 to 1.0 mg,
about an hour or two before bed. However, some people wake up in the middle of the night,
or early morning, feeling alert. Most of these people would want to sleep a couple of
hours longer. Melatonin has a short half-life and therefore is metabolized very fast and
will be out of the body soon. This explains why many people wake up early.
In order to stay asleep longer, a good option
is slow-release melatonin, which is released consistently throughout the night.
Slow-release (also known as sustained, time or controlled-release) melatonin will likely
become more popular in the future. Another form that is useful is melatonin tea. The tea
is drunk about an hour before bed. One company has added half a mg of melatonin to their
tea bag. You can also find melatonin spray but we don't have as much experience
using the spray form of melatonin.
Sublingual melatonin pill
Q. I read where you put the melatonin pill under your tongue. Does it work the
same if I swallow the pill?
A. it depends on the how the melatonin pill tablet is formulated in
terms of dissolving and absorption, but it can work that way. The advantage is
that the melatonin sublingually may work quicker but it could also last less in
the body and may not provide all night sleep. The only way to tell is by trying
it. Different melatonin pills from different manufacturers may work in slightly
different ways in terms of absorption under the tongue.
Melatonin for Child -- Melatonin for children
The use of melatonin for a child appears to be safe as long as melatonin
use is kept to no more than 2 times a week and a dose of 0.5 mg or less. Further research with melatonin
in
children will tell us if more frequent use is appropriate or safe. Many parents
wonder if melatonin is appropriate for their kid, and in low dosages used
infrequently should be quite safe. The child dosage of melatonin is about half
or a third of an adult dose, as long as the child is older than 6 years of age.
Melatonin Dosage and other Questions
Q. For optimal melatonin absorption, I can mix the melatonin powder with water
in a glass and drink it, or whether I should take it only inside a capsule.
A. It should not matter as long as the melatonin is
taken on an empty stomach.
Q. My 16 year old son has had trouble falling asleep for
years. About 6 months ago we started him with 3 mg of melatonin dosage on doctors
direction. Instead of 3-4 hours before falling asleep, he now falls asleep more
quickly and sleeps most nights all night long. He seems to be anxious socially,
and school and being 16 and a kind, tender boy, is not helping. Do you think
adding 25 mg of theanine w/ the 3mg of melatonin, would help with the anxiety
and worry of school the next day?
A. We can't give individual advice, but you may consider reading
more about melatonin and sleep at the melatonin website mentioned at the top of
the page.
Q. Is melatonin contraindicated with ACE inhibitors, beta
blockers and blood thinners, and water pills? My dad has congestive heart
failure and the sleeping pills the hospital gave him caused halucinations. Now
that he's home he wants me to find out if melatonin in safe with his drugs.
A. We have not seen any research regarding the combination of
melatonin and these drugs, hence we can't say for sure. Usually low dosages of
melatonin, such as 0.5 mg or less are safe, but unpredictable reactions can
occur when supplements and drugs are combined.
Q. Is Natrol melatonin a good brand?
A. Yes, Natrol is a good company and Natrol melatonin should be
reliable.
Q. Does melatonin help autism symptoms>
A. We have not seen good studies with melatonin and autism.
Q. Can someone with diabetes take melatonin ?
A. A person with diabetes can take melatonin, the antioxidant
properties could be helpful.
Q. Does melatonin pose danger?
A. After more than 15 years sold over the counter, melatonin has no
danger indicated or published.
Q. Can vivid dreams occur with the use of a melatonin
supplement even at 1 mg dosage?
A. Yes. Vivid dreams, including nightmares, occur more frequently
and more intensely as the melatonin dosage is increased. Vivid dreams can occur
even at a dosage of 0.3 or 0.5 mg.
Q. I am trying to find a sustained release melatonin bioidentical formula that
is plant, rather than animal derived (I'd prefer not to consume ground up bovine
brains). Preferably in melatonin 1 mg dose.
