Sleep is an important part of our lives. No matter how tough and rough our schedule gets, it is very essential to have a tight night’s sleep. Having 8 hours of sleep in a day is very important for a human body to run smoothly. To fit that between your work schedules, managing kids can be a great problem and troublesome for your body. Because after all these tiresome chores, when you finally reach your bed, the stress of the entire day keeps you awake anyway. Therefore sleep is of utmost importance in our body. Sleep deprivation also increases the melatonin levels in our bodies. This increase in melatonin levels causes a lot of problems in the human body. To understand better, let us understand what is melatonin and what harm it does to our body.
Melatonin and Melatonin supplements
Melatonin is a hormone that is produced naturally in our bodies and the pineal gland synthesizes it. This hormone is tightly associated with the circadian rhythms of the body and induces sleep in the body. During the night, the release in the bloodstream is at its highest, and exposure to the light influences it a lot.
Melatonin supplements are used as an over-the-counter medication and this has become very popular these days. These supplements are taken to deal with the issues of insomnia and jet lags. These supplements are also provided during other conditions like tinnitus, cancer, Alzheimer’s, etc. Though there are many widely known benefits of melatonin supplements, many have also raised questions regarding their use. There are questions regarding its safe dosage, and if it is possible to overdose on it. Till now there are no known cases of a melatonin overdose that have resulted in death but there are many side effects of it like drowsiness, headaches, etc. Although melatonin overdoses aren’t life-threatening, those using melatonin still need to be wary of it. Consuming supplements are not considered a good habit but if one is prescribed to take regular doses, then they should consume it for the short term. Regular use of melatonin supplements for an extended period shall lead to the excess of the melatonin hormone in the bloodstream. This causes more harm than benefit to your body.
Melatonin supplement doses are different for different people depending on the factors like weight, age, existing medical conditions, etc. The safest generic dosage is between the range of 0.3 mg to 10 mg.
Taking too much melatonin might cause:
Melatonin overdose might have some adverse effects on your body that you should keep in mind such as:
- You might have lucid dreaming experiences. Some dreams can cause you severe discomfort and you might wake up feeling uncomfortable and tired.
- Melatonin supplements release melatonin hormones in your bloodstream and they are a great factor for reducing libido in men and women.
- Too much taking of melatonin supplements might cause you severe headaches.
- You might also face stomach issues as a side effect of consuming melatonin supplements.
- You can experience diarrhea, nausea, etc.You might also lose immunity and suffer from anxiety, depression, mild tremors, hypothermia, irritability, etc.
- Drowsiness, daytime sleepiness, joint pain, abdominal cramps, slower response time, etc might be some other side effects of melatonin overdose.
How to take Melatonin doses
The dose of melatonin lasts for 20 to 50 minutes and after this time, only half the amount of the melatonin that you consumed stays back in your body. However, keep in mind that this might help you fall asleep but does not help you stay asleep for long. This means that you might not have a good night’s sleep.
Some medications that should not be combined with Melatonin supplements:
- Patients having diabetes must skip melatonin supplements as they can tamper with the effectiveness of the medicines taken to control blood sugar levels.
- Always seek medical advice before deciding to take up some melatonin supplements as they help in raising your blood pressure levels.
- Those taking epilepsy drugs must avoid melatonin supplements as they might have a seizure.
- Patients taking immunosuppressants must skip these supplements as they do not go together.
- Pregnant women, breastfeeding moms, etc must also avoid melatonin supplements.
There are also many health risks associated with melatonin supplements. Thus their consumption should be avoided because.
- They are responsible for causing allergic reactions in people.
- The pills available in the market have doses that differ a lot from the actual dose.
- There are chances that these supplements might contain harmful additives.
- They are very harmful to older people and can cause damage to their bodies.
So, while we learn about the ill effects of melatonin supplements in our body and how it affects our health, we must find out about the alternatives to dealing with sleep deprivation. If you are already tired after using medication for getting proper sleep, then it is time you go for a natural route. Essential oils have proven to be of great help in inducing sleep. Also, they are natural and are made from botanical extracts to lessen stress and anxiety. They are also effective and non-habit forming. They are non-consumable and thus there are no chances of side effects. There is no one-pill-and-go funda that can create the chances of side effects. Those who have difficulty sleeping, consider adding a few of the “Best Essential Oils for Sleep” to their routine. There are various types of essential oils having multiple benefits and fragrances. You will have to figure out which one suits you the most. Some of the best oils are:
- Lavender essential oil: Lavender is a sleep-inducing flower and has been helping people deal with insomnia for centuries. Lavender helps in calming the nervous system and prepares the brain for sleep. If you are lying awake with insomnia a few drops of lavender essential oil on your neck or your pillow can help a great deal.
- Roman Chamomile is another white flower that helps a great in inducing sleep. This is a great anxiety reducer and also smells comfortable and warm. This oil is a great ingredient that you can run into the soles of your hands and feet to ease the feeling of tension and anxiety and fall asleep immediately.
- Orange is another ingredient that can help in relaxing your nerves. The smell of the orange works as a soothing antidepressant. This oil can be paired with the other oils and works best in this case.
- Vetiver is a calming and green forest smells that when inhaled, gives the visual of a rain-soaked forest. Vetiver also helps a great deal in calming restless leg syndrome. Mix some vetiver essential oils in your routine and feel the calming and soothing effect. You will experience a peaceful evening that you had never experienced before.
Sleep is an important part of our daily routine which most of us realize late. Sleeplessness can be the root cause of a lot of health problems. Thus to get rid of such disorders we must take proper precautions or steps to induce sleep.
