What is melatonin? Can it really treat insomnia?
Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by our brain to help regulate sleep and function as the body's circadian rhythm. The brain releases this hormone at night, making the body feel sleepy and inducing sleep.
Normally, the brain produces melatonin around 9 PM, and it remains in the bloodstream for about 12 hours before gradually decreasing with the increase in sunlight. By around 9 AM, melatonin levels in the body are so low that they are undetectable.
Melatonin is currently used in the treatment and prevention of various diseases, such as: Insomnia It is also used to help lower triglyceride levels in the blood.
Types of melatonin
- Instant release type – This type of melatonin is available in 3 mg, 5 mg, and 10 mg dosages. This form of melatonin is not yet registered as a medication in Thailand.
- Long-acting type – This type of melatonin is classified as a medication and requires approval from the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Currently, only the Circadin® brand is registered with the FDA and can be purchased at general pharmacies, but requires a doctor's prescription. However, melatonin imported from abroad in various forms is still considered illegal (referenced from the website). doctorraksa)
What are the benefits of melatonin?
As mentioned above, melatonin is a hormone that regulates sleep and is involved in our sleep cycle. Therefore, melatonin is mostly used in the treatment of sleep disorders, especially.Insomnia as one ages.
Read more: Serious illnesses associated with insomnia.
Melatonin can now be produced synthetically and is often manufactured as a dietary supplement or as a medication to treat sleep-related disorders.
However, you should not self-medicate with melatonin. You should consult a doctor and use it only under their guidance.
The benefits of melatonin can be summarized as follows:
- Treating insomnia.
- Treating imbalances in the biological clock.
- Treating delayed sleep phase syndrome, a condition characterized by the inability to fall asleep before 2 AM.
- Relieve drowsiness caused by jet lag.
- Helps people who work shifts to fall asleep more easily.
Caution
Melatonin may cause drowsiness, so it should be taken before bedtime. Do not drive or operate machinery after taking it. If you are taking other medications regularly, have a pre-existing medical condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, have diabetes, have hormonal imbalances from other diseases, or are in menopause and receiving hormone replacement therapy, you should not take melatonin and should consult your doctor first.
Because melatonin may overstimulate your immune system, people with autoimmune diseases or those taking immunosuppressant drugs should not take melatonin.
Although melatonin is a hormone naturally present in the body, long-term use of melatonin supplements may cause side effects such as headaches, stomach upset, anxiety, irritability, or even short-term depression. Therefore, doctors usually recommend melatonin use only for short periods.
