Is melatonin safe to use for sleep aid?!
Question:
Is melatonin safe to use for sleep aid?
What can I expect? How does it compare to Ambien? Any side effects?
Answers:
Melatonin is quite safe. It can be helpful IF your sleep problem relates to suppressed natural production of the hormone. Drops in melatonin production is more common in older people, i.e., 40+ years old. People who do shift work or cross time zones a lot can find it helpful too.
Its cheap, so you can buy a bottle and see if it helps. You'll certainly know before the bottle is gone, so its kind of a "what have you got to lose" situation.
One word of caution: There is a school of thought that you should cycle your use of melatonin supplements, because ongoing use could cause the body to produce even less. Cycling can be any of the following:
- 6 days of use...1 day off
- 3 weeks of use...1 week off
- 4 months of use...1 month off