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Melatonin: Much More Than You Wanted to Know

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Re: Melatonin: Much More Than You Wanted to Know

#191

Post by qwerty456127 »

Wow! I've started with 2.5 mg and now 20 mg does nothing to me. I've been doing it sooo wrong. I hope the tolerance is going to fall now as I've stopped taking it and I will be able to use it the right way going with 0.3mg. That's such a pity you can't just get any better kind of a sleeping pill without a prescription if you don't want to mess with circadian rhythms and just want to fall asleep whenever you have time but can't. So many people actually have irregular schedules: day and night shifts mixed chaotically etc. I actually don't think I know anybody who would go to bed at the same time every night. I wish I had Ambien for occasions like that (I don't drive) but it seems impossible to get without a doctor.

In fact I've tried to do some research but failed to find any information about undesirable effects and DON'Ts of melatonin at the time when I've started taking it (some years ago). It seemed a wonder drug everybody should be taking all the time - it just makes you sleep well whenever you choose to, protects from oxidative stress, boosts your immunity etc. But now I know: tolerance (including tolerance to endogenic melatonin which means screwing your natural circadian system) is what you pay (I could find not a single mention of melatonin tolerance until today).

Re: Melatonin: Much More Than You Wanted to Know

#192

Post by xzel »

dogcow wrote: post #161
anonu wrote: post #153

Couple anecdotal points: - Used to have to sleep problems - mainly just my mind racing with all the (stress of) things I had to do. The symptoms were trouble sleeping and/or waking in the middle of the night with instant thoughts of projects, task lists. - Melatonin didn't help me much. Maybe their effect was too subtle on me - maybe I was using the wrong dose as mentioned in the post. - Magnesium Glycinate pills bef…

I am sharing my experience because I know how awful sleep problems can be. I'm in my 30s and eat what many consider a very healthful diet - virtually no sugar, just veggies, high quality fats and proteins, and minimal fruit. I spend 7-9 hours in bed; yet wake up feeling exhausted every. single. day. I'd love to exercise, but I'm too continuously tired to get started. Melatonin, when taken via dissolving sublingual ta…

This is going to be a totally anecdotal post: In my twenties I had the same problem when waking up, slept 7-8 hours, worked out, good job, super healthy diet but woke up exhausted, miserable, and borderline depressed 9/10 days. It took two years and lot of blood tests over time but turns out I had Hashimoto's disease, which lead to hypothyroidism. It is rare for someone in their 20s but I guess I beat the odds :), although it dose affect about 5% of the population at some time. My point here is your story seems very similar to mine (i.e possible thyroid issue) so maybe talk to your Dr about the possibility, especially if this has been a long term issue.

Re: Melatonin: Much More Than You Wanted to Know

#193

Post by theptip »

victor106 wrote: post #166
dogcow wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am sharing my experience because I know how awful sleep problems can be. I'm in my 30s and eat what many consider a very healthful diet - virtually no sugar, just veggies, high quality fats and proteins, and minimal fruit. I spend 7-9 hours in bed; yet wake up feeling exhausted every. single. day. I'd love to exercise, but I'm too continuously tired to get started. Melatonin, when taken via dissolving sublingual ta…

Not sure if minimal fruit counts as a healthy diet

It does, assuming you're getting enough vegetables; fruit is mostly sugar (high glycemic load which causes crashes, promotes diabetes, etc.), so not actually that good for you on the macronutrient level.

Re: Melatonin: Much More Than You Wanted to Know

#194

Post by hiram112 »

anonu wrote: post #153

Couple anecdotal points: - Used to have to sleep problems - mainly just my mind racing with all the (stress of) things I had to do. The symptoms were trouble sleeping and/or waking in the middle of the night with instant thoughts of projects, task lists. - Melatonin didn't help me much. Maybe their effect was too subtle on me - maybe I was using the wrong dose as mentioned in the post. - Magnesium Glycinate pills bef…

Where did you get the idea for Magnesium Glycinate? Never heard of it.

My sleep cycle has been out of whack since 17 years old. I've learned the hard way - no school jobs, relationships, etc. that require early mornings.

I have been able to improve things with a half of dose of Ambien 2-3x a week. I've heard good reports from some of the newer patented drugs (Lunesta, I think) but they're still quite expensive.

