| Does Melatonin Work for Insomnia? A Doctor Answers |
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by Edward R. Rosick, D.O., M.P.H.
Most of us have insomnia every now and then. About 60 million Americans have trouble sleeping frequently or for extended amounts of time, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. And drug cures are plentiful. They’re also mostly short-lived and sometimes a little too good to be true. But there may be an alternative.
During the day, melatonin levels are low; when darkness falls, they increase significantly. Since we know that melatonin is part of the sleep/wake cycle, many integrative-medicine doctors recommend it as a sleep aid, touting it as a more “natural” way to help people beat insomnia. Get expert-written articles like this every month in our free health newsletter.
Melatonin use may be especially relevant to elderly people. As people grow older, sleep problems become more common. Since melatonin levels decline as we age, it makes sense to think that supplements could help seniors get a good night’s sleep.
 Comments (10)
  written by Amanda , February 17, 2012 Hi. I just bought some of the Melatonin 3mg. I hope it works because i had a hysterectomy in 07 at 31 yrs old. I CANT sleep. I fall asleep maybe 3 hours a night and i am sooooo Grouchy. Hope it helps. report abuse
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 written by Ashley , October 05, 2011 I have tried tyenol PM, advil PM and every other OTC medicine you can think of. Melatonin works wonders for me. I take 5-10mg a night. Usually an hour before bed. On the other hand...my friend has taken up to 20mg at night and it did nothing for her. I did read somewhere that it will only work for you if your melatonin levels in your body are low. report abuse
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 written by Stori , September 12, 2011 Hey Paris...to me it sounds like you suffer from mind awake sleep paralysis. I have the same thing. Do a little research online about it. It's pretty interesting. report abuse
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 written by James Hubbard, M.D. , July 12, 2011 Hello, Paris. We can't give individual advice, but in general, I'd say if you weren't having these before the melatonin, talk to your psychologist. He may want to alter the dose or stop it altogether. James Hubbard, M.D. Publisher MyFamilyDoctorMag.com report abuse
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 written by Paris , July 11, 2011 Okay, so Ive had very bad difficulties sleeping, so my pschologyist, prescribed me with melatonin, and theres more cons than pro's, but I sleep for longer as it promises to do, but..I am just worn out all day, feel dizzy, get nightmares, and It feels like im paralyzed early in the morning, so ive been getting up early as it hurts so much, at silly hours like 6 or 5.. any thoughts? report abuse
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 written by drkej , June 25, 2011 I've had hit or miss results with melatonin. Try taking it after a big dinner and it doesn't help with indigestion and actually kept me up at night. Then I tried taking it with a very light dinner but my problems with frequent urination still kept me awake. This same case held true for some other "herbal" sleep remedy I tried, Simply Sleep. Then I tried out Tylenol PM on and off and like any other medication, its effectiveness wears off after awhile. report abuse
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 written by Dave , May 27, 2011 When I was in my mid 40's, lack of sleep was affecting my performance during the day. I would toss and turn all night and could never get a good night's sleep. This lack of sleep made me forgetful and had a hard time focusing on things. A friend of mine suggested that I try melatonin before going to bed at night. I read up on it a bit, and decided to try it. The very first night, I dozed off quickly. I went into a deep sleep like I hadn't experienced in years. I was actually dreaming again (something I hadn't done for a long time). I woke up feeling almost numb all over because I had finally had a good nights sleep. I've been taking melatonin every night ever since. I'm now in my mid fifties and still sleep like a baby using melatonin. I think the key is to find the correct amount to take. These days, they sell low dose pills so you don't have to cut them up anymore. But one thing's for sure, studies or not, this stuff has changed my life for the good. If you're a space cadet during the day because you aren't sleeping well at night, give this stuff a try. report abuse
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 written by Adolf Hitler , April 29, 2011 I find this method to be very successful, especially when being sleep deprived due to the stesses of political leadership report abuse
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 written by Dima , March 11, 2011 Hi! my name is Dima, and I just wanted to know, Is it supposed to work on EVERYONE? i've tried it for weeks now, and not only I get no results when going to bed, but I feel weird changes on my budy during the rest of the day. It feels tired, and heavy for the first hours in the morning. Now that i think about it maybe it has nothing to do with melatonine, but with the fact that im in my twenties and it may work better on older people. This article was very helpful, Ill keep on doing research regarding this matter now. report abuse
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