How Much Melatonin is Too Much (Review) 2021
by Rahul Raj bloggerMelatonin is naturally created by the brain to help us fall
asleep. A deficiency of this hormone leads to serious sleep disorders such as
insomnia. However, taking melatonin supplements can help you in falling asleep
fast and resetting the circadian clock.
Let’s look at the doses of melatonin that are considered
safe and that are considered too much and cause toxicity.
Uses of Melatonin
Melatonin is considered effective for:
●
Insomnia
●
Non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder
●
Jet lag
●
Migraines
●
Cluster headaches
●
Restless leg syndrome
When you take melatonin, it resets your circadian rhythm, so
it can be very helpful in building a good sleep schedule. If you regularly
travel, especially internationally, then melatonin can be effective in helping
you with jet lag.
Further, melatonin has antioxidative properties, so it can
be effective against chronic pain, especially cluster headaches and migraines.
Recommended Doses for Melatonin
Although melatonin is naturally produced by the body, it may
not be enough to help you to fall asleep.
Other hormones such as cortisol (stress hormone) can hamper
your sleep. Further, people suffering from sleep disorders may find it
difficult to fall and stay asleep as well.
Melatonin starting dose
Start within the range of 0.2-5mg of melatonin per day.
Increase dose as your body gets used to it.
Melatonin dose that
is considered too much
Generally, anything higher than 30mg/day of melatonin is
considered harmful.
Correct time for
consuming melatonin supplement
Consume an appropriate dose of the supplement 30 minutes
before going to sleep.
Symptoms of Melatonin Overdose
Since most of the research conducted till now has been on
doses ranging from 1-10mg of melatonin per day, it can be difficult to discern
the amount of melatonin that’ll lead to toxicity and serious side effects.
However, experts do agree that taking doses above 30mg/day
can lead to side effects including:
●
Anxiety
●
Strange dreams
●
Dizziness
●
Nightmares
●
Diarrhea
●
Fluctuation in blood pressure
●
Nausea
●
Joint pain
Note: Both
alcohol and caffeine interact with melatonin, so don’t consume them together.
Further, consult your doctor if you take any other medications.
Melatonin Addiction
Melatonin does not cause addiction. According to experts, an
addictive drug must build tolerance and cause withdrawal symptoms. Both of
these characteristics are missing from melatonin.
While consuming melatonin can be very helpful in the short
run, you shouldn’t consume it every night. Instead, use this supplement to
create a good sleep schedule. If anything disrupts your sleep schedule, then
build it back using a melatonin supplement.
Conclusion
While taking melatonin can help you in falling asleep fast
and waking up well rested, consuming too much can cause serious side effects.
Always go with the recommended doses in order to gain the maximum benefit from
this sleep supplement.
FAQs
Q. Is it safe to take
melatonin every night?
A. In the short run, taking melatonin every night is
considered fine. However, you want to use it to reset your circadian rhythm and
build a good sleep schedule. Wherever you go off this schedule, you can take
melatonin again.
Q. Is 10mg of
melatonin too much?
A. No. You can take 10mg of melatonin a day, but it is
advisable to start within the range of 0.2-5mg/day. As you build tolerance to
the drug, you can take higher doses until you get the desired effect.
Q. Does melatonin
make it hard to wake up?
A. If you don’t complete your sleep, then you’ll feel
drowsy. However, if you sleep properly, melatonin will help you in waking up
completely rested and refreshed.
Related Post: Melatonin 10mg for sleep
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Created on May 14th 2021 04:15. Viewed 285 times.