Sleep Problems – What is Melatonin and Can it Help Me Sleep?
Ten Reasons You Can't Sleep and How Melatonin Can Help
If you’re not receiving a sufficient amount of sleep nightly, you may need sleep medication and could be headed for some serious health problems. There are over eighty-five identified sleep disorders, so if you are having trouble getting a good night’s sleep, you could be suffering from one of them.
On this site, I will be showing you a variety of excellent natural sleep remedies such as Melatrol which contain the natural substance Melatonin. You can read a review of Melatrol here.
So what is Melatonin? Melatonin is a key theme of this site, because, as you will see, it is a natural substance made in the human body and as such it is considered to be safe for adults, children and even pets. Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland in your head and is nature’s natural sleep-maker; it is also a key substance in repairing the damage your body experiences in day to day live, while you sleep.
We will be considering the optimum melatonin dosage, melatonin for kids as well as a variety of melatonin side effects including (amazingly!) melatonin as an anti aging supplement.
I will also be discussing the issues of severe snoring and some potential solutions, as well as Sleep Apnea, which has become known as a silent killer that few people understand.
How well do you understand sleep? Try our fun questionnaire and see!
<style=”float:left;”>Have fun with our sleep quiz but remember that this is not a medical tool – it’s for fun and information only.</style=”float:left;”>
Bill Clinton once said that “In my long political career, most of the mistakes I made, I made when I was too tired, because I tried too hard and worked too hard. You make better decisions when you’re not too tired.” He also said that “sleep deprivation is part of the problem in Washington politics today.” At the time he was only sleeping five hours per night – sometimes less. Mind you – he did some strange things back then!!!
Alcohol can put you to sleep faster, but the amount of REM sleep – dreaming sleep – is reduced, which can leave you feeling tired and disoriented. Alcohol should not be taken for a few hours before sleeping – rather have a nice warm cup of milk!
Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland in your head. It prepares your body for sleep and acts to repair day to day damage of your cells as you sleep.
Well done. Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. Two of the key symptoms are loud snoring and you feeling tired even after sleeping.
Pregnant women need around 9 to 13 hours of sleep per night. In pregnancy, a woman’s heart and kidneys are under great stress, especially towards the 3rd trimester.
Blue light suppresses levels of the sleep hormone Melatonin and damages our sleep quality. It is particularly important to reduce exposure from electronic devices such as iPads and televisions for at leats two hours before we go to bed.
Primary Insomnia is a sleep problem NOT caused by an underlying medical problem. One great example is insomnia caused by stress and anxiety.
Why Can’t I Sleep?
Doctor’s often recommend lifestyle changes before deciding to offer medicinal help. The number one non-medical cause of sleeplessness is stress. If you live a normally stressful life and there is no way around it, then you must counteract it with something as simple as exercise or meditation.
Other ideas to get a good night’s sleep include things as simple as cutting back on caffeine after 4:00 pm, changing the time of day you exercise, and/or turning off the electronics before bedtime.
Many people work on their computers or play games right up until it is time for bed. Their bodies are ready to go to sleep, but their brain is still on overdrive, because the blue light they have been exposed to lowers melatonin production. If you try changing some or all of these scenarios in your life and you are still not sleeping, your body may letting you know that other health problems are to blame and you need to get help to finally relax and get some much needed dream time.
Pinpointing Your Sleep Disorder
If your medical professional is unsure of the exact cause of your sleeplessness, he or she may recommend a visit to a sleep clinic if he/she cannot recommend a sleep medication. In that case, you would be hooked up to some wires that will allow the medical personnel observe your sleep patterns. Many health issues can be discovered in this type of setting. Narrowing down a physical problem will make a treatment plan easier to follow and possibly lead to a cure.
If the results rendered lead to the use of medications or supplements to help your good sleep habits return, the doctor may have a plethora of options from which you can choose. You may be faced with a lot of information at one time which may or may not include, side-effects, cost, and other health-related issues that can crop up due to the medications or supplements. Be prepared to spend some time studying to find the perfect fit for you.
What is Melatonin? – Nature’s Sleep Maker!
One of the most used natural supplements for insomnia is Melatonin. A Melatonin Sleep Aid consists of a natural hormone mixed with some other ingredients which will help control your sleep-wake cycle. You always need to check the ingredients on the product label to male sure that the other ingredients are all natural – as they are in Melatrol.
This type of treatment should not be used for extended periods, but used properly, it should also aid you in re-establishing a good sleep pattern and has been known to offer a better quality night’s sleep as well. It allows you to fall asleep peacefully without that groggy feeling when you wake in the morning.
Over the Counter Sleeping Pills
If you are still having trouble sleeping at night, another option is to head down to the local drug store and find a stronger remedy. Over the counter sleeping pills may possibly help you sleep without a prescription.
Sleep aids that you buy over the counter, like supplements, are not a cure for the underlying problem – they are a temporary fix to allow you to gain some decent sleep. They do work, but relying on them every night won’t be good for you.
For one thing, since most of them contain antihistamines, your body may build up an intolerance for them. If that happens, the effectiveness will wear off and you will be no better than you were before. Even though you can easily obtain over the counter sleep medicines, you should talk with your doctor.
