How long does melatonin last?
The hormone melatonin, naturally found in the body, promotes sleep. You can also buy it as an OTC sleep aid. OTC melatonin is available for up to 10 hours, depending on the dosage and many other factors.
Melatonin can be used for sleep by people who are using it or considering it.
This article will explain what melatonin looks like, how it works, and how much you should take. We also discuss possible alternatives to melatonin, its risks and side effects.
What’s melatonin?
Melatonin regulates the body’s circadian rhythms. The pineal gland produces melatonin. The pineal gland stops releasing melatonin during daytime hours because the retinas in our eyes absorb light. The decrease in light signals the production of melatonin as the sun sets.
The brain regions that are active even when the person isn’t engaged in any specific mental or physical task receive melatonin. These regions are collectively called the default mode network (DMN). Through its effects on DMN, melatonin promotes sleep.
Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone. However, it can also be purchased as an OTC sleep aid for those who have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep throughout the night.
OTC melatonin may help regulate circadian rhythm disorders in:
- night shift workers
- People with jetlag
- People with visual impairments
- Blind people
- People with dementia
Melatonin can help with sleep and anxiety. It could also treat these conditions:
- cancer
- Metabolic disorders
- Cardiovascular disease
- gastrointestinal (GI) disorders
- neurodegenerative disorders
- mental health disorders
- pain syndromes
- Reproductive issues
How long will it last?
The medical community regards melatonin as a dietary supplement, similar to vitamin and mineral supplements. This is something that the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate.
Adults usually take 0.1-10 mg (mg).
Melatonin’s half-life is 2 hours, depending on its formulation. The half-life is the time the body takes to process half of a medication dose.
It takes roughly 1 hour before melatonin levels reach their peak. A person might feel tired at this point.
Different people have different ways of metabolizing drugs. Melatonin effects may be felt differently by different people. It all depends on how the melatonin is made.
Instant-release melatonin tablets quickly dissolve, releasing melatonin immediately into the bloodstream. Extended-release Melatonin dissolves slowly and gradually releases melatonin over many hours.
A particular formulation might work better than another, depending on the individual’s sleep problems and melatonin process. People may fall asleep quickly if they take immediate-release melatonin. People may be able to sleep through the night with the extended-release formulation.
When is it safe to take melatonin in the morning?
The a 60-minute peak in melatonin, so it is important to take melatonin between 30-60 minutes before you plan on falling asleep.
However, melatonin affects different people in different ways. Some people may want to take a lower dose of melatonin before falling asleep. People can adjust the dosage and timing depending on how they sleep.
People mustn’t take melatonin before their bedtime. This can disrupt their sleep-wake cycle. You may experience daytime fatigue or fall asleep earlier than you planned.
Alternatives
Melatonin can be used to treat mild or occasional sleep problems. There are mild side effects to melatonin, including:
- headaches
- dizziness
- nausea
- Fatigue
Melatonin may also cause insomnia and other liver problems.
Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone. However, OTC melatonin dosage and quality are not controlled by the FDA. OTC melatonin products could have incorrect dosage information.
