Natural Sleep Melatonin

Alternative treatments have been efficient in providing solutions for insomnia and its causes. People suffering from insomnia turn to herbal remedies. Some prefer lemon balm and chamomile tea. These are alright because they have proven to be quite harmless. But for medical establishments, they should label these medicines as ‘herbal’ and natural. However, some natural and herbal remedies contain conventional medicines.

Some the herbal medications taken for insomnia include valerian, melatonin and kava, but there insifficient evidence from research to recommend them. A recent study that has been conducted by the University of Alberta shows that melatonin is not as effective as most people think it to be. Researchers have analyzed the studies that involved around 500 people with various sleeping programs like medication, shift work, jet lag and medication. They found no clear evidence that melatonin has a special role to play for people falling asleep faster.

What is recommended though are the relaxation techniques an insomniac can turn to. These have been proven to be the most effective. These activities require at least 20 minutes before bedtime.

Here are some examples:

1. Visualization entails a relaxing scene in your head. Try this before actually falling asleep. Think of how it will be like if you really are in the place you are visualizing yourself to be. The more vivid you visualize the place, the more involved your senses will be.

2. Yoga combines meditation, stretching and deep breathing. Daily yoga for eight weeks can already improve total sleeping time as well as the time needed to fall to sleep.

The traditional cures of insomnia are drinking warm milk before sleeping, taking a warm shower at night, engaging in vigorous exercise for an hour and a half at noon, eating large lunch followed by light dinner three hours before bedtime and avoiding mentally stimulating activities at night.

People with insomnia are also encouraged to get up early in the morning and sleep at a reasonable hour in the evening so that their sleeping habits will improve.

We highly recommend you consider our self-help hypnosis MP3’s and CD’s which have proven effective for many people. A medication-less life can only be better for your body, and if you believe in yourself and your own abilities you will find our self-help hypnosis programs of immense benefit.

Nathalie Fiset
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/remedy-insomnia-the-natural-way-133448.html

I’ve been having sleeping problems for a while now, and my doctor suggested melatonin. I took it for the first time tonight in hopes of getting a better sleep. I looked up side effects, and it said that there were some cases of nightmares.
Does anyone know any information at all about whether or not there is a certain "type" of person (such as females, the elderly, children, etc.) that get this side effect, or if it’s just randomized in everyone?
Thanks.

I have sleep troubles and for me, personally… never felt rested from sleep until I took melatonin. It was an absolute godsend! Everyone can be different though, so give things a chance before you start thinking trouble right out of the gate. Also, please test out the drug being taken at a time the doctor recommends and if after 2 days or so you find you are having nightmares, try taking it 45 minutes earlier or later , or simply use increments of 45 min blocks of time (as in 45 minutes, 1 1/2 hrs, 2 1/4 hrs, etc) as this is how sleep cycles are "timed". If your melatonin wears off when you are in a deep sleep cycle because you mis-timed your dosage, you might feel sluggish, stressed or grumpy or have had very vivid or scary dreams. If you shift the medicine dose an extra 45 minutes ahead, you might hit a time of light, wakeful sleep and feel very refreshed. So, I guess what I am trying to say is do not be afraid to fiddle with the time to suit your body rhythms. You do not want to give up quickly.

Keywording "sleep cycles" as well as "minimizing melatonin side effects" will bring up some good reading for you to find out more online.

Hope this is clear and has helped, if not email me and I’ll try to clarify, ok? Good luck!

*Edit* btw, I do not know that the side effect is for any specific group, but I highly doubt it! Probably people that didn’t understand what I just told you about timing and sleep cycles.

I know that tryptophan is the precursor for melatonin, but what does that mean? Can someone put it into simpler terms for me please.

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid (you must obtain it through your diet.) Like you pointed out, it is a precursor to melatonin. "Precursor" implies that something comes before something else, right? In this sense, tryptophan comes before melatonin when your body makes melatonin.

Look at it this way. In chemistry, you take some chemicals, mix them together, and you get new chemicals. In the same way, your body does a series of chemical reactions that start with tryptophan and end with melatonin. (In the body, chemical reactions are mediated by enzymes.)

If you make a door, you start with a tree. Then you cut down the tree to make a log. From the log, you cut out a piece of wood roughly in the shape of the door. You sand it down to make it nice. Add a doorknob and some hinges, and you have a door. The door represents melatonin, and the tree is the same thing as tryptophan.

