A sleep therapist discusses melatonin and Sleep
Insights from a Sleep Therapist in Austin
Plenty of folks who can’t sleep turn to melatonin. Most people think of it as a sleep aid but they generally don’t find it effective for insomnia. An Austin sleep therapist break it down.
A significant number of clients who come to me for sleep issues are either currently using melatonin or have tried it in the past. It’s easily available anywhere health products are sold and is generally thought of as a sleep aid.
We all have endogenous melatonin.
Melatonin is a hormone produced by your pineal gland at night. It regulates your sleep-wake cycle. As soon as it starts to get dark outside, your pineal gland increases production of melatonin. This communicates to another part of your brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus that sleep time is coming soon. You will typically fall asleep about two hours following this increase in melatonin. The level of melatonin remains high throughout the night and will drop off about an hour after you wake up.
Most people use supplemental melatonin as a hypnotic meaning they take it to “knock them out”. Hypnotics include medications like Ambien and Lunesta.
Melatonin, however, is not a hypnotic. It’s a chronobiotic which means it can regulate or shift circadian rhythms. Click here for more information about your circadian rhythm.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has released an advisory for use of melatonin in pediatric patients. Click here for more information.
It’s good to know that the FDA considers melatonin a dietary supplement.
This means it isn’t regulated like a pharmaceutical and quality and accuracy of dose varies widely. You can look for a mark that says “USP verified” to know if what you are buying meets the standard for the US Pharmacopeial Convention. Always ask your doctor before adding melatonin to your medication regimen as it’s not recommended for everybody and can interact with other medications.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine does not recommend melatonin for insomnia.
Melatonin is recommended for disorders in which timing is the main issue. A sleep therapist in Austin can tease out whether you have insomnia or a circadian rhythm issue.
Melatonin is useful for sleep disorders in which timing is the primary problem. Sometimes timing is an issue in insomnia but it can usually be rectified by stabilizing the sleep schedule. Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder looks an awful lot like insomnia, though, so it’s worth being evaluated by someone knowledgeable about sleep disorders.
So what is melatonin useful for? Here’s a few conditions for which the American Academy of Sleep Medicine has recommended melatonin.
REM Sleep Behavior Disorder
Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder
Non 24-hour Sleep-Wake Disorder
Shift Work Disorder
Jet Lag Disorder
The first line and gold standard treatment for insomnia is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I.) Click here to learn more about CBT-I and here to schedule a consultation with a sleep therapist in Austin who can offer CBT-I and more.