Should I take melatonin for my insomnia?

Melatonin is a hormone which is secreted by the pineal gland in the brain that has a medium sleepiness inducing effect. This is the reason why people think that melatonin should be taken every time a person's sleep cycle changes. However, it can not be used in all insomnia cases and a person should never use it unless it was recommended by the doctor first. There is still no strong verdict on whether melatonin is perfectly safe to take and that includes the taking of it for a long period of time.

Circadian rhythms

Circadian rhythm is a normal daily cycle a person's body goes through every day. The time of the day will make the hormones rise or fall and that is something that happens every day. The kidneys will create more urine during the day than they will during the night. The body temperature also changes during the day. It falls before a person goes to sleep, for instance. There are people who believe that through the intake of melatonin they will be able to keep a normal sleep cycle. However, some studies have shown that melatonin does not control the sleep but it is merely one of the factors why sleep during the night appears deeper, more refreshing and restful.

Melatonin for insomnia caused by circadian rhythm disorders

Lots of people have had their sleep cycles disrupted. They feel the need for sleep during the day and cannot do so during the night. Jet lag is a good example of such problem. A person's body is in one time zone while the place where he or she is at is in another time zone. The melatonin production will resume according to the schedule. When a person experiences a jet lag it is ok for him or her to take melatonin. It proved to be very efficient.

People who will also find it useful to take melatonin are people working night shifts. The biological clock of these people is not working properly at all. There are two reasons for this. The first problem is that they are awake when it is night and go to sleep during the day. The other reason is when they get a few days off and try to get back to the normal sleeping time. Because they change the hours of sleep all the time, their biological clock is messed up. Melatonin helps these people.

Even though there is still more research to be done, melatonin does help people when their sleep cycles change. However, a person should never use it without the doctor's supervision.