Melatonin has long been touted as a natural sleep remedy. But this over-the-counter supplement is not herbal—it’s a hormone. And it’s not fully regulated by the US FDA. Studies have found some supplements far exceed the amount of melatonin listed on the label.
More and more adults in the United States are taking over-the-counter melatonin to get to sleep, and some of them may be using it at dangerously high levels, a new study has found.
While overall use among the United States adult population is still “relatively low,” the study does “document a significant many-fold increase in melatonin use in the past few years,” said sleep specialist Rebecca Robbins, an instructor in the division of sleep medicine for Harvard Medical School, who was not involved in the study.
The study, published in the medical journal JAMA, found that by 2018 Americans were taking more than twice the amount of melatonin they took a decade earlier. Experts worry that the pandemic’s negative impact on sleep may have further increased the widespread reliance on sleeping aids, Robbins said.
Melatonin, according to the Mayo Clinic, is useful for people who struggle with insomnia or jet lag. It’s also been shown to be helpful for people who work overnight shifts. The hormone has also been shown to be useful for children who experience various sleep disorders.
However, melatonin can also come with adverse side effects, and some people may be ingesting much more of it than they realize because the supplements aren’t strictly regulated and may contain several times the amount listed on the label, they warned.
“It’s somehow concerning because it’s a self-medication and people are not entirely aware what they’re taking,” said Naima Covassin, co-author of the paper and assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
“After the paper came out, many people came to me and said, ‘I didn’t know it was a hormone.’ They think it’s an herbal supplement or something like that. I think that they have to be more aware.”
Side effects of melatonin include headaches, dizziness, nausea, and sleepiness. The long-term side effects of melatonin usage are not yet determined. Be careful if you start relying on melatonin for daily use.
There are other proven sleep tips that work just as well, if not better than sleeping aids, experts say. The body begins secreting melatonin in dark. What do we do in our modern culture? Use artificial light to keep us awake, often long past the body’s normal bedtime.
Research has found that the body will slow or stop melatonin production if exposed to light, including the blue light from our smartphones, laptops, and the like.
Consumers should be cautious and talk with their providers before they start to take melatonin supplements to make sure it’s needed, what dose they should take, and when they should take it.
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