Health Care

There have been some rumors, followed by research studies, and then screams of approval by those who had lost hope of getting a good night’s sleep. Why? We are speaking here regarding the use of melatonin as a sleep disorder remedy.

What Is Melatonin?

Melatonin is a hormone produced by the human body to regulate the sleep cycle. Melatonin is what wakes us up in the morning and makes us sleepy at night. This is what we commonly call the watch-keeper – in the real sense of the word. This hormone is produced by the pineal gland (a pea-size gland that is situated in the center of the brain) that acts as the Sandman by releasing the hormone to induce you to sleep.

So why is that great, you may ask. Well, because scientists found that in some cases old people lose the capacity to produce melatonin with age. When the production of melatonin drops, your ease of sleep decreases along with it. Studies found that when treated with melatonin supplement, people with low production melatonin respond wonderfully well. After this type of findings, the connection between melatonin and sleep disorder remedy shot into prominence.

Hence, people have accepted the melatonin supplement as a boon to those who spent numerous and long nights without sleep. However, since the FDA has not yet recognized or certified the supplement, its purity and overall integrity cannot be vouched for. Nonetheless, many do use and benefit from this sleep disorder remedy provided the patient bought their own supply and used it at their own risk.

How to Take Melatonin

When you are being treated with melatonin, keep in mind that you should take it only before bedtime at night. Remember that production of melatonin is increased by darkness and lessened by daylight, and the effectiveness of this sleep disorder remedy peaks about 30 minutes after it is taken.

While people have used melatonin for a long time now without any real complaints or side effects, the supplement is still not approved by the FDA. So you never know — you might be surprised and end up with poison instead of melatonin, while all the time thinking it is nectar from Gods if you order the sleep disorder remedy from a disreputable shop.

An important factor to keep in mind is that you should not administer melatonin to kids under 18 years of age or to pregnant women. Melatonin is also contraindicated if you have any of the following afflictions – diabetes, epilepsy, depression, and leukemia.

With these warnings in mind, you can see why melatonin should be considered a double-edged sword – if used correctly, the supplement can be invaluable to those suffering a sleep disorder; if taken improperly, it can be a disaster.