Melatonin is a natural hormone that is produced by the body to help the sleeping cycle but some people can find that this is not working properly and, therefore, suffer from conditions such as insomnia or other sleeping disorders. When seeing a doctor, they will usually be prescribed some form of sleeping tablet, which has the melatonin in it but there are a number of melatonin side effects.
While the use of melatonin supplements has been proven to help with jet lag treatment, there is still very little evidence that they help people fall asleep much longer. Doctors are becoming less inclined to taking sleeping tablets due to the possible problems that occur due to them.
1. Daytime Sleepiness. Because the melatonin hormone helps the person to sleep, it is common that the patient taking the replacement will sleep during the day. This is due to not helping the patient sleep at night for longer or earlier. This sleepiness can affect a lot of activities done during the day, such as driving or operating heavy machinery; if you do feel tired or drowsy, it is probably best to stay away from these operations.
2. Headaches. Headaches are a common side effect when it comes to tiredness and there has been no link to melatonin helping with the patient getting a better night’s sleep. Headaches are also usually linked to another common side effect; dizziness.
3. Sleeping Walking or Nightmares. These are common when taking the hormone supplements, especially at the start of the cycle. The brain knows that there is more of the hormone than it is used to and it can try to fight it. Sleeping walking is common as the brain makes the body believe that it is awake. The nightmares come from the same reason as dreams; they are suppressed thoughts which the brain is now able to bring up due to more sleep.
Melatonin supplements have also shown problems when interacting with other medication. These include birth control pills, diabetes medication, blood-thinning medication and also immunosuppressants. There may also be links to adverse side effects when the patient is suffering from other health conditions and it is important that a doctor is consulted before taking these supplements, whether over the counter or through natural herbs.
It is commonly believed by doctors that the hormone supplements or sleeping tablets should not be taken for more than a two month period, as they may be harmful. In fact, there has been no dose that has been deemed one hundred percent certain.
Finally, it is essential that the ingredients of the sleeping tablets or supplements are checked. All ingredients should be made from something artificial and definitely not from animals. Being made from animals may have other, more complicated, side effects and may cause infections or viruses due to the contamination in the product. Depending on the animal and the infection it may lead to complications that are severely life threatening or leave the patient needing 24 hour care for the rest of their life.