A. We don't have a specific sustained release melatonin product,
but when a melatonin tablet is taken with a little bit of food, that acts
somewhat in a sustained release manner. We have not seen any good studies
regarding the melatonin products on the market that claim they are sustained
release to determine whether they really work in a sustained release manner.
Melatonin supplements are made in the lab, not extracted from pineal glands.
Q. Can my dog take melatonin ?
A. Occasional use of melatonin in a dog is acceptable and should
have no danger.
Q. Can melatonin be used with alcohol?
A. Alcohol use over a few ounces disturbs sleep patterns. There
could be excessive slumber or unexpected sleep pattern disruption if high dose
melatonin is used with alcohol.
Q. My email is in regards to melatonin for my child. My
son's pediatrician recommended us giving him (almost 5 years old now) Melatonin
nightly because he had a hard time falling asleep. We have given him at least 1
cc every night for several years. Recently we started observing and he started
complaining of ''tremors" which looked like he was shivering from being cold. He
recently had a 48 hour EEG which was normal. We stopped using the Melatonin and
the ''tremors" have disappeared. My child also has had some behavioral problems,
requiring discipline and ''time outs'' but since we stopped the Melatonin this
has improved. I also saw some information recently that Melatonin affects Human
Growth Hormone, my son is very short for his age, in the 3% for his age. I know
I have mentioned a lot of things in this memo to you, but I am a very concerned
parent. Do you feel that the long term Melatonin use has contributed to his
growth problems? The ''tremors?" The discipline issues? His lack of growth? I
saw a mention that you don't recommend its use for more than 2 times per week
and .3 mg or less. Do you think there will be any long term problems my child
will experience because we used melatonin tremendously more than your
recommendation?
A. The long term use of melatonin in children and adults has not
been evaluated enough to know the consequences. It is possible that the issues
you raise with your child may be due to melatonin excess. Hopefully his body and
pineal gland will be able to recover and readjust after stopping the melatonin.
It may be a good idea not to use it for a while. It is possible that these side
effects and problems will reverse with time, however we are not familiar with
any child who has been given high doses of melatonin nightly for prolonged
periods, so we don't have any first hand experience.
Q. His tremors have disappeared already and his
behavior has improved after stopping the melatonin.
A. Keep us updated since we
don't know any other children who have been given melatonin in a high dose for
such a long period.
Q. I recently read an article pertaining to melatonin
solution applied to the frontal scalp. I am interested in purchasing the
melatonin solution. However, the only product available is melatonin in the form
of pills. If there is a way you can point me in a direction to find this
melatonin solution I would appreciate it.
A. We are not familiar with a melatonin solution and have not seen
any studies regarding melatonin solution research.
Q. Thank you for posting this valuable website. I find it
extremely useful just like many others I’m sure. Here’s my question:
Q. I just read in the May 2007 issue of “ Flex Magazine” that Melatonin could be
used before (75 minutes or less) resistance training to boost growth hormone
levels. The article also mentions that the lack of darkness lessens the
drowsiness from melatonin. What do you think?
A.We do not think it is a good idea to alter circadian rhythms with
the use of melatonin for this purpose.
