Thinking of taking melatonin to help you sleep? Here’s what you need to know
Your eyes detect when darkness falls, triggering the brain to produce melatonin. But do supplements always have the same effect?
Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle and is available as a supplement to aid sleep. However, its effectiveness is limited to specific conditions. It can help alleviate jet lag, especially when flying across multiple time zones, and improve sleep duration after night shifts for shift workers. Chronic insomnia and sleep issues related to kidney disease or cancer have inconclusive evidence for melatonin's effectiveness.
In dementia patients, melatonin is not effective due to brain damage from the disease. Melatonin supplements are available in various doses and formulations in Australia, with controlled-release tablets for short-term use in older adults aged 55 or over. Immediate-release formulations are suitable for managing jet lag. While generally well-tolerated, melatonin may cause minor side effects such as daytime sleepiness, headaches, nausea, and dizziness.
Long-term use (over six months) has limited research and varying results. To improve sleep, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, avoiding bright screens before bed, and creating a comfortable sleep environment are recommended.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