Here is how tryptohan eventually becomes melatonin… I have also included the enzymes that achieve this:

Tryptophan is converted to 5-hydroxyltryptophan by the enzyme Tryptophan Oxidase.

Aromatic Amino Acid Decarboxylase takes 5-hydroxyltryptophan and makes seratonin (as in SSRI medications for depression.)

Seratonin is converted into N-acetyl-5-hydroxytryptamine by the enzyme N-Acetyltransferase.

Finally, N-acetyl-5-hydroxytryptamine is taken to melatonin by the action of the enzyme O-Methyltransferase.

Tryptophan is an important precursor to many, many different kinds of compounds in the body. Like I said, it can make seratonin. Receptors that bind this also bind drugs like mescaline, MDMA, and DMT.

Melatonin is involved in estrus control (AKA the menstrual cycle.) It is also thought to be involved in the natural mediation of sleep. Melatonin affects the circadian rhythm and is potentially a weak sedative-hypnotic.

I hope this clarifies the issue.

Melatonin

Melatonin, N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, is an endogenous indolamine hormone that is released by the pineal gland in significant quantities in a circadian pattern.

Uses and Benefits:

Melatonin is most often used for insomnia and jet lag. It is also used by night-shift workers and for blind entrainment (to regulate sleep patterns in those who are blind). It has been researched as an oral contraceptive, antioxidant, and anticancer agent.

Pharmacology:

Regulation of melatonin secretion corresponds to the habitual sleep-wake hours in humans. Thus, melatonin secretion increases during nightfall, 9 PM-4 AM, and levels gradually decline until daylight. Exogenous melatonin has been used to supplement endogenous melatonin production for a number of indications.

Clinical Trials:

. Insomnia-Several randomized, double-blind clinical trials have been conducted evaluating the role of oral melatonin in patients with insomnia. These studies all suggest melatonin im

Steve Mathew
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/melatonin-medicinal-uses-interactions-side-effects-dosage-109164.html

We live in extremely busy times. It seems that everywhere we go, people are never asleep. Businesses undertake 24-hour operations to cater to a more global market, while individuals don’t hesitate to cross time zones and travel to another country either also for business reasons or for personal development. Body clocks are out of synch, schedules are warped, and the concept of night and day is confused.

Because of this, most of us turn to medications to help us get some shut-eye. However, most of these drugs, because of their chemical content, contain toxic side effects—hence, the birth of natural remedies, like melatonin and calming teas, as alternative therapies.

What is melatonin? Basically, it’s the by-product of the pineal gland, which is the small pea-sized part of our neurological system that tells our bodies when it’s time to shut down and rest. During the day, melatonin is weak, but during the night, it works at its peak. That’s why sleep comes in the absence of daylight or any light source.

However, since our lifestyles have altered our sleep-wake cycles, our bodies tend to forget how to differentiate night from day. People who work graveyard shifts, for instance, sleep during the day and feel very alert at night. But when these schedules suddenly turn 180 degrees, they find themselves dozing off in the middle of a task or falling prey to the lure of potentially dangerous energy drinks and other wake-up drugs.

Natural pineal gland melatonin cannot cope with these sudden changes, so treatment makers have come up with a way to mimic the effect of melatonin to create a pharmacy-grade melatonin supplement. This supplement is available over the counter and is commonly used to treat jet lag discomforts.

The recommendations on the use of pharmacy grade melatonin are mixed. Some studies advise against it because it leads to toxicity, but there are other researches that have found no ill results even if the participants have consumed 600 to 3,000 times the usual dosage, or around 6 grams. Common complaints against melatonin use include reaction lags and drowsiness, but this is quite understandable given the supplement’s features.

Doctors advise that melatonin be consumed only when you’re about to go to bed or at night. To combat jet lag, users are told to take the supplement around thirty minutes before boarding the plane. It should be known that melatonin has major body clock resetting functions so it must not be ingested when not really necessary. How much melatonin an individual can take varies, but it usually begins at 1.5 to 3 milligrams and then increased as needed.

In sum, melatonin, while a natural remedy, is still a drug, which should be taken in moderation. Because the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate alternative therapies, it would be prudent for you not to self-medicate but to consult the advice of a natural health expert or a doctor before deciding to take it.

