Melatonin is commonly used by those who find trouble sleeping at night. This is marketed as an effective pill to regulate sleep, and while many reach for it when they are kept awake at night, some disturbing findings will caution you to take melatonin before sleeping at night.
Reports in Huffington Post indicated that MIT researchers, led by Richard Wurtman, have said that the proper melatonin dosage is only at 0.3 milligrams. However, there are many melatonin supplements which have been found to contain more than this prescribed dosage. Some supplements even sell it at 10 times more than the recommended single dosage.
According to one sleep researcher from the University of Arizona, Michael Grandner, "Any person in the sleep world will tell you the same thing: melatonin is not harmless, is vastly overused and should not be used as a sleep aid to treat insomnia."
Those who take melatonin with a high dosage, even in just a single dose, tend to have a higher plasma melatonin level the following day. This results to that hangover effect, leaving people feeling groggy. Instead of being better focused on the next day's work, the hangover effect would create difficulty concentrating and a diminished alertness.
Another study conducted in 2005, likewise led by Wurtman, showed that the proliferation of high doses of melatonin leads to its inefficacy. He said, "After a few days, it stops working." He further explained that when the melatonin receptors of the brain are exposed to high amounts of the hormone, said receptors become unresponsive. In effect, one is taking a drug, which no longer creates the right response on the body, and this by itself is disturbing.
According to WebMD, melatonin is responsible for the body's own internal clock. The moment that more than what is ideally required by your body is taken, it can lead to various side effects. Some of which include lower body temperature, morning grogginess, changes in blood pressure, vivid dreams, and many more.
As a safety precaution, before you take melatonin at night, better make sure that what you're taking follows the recommended dosage. That way, your body will properly benefit from it.
