I was wondering if anyone had ever used melatonin to help them sleep. What were the dosages and so forth?
I take melatonin regularly, as I work shift work, but mainly 3rd shift. If you take too much like 3mg or 5 mg, but only sleep for 8 hours, you’ll sleep good, yet wake up groggy. However, if you want or need to sleep for 9-10 hours, take 3mg. I like to take 1 mg, it helps you sleep, yet you’re not groggy upon awakening. I only have 3 mg now, I just cut them in half, unless I want to sleep a good while.
Red seems to get away with 1-3 mg . .others can use as little as 500 micrograms. Personally, it takes 9 mg for me to truly sleep. Now the great extra . .European doctors use it successfully in 10-75mg dosages to treat cancer (causes cell apoptosis) . .lots of referenced articles on it at the Life extension site www.lef.org.
Super “anti-aging” agent for its protective/ antioxidant actions on the brain and CNS.
I go to bed at 10:00 and get u at 4:00 am (Personal Trainer) . .keeps me on a good pattern. Can’t reccomend it enough.
Mike
I use 3 mg when I do use it and it makes me relaxed and sleepy, it feels natural but when I wake up I do feel a bit groggy. I’m going to cut a 3 mg pill in half tonight (I haven’t used it in probably 10 months) and I’ll let you know the results tomorrow.
Hey I just did some reading about Melatonin. It sounds interesting because I have sleeping problems. It takes me a long time to fall asleep, i twist and turn, and I wake up often during the night.
These are the only side effects i’ve read about.
"Are there any side effects or interactions?Melatonin is associated with few side effects; however, morning grogginess,undesired drowsiness, sleepwalking, and disorientation have been reported.Researchers have hypothesized that certain individuals should not usemelatonin supplements, including pregnant or breast-feeding women, individuals with depression or schizophrenia, and those withautoimmune disease, including lupus,at least until more is known.35 36
In a group of children suffering from neurologicaldisorders, 1–5 mg of melatonin per night led to an increase in therate of seizures despite the fact that sleep improved.37 Untilmore is known, children with neurological conditions should take melatoninonly under medical supervision.
Many other side effects have been attributed tomelatonin supplementation, including inhibition of fertility and sex drive,severe headaches, abdominal cramps, and formation of rudimentary breasts inmen.38 39 However, these associations have not beensupported by solid evidence.40 41 42 43 Because none of these claims have been well documented orindependently confirmed, these problems may not have been due tomelatonin.
Though most research reports that melatoninimproves the quality of sleep, at least one trial has found that four offifteen men given melatonin had their sleep patterns disturbed bysupplemental melatonin.44
One case of painful gynecomastia (enlarged breasts)has appeared involving a 56-year-old man who had been suffering fromamyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gerhig’s disease) and was taking1–2 mg melatonin per day for 1.5 years.45 As the signs andsymptoms disappeared after melatonin was discontinued, the authors of thereport suspected that melatonin caused this side effect."
I did not like melatonin. I was to groggy in the morning. I have been using L-Theanine at 200 mg a night and like it very well.
Magnesium seems to work really well for sleep. Charles Poliquin says that modern agriculture techniques have limited the amount of magnesium in foods & supplementing it improves carb tolerance & sleep patterns, especially in athletes who lots of strength & power work.
Melatonin worked for me,but that was when I took it every once in a while. In other words, it wouldn’t work if I took it twice in a row. The stuff has given me weird dreams through, too embarrassing for me to mention on this forum. Recently I have been taking Kava Kava (the Safeway brand you can find in their stores). I have a hard time waking up when I’m on that stuff. That stuff makes me feel hella groggy. Just don’t take it if you have a final or an important business meeting the next day.