1) Melatonin is Not A Vitamin.  It's a Hormone That's Packaged As A Supplement

Melatonin is a hormone.  It's made naturally in our pineal gland and it's released naturally in our bodies.  Melatonin is called the Sleep Hormone because it makes us feel nice and sleepy.  Research shows that melatonin can do many things for our bodies, including helping us get to sleep BUT melatonin does NOT help you stay asleep.  In fact it can cause you to wake through the night.

2) Melatonin Supplements Can And Do Have A Lot More Or A Lot Less Than What It Says On The Bottle. It is not regulated.

This study discovers that of 31 brand that were tested for were analyzed by ultraperformance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection for quantification of melatonin and serotonin.  They found that Melatonin content  ranged from -83% to +478% of the labelled content.  And it wasn't just that one brand was better or worse than another-- lot-to-lot variable within a particular product brand varied by as much as 465%.

And it gets even more alarming,  serotonin, which is actually a controlled substance used in the treatment of several neurological disorders, was identified in eight of the supplements at levels of 1 to 75 μg

EMF Exposure From Your Cellphone Lowers Your Natural Melatonin Level

A recent 2021 study reveals that exposure to cellphone radiation from a 2600Mhz signal-which is a popular carrier signal on the LTE band btw, decreased melatonin.  And alarmingly the scientists noted that there was increased cell death in the brain as well as structural deformation-- which means warping, bending, twisting structural components!  Not good.  Avoid another reason to distance yourself from wireless EMF 

3) You Make Melatonin Naturally. Natural Melatonin is Integral To A Natural Sleep Gate

Melatonin, is produced and released from the Pineal Gland.  Yes, some illnesses can lessen it and as we get older we don't make as much. But, for most of us, simply by respecting how it's made and why it's released, we can enjoy all the natural benefits without any of the known and not-yet-known side effects.  Our Circadian Rhythm Reset has 7 simple but super important steps that help that melatonin do it's natural amazing thing and let your enjoy your Sleep Gate.  The Sleep Gate is the a window of time at night that makes you feel super, deliciously sleepy.  

4) Taking Melatonin is Especially Scary For Children Because Melatonin Plays A Big Role In Puberty

Studies were done decades ago that clearly showed that especially for boys, melatonin secretion DROPS significantly with the onset of puberty. 

"Melatonin secretion follows a circadian pattern, with greater secretion at night. The change in this rhythm was significantly greater in girls, due to greater nighttime secretion. Secretion significantly decreases in Tanner stages I and II with subsequent decreases in the later stages."

What this means is that when looking at the markers of puberty, there's a Significant drop in natural melatonin. So, giving melatonin to a child who's body is making less of it so they can naturally go through puberty may be something to seriously question. 

Tanner markers include hormone changes and observational changes to breasts and testicles.

But confusing for doctors and parents alike, research studies like this one write in their conclusions that there's no difference in puberty markers with or without melatonin?? Oh my goodness, scroll down to the Conflict of Interest and see that these "research scientists" work for the company that makes and sells this slow release melatonin.  I had fun really digging into the research and looking at the numbers and honestly, even though they say that there's a better result with melatonin for sleepiness than without- it's so close- and by some measures the placebo is BETTER.  Also when it came to nasty uncomfortable side effects for kids, the placebo obviously was much much safer.

Speaking Of Melatonin and Kids. In the Last 10 Years, 260,000 Kids Went To Urgent Care Or the ER With Melatonin Poisoning

 The CDC compiled reports from Urgent Care and hospitals over a 10 year period and the numbers were simply stunning. Melatonin involved poisonings went up over 37% from 2019 to 2020 and there was a 530% increase in the entire 10 year period.

So sad.  So scary.

As you might have guessed, the large majority(93%) of kids that went to the hospital or urgent care went because taking melatonin was NOT intentional.  Gosh, I feel so bad for those moms and dads. Perhaps parent's Melatonin gummies were just too hard to resist. Perhaps the Melatonin bottles didn't have safety caps.  87% of kids were 5 or under.

The report said that most kids that sought medical help for taking melatonin reported symptoms that involved the gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, or their central nervous systems. Among 27,795 patients who received care at a health care facility, 19,892 (71.6%) were discharged, 4,097 (14.7%) were hospitalized, and 287 (1.0%) required intensive care. Among all  the child melatonin ingestions, 4,555 resulted in more serious outcomes "Pediatric hospitalizations and more serious outcomes due to melatonin ingestions increased during the study period, primarily related to an increase in unintentional ingestions among kids 5 and under.  Five children required mechanical ventilation, and two died"

That's all too real to risk.  So Moms and Dads and Caregivers, please be very very careful with melatonin and kids.

And everyone,  if you're taking melatonin for sleep, really consider if it's helping. My husband took it for years.  And he kept upping his dose.  He got to sleep quickly and easily and I might add he always did- for decades, so I don't know why he started taking it in the first place. 

Every night for the last few years, he wakes in the middle of the night. He thought it was that he was just getting older, but that made him even more certain that he should be taking melatonin.

Recently he watched a video and the part about Melatonin products not having the actual contents on the bottle in the capsule really got to him. He came in one morning and said, "Guess What?, I haven't taken any melatonin for 3 nights and I haven't woken up once."  He said he was never going to take it again.

5) The research shows there's side effects (and it definitely doesn't agree with my body) 

There are many studys that show that people who take it get to sleep faster and easier than they do without it.  But a 2019 Systematic Review, which is where they look at many studies, take the most reliable ones and then make a recommendation, said this about the safety of taking Melatonin: "The scarcity of evidence from long-term RCTs, however, limits the conclusions regarding the safety of continuous melatonin therapy over extended periods. There are insufficient robust data to allow a meaningful appraisal of concerns that melatonin may result in more clinically significant adverse effects in potentially at-risk populations.

The side effects that some people report when they take melatonin are:

• Headaches This is the most common one, with some reporting migraine

• Dizziness

• Nausea

• Next Day Drowsiness

So, There Are All The Reasons I Don't Take Melatonin

I do enjoy Magnesium, which is nice and helpful for many things, one being relaxation.  I also take a Quercitin from time to time.  I've tried many natural sleep helpers like lavendar and homeopathics, but the best helper for me was resetting my circadian rhythm and getting on good sleep schedule and going to bed when the Sleep Gate opened.

I hope this has been helpful and I would love if all you good sleepers share your secrets in the comments.

Be Well!

August