Disclaimer:This is not a substitute for medical advice. This is only for informational purpose. Seek the advice of your doctor before considering any course of treatment.

Cathlen Evans
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/the-nature-of-melatonin-supplements-in-promoting-sleep-108697.html

The first thing we should be clear about is, what exactly is melatonin? Melatonin is a substance (a hormone) secreted by the pineal gland in the brain that has a rapid, mild sleepiness-inducing effect. For this reason, some people take melatonin for insomnia to help regulate their normal sleep cycle, although some concerns remain about its safety, especially for long-term use.

Circadian Rhythms

Your circadian rhythm can be defined as the normal daily cycles that your body goes through. During each 24-hour cycle, levels of hormones rise and fall depending on the moment of the day; your kidneys produce more urine during the day and less at night; and your body temperature is higher at some times of the day than others (it tends to fall just before we go to sleep, for example). These are normal, rhythmic changes that help us be alert and functioning when we need to be, and to rest and rejuvenate at other times.

Some people believe that taking melatonin for insomnia helps maintain your normal sleep cycle. This belief is based on the fact that melatonin levels increase as it gets dark and peak during the middle of the night, and so melatonin is seen as synchronizing your sleep to the night. In fact, research tends to show that melatonin does not control sleep as such, but most likely is only one of many factors that explain why sleep during the night seems deeper, more refreshing and more restful.

Melatonin For Insomnia Caused By Circadian Rhythm Disorders

There are certain times when your normal sleep cycle gets disrupted – you feel sleepy during the day and can’t sleep at night. One example of this is jet lag, when your body is on one time, and the location where you have just arrived is on another time. Your body continues to produce melatonin on its usual schedule. It may be breakfast time in London, but your body feels that it should be fast asleep and shouldn’t be woken for quite some time yet. In this particular situation, it can indeed be helpful to take melatonin, although it seems that it is much more effective for people traveling eastwards than those going westward.

Another group of people who may benefit from taking melatonin for insomnia is night workers. People who work during the night get their biological clocks really messed up for two reasons. First, they are awake during the dark hours and try to sleep during the light hours. But then, when they have one or more days off work, their natural instinct is to synchronize their timetables again with the family and friends around them and they try to resume a normal sleep schedule. Thus, they are constantly changing their hours of sleep. In these cases, since melatonin production is suppressed by light, it does indeed seem to be helpful to take melatonin for insomnia when you are trying to sleep during daylight hours.

Although much more research remains to be done, it seems clear that taking melatonin for insomnia can be helpful when the insomnia is due to changes in your normal sleep cycle. It can either supplement the melatonin your body produces naturally, so that you can sleep during the day, or it can help reset your biological clock so that you sleep better at night.

In all cases, however, it must be remembered that insomnia is a symptom of many different disorders, including neurological and other medical disorders and psychiatric problems, and as such requires evaluation by a physician. In certain cases, melatonin may not be an appropriate treatment and should never be used except under a physician’s supervision.

Terry Roberts
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/should-i-take-melatonin-for-my-insomnia-94985.html

It’s 4am and you’re wide awake.You could be the one in three who have trouble sleeping. So what are the culprits and remedies for insomnia and how much sleep do you really need to beat the bedtime blues?

The truth: Everyone should sleep from seven to nine hours per night regardless of age, according to Edward L. Schneider, MD, dean of the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Sleeping less than seven hours weakens immunity and increases the risk for depression, falls and accidents.

N.A.S.A. research shows the effects on driving after being awake for 20 hours is comparable to a blood alcohol level of 0.05.

Lack of sleep can also lead to raised blood pressure, headaches, increased appetite and weight gain due to increased production of cortisol. This hormone has the opposite effect to what you desire,particularly if you are overweight,because it stores fat and burns muscle.

A University of Pennsylvania study showed that getting two fewer hours sleep a night for one week lead to reduced performance in vigilance tests and an increase in inflammatory markers in the blood stream.

SO WHAT CAN YOU DO TO GET MORE SLEEP?

FIRST,YOUR BEDROOM.
Make sure you have a comfortable bed and pillow. Your bedroom should be dark and quiet. It should also be well ventilated.

It should be peaceful.Jasmine, sandalwood or lavender scents can help.

A warm bath or shower before bed or playing tranquil music can also help. The aim is to slow your mind down. Watching TV in bed may not help, if you wish to relax your mind.