Q. I use melatonin every night to help me with sleep.. I'm up to 3mg with no problems. When I first had a problem sleeping because I did overnight care for an elderly person in her home, it was hard to get to sleep in someone elses house and also worry about her being awake, but I eventually got used to her sleeping pattern of being awake and needing exercize between 10pm and midnight, sometimes 1am and then she slept like a log from then till 10am in the morning. Nothing changed in her routein would allow her to sleep earlier or wake up earlier. We tried to get her up at 9am for breakfast but she would sleep through most of it even with lots of encouragement, but after 10am she was wide awake and starving for lots of food! So I used the melatonin to get me to sleep after midnight and It worked but I also was wide awake by 9am! If I took it sooner, I would be wide awake at 5am when my client was fast asleep, When I first took melatonin, 1mg was alot and I usually could not use it more than three times a week. I wasnt sure what I was doing but found a 33mcg tablet and those were perfect! and I could go to sleep without obcessing about what I needed to do that next morning. Then there were periods I didnt use any and didnt think it was a good idea. Now in my 50s I take antidepressants especially prozac so long that my serotonin is down regulated by forcing the serotonin to stay in my system, my system has learned to make less.. so I wake up sluggish and usually have to have my SSRI right on the dresser next to my water to take it as soon as I wake up or I fall back asleep. So I started taking the 1mg melatonin at night again and I wake up refreshed at 8 or 9am and am on a very low dose of prozac 10mg. and I function quite well.. as our body changes and hormone levels, and meds we take. I think this all affects our serotonin levels. I also have Seasonal Affected Disorder which I dont believe is a disorder but the natural rhythm of our species to get the repair rest we need from all the work we used to do in the long hot summer days, or the body slows down when food normally would be less abundant. I found in my particular instance, using melatonin, since im on some other pill to sleep makes me very groggy all morning, but by taking less and using melaonin with it, I can sleep, stay asleep and feel like getting out of bed in the morning and look for ward to starting my day. Also I read that melatonin has a positive effect on growth hormone and not a negative one. I also use 25mg of DHEA now that I have had a hysterectomy (I put it off but finally had for many reasons) and zinc both help to give me some satisfactory sexual function and muscle tone. I used an estrogen patch for a short while after my hysterectomy but it caused fear attacks and anxiety if I were to forget a dose like before when I had a period that would start and stop on and off. It was very painfull and scarey.. Now Im stable and happy. If I use progesterone cream, Its a very tiny dot and I am on for a couple weeks and off. it makes me also feel very calm and sleepy so before my husterectomy it helped alot but after too much makes me too sleepy, but I use it primarily for bone density along with a good diet. My bone density is above average for my age.
Q. I've been taking Melatonin 3mg at night for 4 years
now. I feel alert and ready to function in the morning. Recently because of my
medical conditions, like, arthritis and high blood pressure and while taking
aspirin and Lotrel it seems I might have to take more than 3mg. Is it safe to
take 4 1/2 mg up to 6 mgs of Melatonin? So I don't have to take OTC sleeping
tablets? Sleeping tablets make me groggy and not alert in the morning.
A. We can't give individual advice and we can never claim a
supplement is safe, any supplement, including melatonin, can have side effects
or potential dangers when too much is used for too long.
Q. I live in England but read your articles on melatonin
in children, my son is 7 yrs old he has autism, plus other problems and i am now
concerned that he is on a daily doseage of 6 mg of melatonin modified release
capsules, i have been told this is long term, any suggestions as to alternatives
or should i stop this doseage would be appreciated.
A. We can't advise what your son should or should not take, but it
would help if his doctor read the information on melatonin and the fact that 6
mg is a high dose for long term use in children.
Q. I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. I actually take
Levothroid .112 mg but I have to adjust my medication from time to time. My
question is does melatonin interfere with thyroid medication I am typically
"hypo". I have also been treated for Lyme Disease. I have trouble staying
asleep. I average 4-5 hours asleep per night. I also went through early
menopause. I am 43 years old and no longer have hot flashes or a menstrual
cycle. I want to know if there are any studies that prove or disprove that
melatonin interferes with thyroid medication.
A. We come across one study of melatonin 3 mg nightly for 6 months
that did not show major changes in thyroid hormone levels, but this was done in
people with normal thyroid glands. We don't know how melatonin supplement use
would influence those with a disease of the thyroid.
Lack of changes in serum prolactin, FSH, TSH, and
estradiol after melatonin treatment in doses that improve sleep and reduce
benzodiazepine consumption in sleep-disturbed, middle-aged, and elderly
patients.
J Pineal Res. 2001 Jan;30(1):34-42. Sanatorios Los Arroyos e IPAM, Rosario,
Argentina.
