Posted on 05/19/2022 9:09:45 AM PDT by ConservativeMind
In a small study of healthy adults aged 55 and older, 5 mg of melatonin increased total sleep time compared to a placebo.
Researchers conducted the study in 24 healthy, older adults to evaluate whether a high-dose or a low-dose melatonin supplement could improve sleep. The team found that the higher dose had a significant impact, increasing total sleep time compared to placebo by more than 15 minutes for nighttime sleep and by half an hour for daytime sleep.
The body naturally produces melatonin, which helps regulate a person's sleep-wake cycle with night and day. Melatonin levels peak at night. But among older people, levels of the hormone are often lower. Exogenous melatonin is sold over the counter and can be taken before bedtime as a dietary supplement, usually in a pill.
During the monthlong study period, participants lived in individual study rooms with no windows, clocks, or other indications of time of day. Participants followed a forced desynchrony protocol—instead of experiencing 24-hour cycles of days and nights, they were on schedules of 20-hour cycles to disentangle the effects of rest-activity from the circadian clock. Participants were randomly assigned to receive two weeks of a placebo pill and two weeks of either a low (0.3 mg) or high (5 mg) dose of melatonin 30 minutes before bedtime. Researchers used polysomnography to record brain waves, eye movement, muscle tone, and other key sleep metrics.
The team found that the low dose of melatonin did not lead to a statistically significant change in overall sleep time and that the changes that were seen were when sleep was scheduled during the biological day. Participants taking the 5 mg dose had a significant increase in total sleep time and sleep efficiency regardless of whether sleep was scheduled during the day or night.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
“It’s quite amazing how many sleep with a teevee on all night in the bedroom and complain they don’t sleep well!”
I have never had a TV in the bedroom, for all the reasons you stated. I LOVE to sleep and I’m good at it! It’s sometimes the best part of the day!
Glad to see I’m not the only one that has had a bad reaction to melatonin. I’m also equally glad that it’s working well for others. :)
The low dose was too little to impact the results in any way.
The high dose, was enough, with its results.
I’m glad it works for you! It gives me the heebie-geebies! ;)
Eh, I’ve tried it.
I don’t sleep any better and just feel groggier in the morning.
The herb Valerian can help reduce anxiety. I sometimes can’t sleep worrying about all I need to do, and Valerian helps with that. Sometimes I am just keyed up from an active day and melatonin helps with that. I seem to recall reading something about Vitamin B6 and vivid dreams. I don’t remember if it was too much or not enough.
...during the day
No friggen way I could participate in that study !
I take 15 mg melatonin every nite.
The scopalomine sea-sick patches would give me full blown hallucinations. 1st crazy dreams, then hallucinated dreams, then just tripping out twice a day. That would have been a fun week if we hadn’t of been in 30’ seas off Nova Scotia in January.
For a few dollars, blue-wavelength-blocking googles can be purchased.
I sometimes wear them in the evening before I’m ready to turn out the lights.
Amber/Red light bulbs (think i a submarine) can also be purchased for evening use.
Bookmark for later
I had tried most things for seasickness. I was in Hawaii sitting on a bench on land, waiting to get on a glass bottom boat, when I began to feel seasick. I went on the boat, off the back into the water, like the rest of the people AND CHUMMED THE FISH. The fish loved me...gross I know. The effects lasted two days.
Have found that Motion Mate (mainly ginger) will let me do water things...with care.
Scopolamine is a wonder drug for me.
Melatonin works for me, too, but I don’t take it regularly. I don’t want to build up a tolerance.
Wait, all that happened after you used scopolamine? Definitely not as advertised for you lol.
You are clearly a big giant dork.
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