If you have other medications that you take regularly, you should be advised if certain sleep aids may cause a conflicting interaction. If you have glaucoma, asthma, liver or urinary diseases, you must be very careful of your choices. Sleep Meds that contain diphenhydramine or doxylamine may have side effects such as a dry mouth, dizziness and memory loss.
There is also that “hangover effect”, where you walk around in a haze for most of the following day because the effects haven’t worn off. Is that any better than how you feel after too little sleep? Weigh the evidence before jumping into bed with one of those meds.
Valerian is another over the counter supplement that helps with sleep. Although this is a perfectly natural product, you do need to watch the dosage as too much but may cause abdominal pain, dizziness, excitability and even heart issues. Decide for yourself if the treatment is worth the side-effects you will endure.
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Prescription Sleep Medication
Should you and your doctor decide that nothing else is working, you may have to try some prescription medications i.e. prescription sleep medication in conjunction with some behavioral therapies. Sleeping pills are much safer than they were a couple of decades ago, however, you still need to be cleared of specified medical conditions such as liver or kidney problems.
Utilizing the sleeping pills to help you sleep while you are trying to get to the real root of the problem is the best tactical maneuver. Whether you use supplements, over the counter treatments or prescription medications, it’s best to solve the actual problem. Prescription sleeping pills are always a last resort as far as I am concerned and a good doctor will always advise you of the risks.
Melatonin for Kids and Toddlers
Many people need to know – is melatonin for children?. The answer is yes and you can read about it here. As always, be careful and read as much as you can. if you have any doubts then ask your doctor.
There is an awful lot of material available on the web about melatonin for toddlers and children, so the assurances you need are available. Melatonin is not regulated by the FDA as it is not considered a medication, but a natural sleep aid (amongst many other things!).
Melatonin for Dogs
Is your dog anxious and restless? Or maybe your best friend is anxious and stressed due to fireworks or a thunderstorm or even separation anxiety? If so, you can safely use melatonin products like Melatrol to help him sleep and not keep the neighborhood up at night with his barking! We have a whole article on Melatonin for Dogs right here!
Pregnancy Insomnia and Melatonin
Pregnancy insomnia can be a curse for a woman whose body is already stressed by the demands of nurturing an unborn child. Of course, a pregnant woman must be extremely careful about what she puts into her body as the child also partakes of that substance. The good news is thay melatonin CAN help you – and it’s safe for you as well as for your child. You can read all about it here.
Melatonin for Jet Lag
I fly frequently. Recently I did a trip from Tucson Arizona to Brisbane Australia and back, and found myself, as usual, caught in a massive time-zone shift that can really stop me from sleeping at the right time of day. This is due to the circadian cycle being broken by the time shift.
Fortunately, I had my Melatrol with me and all was well, although I had to cut back my alcohol intake for it to work properly. If you fly frequently across time zones, then this product can also help you. Read about it here.
Are There Any Bad Side Effects of Melatonin
The final question many people ask about any sleeping aid is “are there side effects?” and in this case, “what are the side effects of melatonin?” This is such an important question, we have written several articles about it to include such things as depression and addiction. As you will see in those articles, you are safe with Melatonin.
Unexpected Benefits of Melatonin
Melatonin is truly astonishing. Its purpose seems to be not only to help you sleep, but also to repair the damage that day to day living inflicts on your body. This is why it’s powerful anti-oxidant properties essentially act as an anti-aging agent, reduce sun-damage, act as an anti-inflammatory and much more. You’ll be amazed at what this substance does! Given that lack of sleep can damage your memories, it can also improve your power of recall.
Can Melatonin Help With Sleep Apnea?
This is a more complex question. The answer is to some extent. But Sleep Apnea is aggravated by weakness of the neck muscles, and so some people might also need a regime of neck exercises and even a CPAP device. You can read about Sleep Apnea at the links provided in this paragraph.
Melatonin Dosage
Fortunately, because melatonin is made by your body naturally, it’s not a naturally toxic substance. But it’s still very important to have guidelines for what is a safe melatonin dosage for both kids and adults. Once you’ve read the article through the link in this paragraph you’ll see that a wide variety of melatonin doses are contained in available products – but they’re all safe. If in doubt, as always, ask your doctor!
The Bottom Line
Sleeplessness and related sleep disorders are a common problem, so don’t be afraid to ask for help. More serious health problems could arise if you don’t get your sleep back to normal. Once you and your doctor solve this puzzle of what is really keeping you awake, you will be sleeping more peacefully and completely every night.
Where to Buy melatonin
There are a whole variety of products containing melatonin and they can be found both in stores and on line, but some are more effective than others due to the product quality. Also, I have found that buying online gives me discounts that stores simply don’t give.
I personally use a product call melatrol which you can get only on line. Right now, the suppliers of Meratrol have a really good limited time special offer, which gives you a free bottle on some packages.
This offer won’t last, so I do advise you to check out the link below if this is what you need. There’s much more information on this site though, so you might want to explore first!
SuzieQ on Google+
Hi – I’m Suzie Quaterno, website designer, writer and marketer. I also suffer from lack of sleep at times, which is what prompted me to write for this site. Hope it’s useful and informative for you.