AVOID.
Caffeine in the evening. Sleeping tablets can be addictive if used continuously and should be avoided other than for very short time use. Eating heavy meals or drinking alcohol within two hours prior to bedtime can also disrupt sleep.
Bedtime snacks, particularly grains and sugars will raise your blood sugar and inhibit sleep according to Dr Joseph Mercola, author of The Total Health Program.

EXERCISE.
Regular exercise can reduce stress. A walk before bedtime can not only calm you, but the physical activity can aid digestion.
Your dog would also appreciate it!

HERBS AND OTHER SUPPLEMENTS.

Mild herbal supplements like camomile tea, passion flower or valerian may help some people.

VALERIAN.
The extract from the root of this plant is a natural sedative and tranquiliser. It can induce relaxation and is very good at quieting the busy mind. It is also a rich source of calcium, potassium and magnesium, all calming and balancing minerals for the nervous system. This herb also appears to increase brain levels of serotonin, a relaxing neurotransmitter.

MAGNESIUM.
This mineral is particularly important for your general wellbeing. When combined with calcium, it is an important supplement for healthy bones and protection against osteoporis. It is also important for sleep inducement, muscle relaxation and nervous system calming.

ST JOHNS WORT.
This herb is an effective option in helping to relieve mild anxiety and nervous tension. It can aid in the maintenance or improvement of general wellbeing.

A word of caution: St Johns Wort may react with some medications,including warfarin. It is important that you consult with your doctor before using this or any other supplements.

MELATONIN.
Melatonin is a natural sleep hormone produced at night by the brain.
Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have shown it to be safe, non addictive and virtually free of side effects. It is helpful for those who have light or restless sleep or take some time to fall asleep.

With correct use, it may help you to fall asleep more easily and stay asleep longer. It is an effective cure for jetlag because of its ability to regulate our 24 hour sleep/wake cycle.

Many adults, especially those aged 65 and older have insufficient levels of melatonin to achieve restful sleep, according to Mark A Stengler ND, a naturopathic physician in private practice in La Jolla, California.

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR.
Try 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar mixed with 2 teaspoons of honey in a glass of warm water, before retiring.

FINALLY, NAPPING.
Sleep researchers have widely diverging opinions here. Some state that it can disturb night time sleep, while others say that it can compensate for a night time sleep deficit, especially if below 7 hours. Dr Schneider believes that most people should not nap for more than 20 minutes.

Researchers in the sleep research laboratory at Longborough University, England have found that people are designed for two sleeps a day, the main one at night and a nap in the afternoon.

I have found that an occasional 15 to 20 minute cat nap in the afternoon, particularly if I am feeling tired, can help me sleep better at night.

The bottom line is: What works best for you?

Never start a new treatment before consulting your doctor, especially if you currently are taking medication. The information published in this article is not intended as a substitute for personal medical advice from your physician or other qualified health-care practitioner.

Graeme Lanham
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/beating-insomnia-seven-secrets-to-a-peaceful-sleep-69975.html

Insomnia, or the inability to fall and stay asleep, affects nearly everyone at some time or another. Occasionally people will get a full night’s sleep and still wake up feeling unrested for one reason or another. While drug companies have worked hard to come up with various over-the-counter, or OTC, and prescription drugs to battle sleeplessness, often these medications include harmful side effects just as bad or worse than the insomnia. Luckily there are natural alternatives to these medications that do not pose the same risks to the patient who suffers from sleeplessness. Throughout this article, these alternatives will be discussed in greater detail in order to prove the benefits of natural insomnia treatments over man-made medications.

There are several naturally occurring chemicals that lead people to feel sleepy. Probably the most common one is the amino acid Tryptophan. This is the ingredient in turkeys that make so many people feel relaxed and sleepy after Thanksgiving dinner. Tryptophan helps the brain create the chemicals serotonin and melatonin, which help the human body feel relaxed, calm and able to sleep. Dairy products, whole grain products and nuts are also good Tryptophan foods, perfect for before-bed snacks. Avoid foods high in protein and focus on high carbohydrate and calcium foods to help fight sleeplessness.

Much as there are foods and drinks (like milk) that will help you get to sleep, there are also foods that can be detrimental to falling and staying asleep throughout the night.

Any food or drink that contains caffeine should be avoided for at least three hours before bed (more if you still have problems getting to sleep).

