my mother has started taking melatonin as a sleep aid and she is taking 3 3mg pills a night. I'm thinking that's too much melatonin. She had been taking sleeping pills but now is onto this. Any advice? THANKS!
Answer:
Hello
Great question in that Melatonin is used widely and comes in a great number of brands(only 12 "approved").It has been studied widely but most of the research claims "that more studies are needed". The key , here may be your mothers age: Although dose ranges that are recommended, vary from .5-10 mgs, they are more specific for the "elderly": 0.5-1.5 mg, taken 30-120 minutes before sleep. There are few if any side effects BUT " the long term effects have not been studied"
Another study ( sleep cycle alterations: reports an exact 50% benefit of all participants with no benefit over 1.5 mgs.In younger people, the dose range is from 0.5 -10 mgs: It is VERY IMPORTANT to note that there are soooooo many preparations sold and not all are as "pure" as others: There were 12 brands selected, by the Mayo Clinic( see, mayoclinic/com/health/melatoni... as meeting their advertised ingredients.Practically speaking, the bottom line is IS SHE BENEFITTING ?
Melatonin, at the doses that she is taking, is likely preferential to a "patented" prescription medication( and more safe ).It is an excelent question and it is admirable that you are interested in your Mom's health (yea!) BUT she is likely to do what she feels is best, anyway: So long as she is safe, better to be supportive of her: You don't want her losing sleep because you or she is upset by this issue.
I hope this helps: Be Well
The appropriate dose can vary enormously from person to person, but it should harm her and she is alot better off use that instead of other drugs. Melatonin is all natural. If you want ask her to just take one 5mg and see if that puts her to sleep instead of three 3 mg.
Dosage: For insomnia: Take 1 to 3 mg before bedtime.Guidelines for use: To combat insomnia, stick to a precise schedule, taking supplements at the same time every evening. Begin with the lowest dose and increase it as needed.For most people, melatonin causes drowsiness 30 minutes after taking it. This effect may last for several hours, so you should not drive or handle heavy machinery during this time. Other side effects can include headache, stomach upset, lethargy, or disorientation. Some individuals report that melatonin can cause fuzzy thinking upon waking, or vivid and sometimes unpleasant dreams, and even make insomnia worse. Others find that the effects wear off quickly with continued use.
3 pills are ok. If her melatonin isn't low, they won't have any impact on her.
take 1 or 2 pills. Mabye a third if it doesn't work. Don't overdose. It could damage or kill you.
Melatonin has been studied in doses up to 50mg in cancer patients or 20mg in healthy patients. I have taken 15mg a night many times.
I would relax about this..melatonin is one of the greatest antioxidant and this is anti-aging and healing as well as a great sleep aid..the usual does is 1-5 mg but studies have used 100's of times this much and found no ill effects.This is way safer than sleeping pills..if you are concerning, have her decrease it by one tablet and use real lavender essential oil (do not get a synthetic as no medicinal properties ..a brand like AURA get at health food store..http://www.frontiercoop.com/auracacia/ac...Have her either put this in a vaporizer, little potpourri pot with water,or on a tissue or her pillow..sprinkle it on liberally and inhale several times deeply..this greatly reduces stress, helps you sleep especially if you can't sleep for worry..when I went to some protest rallies and was on the bus with activist 10-12 hours and could not sleep, lavender is the only thing that worked for me..Also consider a hops pillow or sock filled with hops (a bulk herb) and tied or taking valerian (a tincture form not capsule)..
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