Re: Melatonin: Much More Than You Wanted to Know

#195

Post by grogenaut »

hendzen wrote: post #7

If you regularly buy Melatonin, I highly recommend Trader Joes Brand chewable Melatonin tablets. In my area they cost $2.99 for a bottle, far below the cost of other brands, and the dosage per tablet is 0.5mg or 500mcg which for me is pretty optimal. EDIT: corrected units.

random question... gummies always felt like candy to me and have extra sugar... why do you like them over pills? Also I'm being an angry old man as the last time I was in the pharmacy like 50% of the shelf space was taken up by these huge gummy bottles of the very popular vitamins pushing out some of the more esoteric stuff like phycogenol

Re: Melatonin: Much More Than You Wanted to Know

#196

Post by say_hello »

joveian wrote: post #172
xor1 wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How much do you take? I was regularly taking 3mg and 1.5mg regularly for most of the past 4 years. I recently tried 0.3mg (as recommended in another recent HN discussion about melatonin, I think it was a week or 2 ago), and I had terrible results. On 1.5mg and 3mg, I would have very unsettling and memorable dreams, as well as wake up very tired, but I would get at least 7 hours of sleep on most nights. With 0.3mg, I…

I get the wake up reaction with any dose, unless I take it with other stuff that keeps me asleep. I have Non-24 and have tried a bunch of stuff and have found finding things to help stay asleep easier than finding stuff to help get to sleep, although nothing really works for very long at a time (and there is a huge amount of individual variation in what helps at all). If exercise works for you that would be best but…

I also have N24 (I am sighted). 0.3mg 2 hours before the bedtime I wanted worked but would cause me to wake up in the middle of the night and sleep very long (about 13 hours). I'm testing 0.3mg 4 hours before bedtime and that's working so far.

The normal instructions for using melatonin as a sleep aid are to take it a short time before going to bed. It appears that at least some N24 sufferers have a different reaction to it and need to be dosed several hours earlier, contrary to the normal instructions.

Re: Melatonin: Much More Than You Wanted to Know

#197

Post by barrkel »

coldtea wrote: post #174
barrkel wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One / your / it / we: make up your mind on pronoun and stick with it!

Maybe focus on the content? Any disparity is just on this single sentence: "your appetite increases" (as opposed to "their" or "one's"). "Their" as used across the comment is not meant as the plural possessive. It's instead used as a gender-neutral pronoun (a common use) to avoid repeating "one's" or using "his/hers". It, in "your appetite increases and it's more likely to overeat" etc., refers to the situation/possi…

It was really distracting to read. The mix - and there was a they in there too - broke focus. Sorry.

Re: Melatonin: Much More Than You Wanted to Know

#198

Post by mtgx »

dogcow wrote: post #161
anonu wrote: post #153

Couple anecdotal points: - Used to have to sleep problems - mainly just my mind racing with all the (stress of) things I had to do. The symptoms were trouble sleeping and/or waking in the middle of the night with instant thoughts of projects, task lists. - Melatonin didn't help me much. Maybe their effect was too subtle on me - maybe I was using the wrong dose as mentioned in the post. - Magnesium Glycinate pills bef…

I am sharing my experience because I know how awful sleep problems can be. I'm in my 30s and eat what many consider a very healthful diet - virtually no sugar, just veggies, high quality fats and proteins, and minimal fruit. I spend 7-9 hours in bed; yet wake up feeling exhausted every. single. day. I'd love to exercise, but I'm too continuously tired to get started. Melatonin, when taken via dissolving sublingual ta…

Check your Vitamin D levels, just out of curiosity, before giving Vitamin D3 a try. This doctor here says you need to be at 60-80 ng/ml D3 in the blood to get very restful sleep:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF24xmJQK1k

Also, D3 and Magnesium work very well together. In fact, if you add more D3, it's going to use-up even more magnesium.

Re: Melatonin: Much More Than You Wanted to Know

#199

Post by oceanghost »

Zarath wrote: post #185
oceanghost wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did this for a decade. If you drink or smoke pot to sleep you will slowly go mad. They suppress deep sleep.

Yes, I'm always amazed at people who use pot to sleep. If I smoke I will be up for hours.

That's where things get weird. Different people respond to the same medications, differently. I find pot highly sedative. I also find Adderall to be calming. And here's the kicker, I get a great energy from Ketamin.

Re: Melatonin: Much More Than You Wanted to Know

#200

Post by gonehome »

mtgx wrote: post #198
dogcow wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am sharing my experience because I know how awful sleep problems can be. I'm in my 30s and eat what many consider a very healthful diet - virtually no sugar, just veggies, high quality fats and proteins, and minimal fruit. I spend 7-9 hours in bed; yet wake up feeling exhausted every. single. day. I'd love to exercise, but I'm too continuously tired to get started. Melatonin, when taken via dissolving sublingual ta…

Check your Vitamin D levels, just out of curiosity, before giving Vitamin D3 a try. This doctor here says you need to be at 60-80 ng/ml D3 in the blood to get very restful sleep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF24xmJQK1k Also, D3 and Magnesium work very well together. In fact, if you add more D3, it's going to use-up even more magnesium.

60-80 seems absurd to me considering you’d be unlikely to hit that spending all day outside in the sun topless in Hawaii.
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