Melatonin is an increasingly popular sleep aid that some people are taking at dangerously high levels, according to a study recently published in the medical journal JAMA.
Many people believe melatonin is an herbal supplement, so they see it as a “safe and natural” sleep aid.
In fact, melatonin is a hormone, one that’s made by the pineal gland inside the brain. What you buy at the store is synthesized in a lab.
“It’s typically labeled in amounts of at least 3 milligrams and as high as 10 milligrams, which is several times the amount that our own brain produces,” said Dr. Catherine McCall, a sleep medicine expert with UW Medicine.
Such high doses, she told me, can have side effects.
“The most typical side effects that people report are things like headaches, daytime sleepiness, dizziness, nausea, low blood pressure, as well as problems like abnormal dreams, mood swings, and rash.”
Because melatonin is sold as a diet dietary supplement, it’s not regulated or monitored by the Food and Drug Administration for quality or possible contamination. Lab tests have shown that the amount of melatonin in these over-the-counter supplements can be significantly lower or dangerously higher than what’s on the label.
Dr. McCall says people who take melatonin to treat their sleep problems, may well have a sleep disorder such as insomnia.
“I always recommend to people that if you are seeking help with your sleep, that you instead talk to your health care provider instead of going to the store and buying a supplement that may not be what you think it is.”
More Info: Using Melatonin for Sleep Is on the Rise, Study Says, Despite Potential Health Harms
