Melatonin: Hormone of Sleep

I don’t think anyone would dispute the fact that disrupted sleep can make us feel irritable and depressed and impair our ability to function well. Sleep is also essential to good health. It is believed that at least 50% of Americans over the age of 65 suffer from some form of sleep disturbance. Sleep deprivation for a prolonged period of time can lead to stress and depression of immune function. People who develop cancer often give an antecedent history of sleep disorder lasting several years prior to diagnosis. 

The effects on melatonin on the body are far greater than merely promotion of sleep. Melatonin is a powerful anti-oxidant and has been found beneficial in the treatment of several cancers, most notably breast cancer. 

Benefits of melatonin

• Improves sleep

• May extend live span (extends life span of laboratory animals 25%)

• Powerful anti-oxidant and immune system stimulant

• Cancer fighter

• Treats jet lag

Melatonin secretion peaks at age seven, then declines precipitously during adolescence. At about age 45, the pineal gland begins to shrink and loses the cells that produce melatonin. Hormone production becomes erratic such that by age 60, we only produce 50% of the amount that we made during our twenties. This age related decline in the pineal production of melatonin may be a large apart of the reason so many older people suffer sleep problems.

By taking small amounts of melatonin on a periodic basis we may be able to slow down this downward spiral. Because of the fact that people who take melatonin every night will sometimes develop tolerance to its effects, we suggest that it only be taken at most four nights a week. Taking breaks of one to two weeks off entirely every three months also will help avoid loss of responsiveness.

Dose: For most healthy people who have no sleep problems we suggest beginning with 0.1 mg about one half hour before bed. The dose can be increased to 0.5-1.0 mg, but more is usually not needed.

For individuals with trouble falling asleep, a fast acting or sublingual formulation is recommended. For people who awaken frequently throughout the night, a timed-release preparation might be preferable. For individuals whose sleep is characterized by both of these problems, combination products are available containing both fast acting and slow release formulations. Doses of three to five milligrams are a good place to start in cases of insomnia and may be increased to 10 milligrams if needed. It has been my experience that increasing beyond this will not produce additional benefit, and that other modalities should be employed.