Be wary of teas since many of them contain caffeine.

Look for the words caffeine-free, if you don’t see them then you should assume the tea is caffeinated.

Another sneaky possessor of caffeine is OTC headache and pain medications, many of which include caffeine to boost the effectiveness of the active ingredients. Carefully read the labels of any medications prior to taking them before trying to sleep.

Phosphatidylserine is an anti-cortisol that helps keep blood sugar stabilized throughout the night. Sudden spikes in blood sugar have been shown to be a contributing factor to frequently waking up during the night. People who are severely stressed sometimes experience racing thoughts while trying to sleep. These thoughts raise the levels of cortisol in the body and make it difficult to relax enough to fall asleep. Phosphatidylserine combats this effect, which can lead to falling asleep and more importantly staying asleep.

Another important ingredient in effective natural sleeplessness solutions is the amino-acid GABA, which helps the body regenerate while asleep and wake up feeling rested. While getting enough sleep is important, the quality of that sleep is even more important (just ask anyone who has an old mattress). GABA helps the release of growth hormone, which aids in the restfulness of the sleep state. It is obvious that natural insomnia solutions are better for the sleep state and the general health of those who suffer from sleeplessness.

Richard Smart
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/natural-help-for-those-suffering-with-sleeplessness-219528.html

trouble sleeping?

Afraid to start taking sleeping pills and other medication? You are correct there is a nautural cure.

However, your body produces a hormone called melatonin, and for a variety of reasons, you may not be getting enough. Your sleep problem may be due to this.

The answer to sleep problems, aging and many more questions may be found in this wonderful hormone called melatonin.

Melatonin is a natural hormone found in ALL living creature, from the plant to animal kingdoms. In higher animal species, it is produced in the pineal gland (in the brain), but also in the eye (retina) and the gastro-intestinal tract.

What is Melatonin?

A naturally occurring hormone (derived from serotonin) that is both endocrine (enters the bloodstream from a pineal gland) and paracrine (signaling cell phenomenon, as from the retina when light is low, when the signal is “time to sleep”).

Melatonin, besides being a sleep hormone, is a very powerful antioxidant, anti-aging agent, immunoregulator, anti-depressant and sexual dysfunction regulator.

Is it Safe to Take?

Actually, the 3mg standard dose has virtually no side effects, and does not also affect the body’s ability to produce its own melatonin.

Rather, in today’s world where we are exposed to great amounts of strong artificial light, our bodies will not produce the melatonin it generally needs.

Melatonin also plays a key role in memory and our ability to learn quickly.

Some very famous studies have been made on melatonin (one by the Nobel Prize laureate Julius Axelrod) where it was proven that melatonin plays a direct role in establishing our sleep cycle and more.

In some mammals with short mating periods (due to hibernation), melatonin also is related to the production of other hormones which control sexual activity.

There are no toxic dangers at all, but it will cause drowsiness, so one must not take it prior to driving or operating mechanical equipment.

It may also react with some medications, so if you are taking any monoamine oxidize inhibitors (MAOIs), you must consult your doctor before taking melatonin

Melatonin and Your Sleep

It seems the very best and easiest solution to restless and un-easy sleep is to take one 3mg melatonin tablet 15 minutes prior to going to bed.

Also for at least 1 hour before going to sleep, make sure the lighting in your environment is progressively less and less, so as to stimulate your body’s own melatonin secretions.

Remember, bright light can block melatonin production completely.

Along with the melatonin and dim lights, try to put on some restful and soothing music to keep your mind from focusing on your problems and not sleeping.

Sleep should come too effortlessly, without dangerous and habit forming drugs.

Some Interesting facts about Melatonin

People who work at night, and have their melatonin blocked by evening bright lights have a significant higher incidence of cancer than day workers.

Melatonin appears to prevent the hyperphosphorylation of the tau protein.

It has been proven that hyperphosphorylation of tau protein results in the formation of neurofibrillary tangles. Neurofibrillary tangles are a pathological occurrence seen in Alzheimer’s, so melatonin may prove a very beneficial treatment as well as preventative for Alzheimer’s disease.

So, instead of getting hooked on sleeping medicines, try melatonin, and remember all the other benefits it may bring to you as well.

Sacha Tarkovsky
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/sleeping-problems-solved-melatonin-to-the-rescue-and-more-68636.html