An open pilot study on the safety and efficacy of melatonin in the treatment of
insomniac patients was conducted in 22 subjects. All patients received 3 mg of
gelatin melatonin capsules daily for 6 months, 30 min before expected sleep
time. Twenty of 22 patients were on benzodiazepine treatment and they continued
this treatment for part of or for the entire melatonin administration period.
Serum concentrations of prolactin, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH),
thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), or estradiol were measured by
radioimmunoassay (RIA) in morning samples at the beginning and after 6 months of
melatonin administration. Serum concentrations of prolactin, FSH, TSH, or
estradiol did not exhibit changes after 6 months of melatonin administration,
nor were any indications of hematologic or blood biochemistry alteration found.
Effects of melatonin in perimenopausal and menopausal
women: our personal experience.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2005 Dec;1057:393-402. Menopause Center, Madonna della
Grazie Health Institute, Via Salvo D'Acquisto 67, 00049 Velletri (Rome), Italy.
The purpose of this clinical trial on possible effects of nocturnal melatonin
administration in perimenopausal women was to find if melatonin by itself
modifies levels of hormones and produces changes of any kind, independently of
age (42-62 years of age) and the stage of the menstrual cycle. Subjects took a
daily dose of 3 mg synthetic melatonin or a placebo for 6 months. Our results
indicate that a cause-effect relationship between the decline of nocturnal
levels of melatonin and onset of menopause may exist. The follow up controls
show that melatonin abrogates hormonal, menopause-related neurovegetative
disturbances and restores menstrual cyclicity and fertility in perimenopausal or
menopausal women. At present we assert that the six-month treatment with
melatonin produced a remarkable and highly significant improvement of thyroid
function, positive changes of gonadotropins towards more juvenile levels, and
abrogation of menopause-related depression.
The effects of exogenous melatonin on the morphology of
thyrocytes in pinealectomized and irradiated rats.
J Neural Transm. 2006 Jan;113(1):49-58. Faculty of Medicine, Department of
Histology and Embryology, University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
We investigated the effects of exogenous melatonin on the thyrocytes morphology
in gamma-irradiated rats under condition where the pineal gland, as a main
physiological source of endogenous melatonin, was removed. Three months after
pinealectomy animals were divided into two groups: one group of animals was
treated with 0.5 ml of vehicle (ethanol diluted in water) and other group was
injected intraperitoneally 2 mg/kg of melatonin during the period of fourteen
days. After this treatment all the animals were irradiated with a single dose of
8 Gy gamma rays. Ionising radiation induced apoptosis, hydropic swelling or/and
necrosis in both groups of animals, however these changes were less discerned in
the thyrocytes of melatonin-treated animals. Our findings demonstrate that
administration of exogenous melatonin prior to irradiation reduces
radiation-induced thyrocytes damage.
Temporal oscillations of thyroid hormones in long term
melatonin treated rats.
Pharmazie. 2005 Jan;60(1):52-6. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of
Science, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar, Tamil Nadu, India.
Pharmacological doses of melatonin
(0.5 mg/kg body wt. and 1.0 mg/kg body wt.) were chronically administered for 45 days to Wistar rats and 24 h rhythms of
thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3) tetraiodothyronine (T4)
and melatonin were studied under semi-natural (LD12:12 h) conditions. Exogenous
melatonin administration caused delays in the acrophases of T3, T4 and melatonin
rhythm itself; whereas advances in the acrophases of TSH were observed, thus
indicating chronic administration of melatonin could alter the characteristics
of endocrine rhythms. Alterations in the amplitude and mesor values of these
endocrine rhythms were also observed during melatonin administration. Exogenous
administration of melatonin could influence the hormonal rhythms as a modulated
internal zeitgeber and could simulate/mimic the conditions of altered
photoperiod in the animals. Significant dose-dependent effects of melatonin were
absent in the present study. It remains to be proven how exogenous
administration of melatonin could influence these hormonal rhythms.
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