There are a number of over the counter remedies on the market that help you fall asleep. If you want to use a more natural approach there’s melatonin, but how does it work?
Melatonin is a hormone naturally found in your body. Its main job is to regulate night and day cycles and sleep and wake cycles which is why, as a Johns Hopkins sleep expert explains: “It doesn’t make you sleep, but as melatonin levels rise in the evening it puts you into a state of quiet wakefulness that helps promote sleep.” It’s thought that some people who have sleep issues may have low levels of melatonin. Taking it on a short-term basis may help counter low levels and normalize your internal clock.
Experts say you should start with a low dose and take 0.5 mg (500 mcg) or 1 mg two hours before going to bed. If you find you’re not falling asleep, then you can increase the amount to 3-5 mg. It also helps to create the right conditions for the melatonin to do its job. As the Sleep Foundation suggests: “In order to get a good night’s sleep, you still need to follow healthy sleep habits, such as avoiding your phone and other tech devices in the hour before bed and winding down in the evening with a relaxing activity or bedtime ritual.”
If melatonin doesn’t help you fall asleep after a week then stop using it, however if it does seem to work then you can take it nightly for 2-3 months. Then take a break and see how your sleep is without it. Be sure to check with your doctor before taking melatonin as it can interact with certain medications. Lastly, if you find you are relying on melatonin on a nightly basis you may want to explore other options to falling asleep, like listening to relaxing sounds. Try our app, Rain Rain Sleep Sounds, to find something that works for you.
-Shannon McClatchey