5 ms·

Melatonin: Much More Than You Wanted to Know

41 points by lainon 8y ago

robbyt 8y ago
One bit that's missing from the article is a warning about taking it too often, or at too high of dose. It does recommend taking only .3mg, but it doesn't warn you how "hungover" you will feel if you take too much. I tried a 5mg pill once, and felt really awful the next day. Just like any drug, start with small doses. I've also read how it's possible to develop a dependency if you take it too often. Your body becomes used to the supplement, and natural production is reduced.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
Gatsky 8y ago
Agree re jet lag, works really well. Interesting that the ‘correct’ dose is so low (0.3mg)
ValentineC 8y ago
I like gwern's analysis on melatonin: https://www.gwern.net/Melatonin https://www.gwern.net/Melatonin
- floatingatoll 8y ago
  What do you like about it?
kup0 8y ago
I haven't had a need to take Melatonin in a long time, but the last time I took a small dose (fraction of a 1mg gummy), 30 minutes later I got really cold and then could not keep my eyes open, it basically knocked me out. It was very uncomfortable (especially the feeling that I couldn't fight to stay awake) but it worked. Scared me off of the stuff for good. Thankfully, over time I've gotten to where I don't have sleep issues anymore other than those I self-inflict (late nights). I still wonder if somehow I really psyched myself into a placebo effect or something, because I rarely hear of this happening when people take it. MIT has done some studies that show smaller doses are in-fact just as (or more) effective than larger ones: http://news.mit.edu/1999/melatonin-1103 http://news.mit.edu/1999/melatonin-1103 And studies mentioned in this article seem to agree with that conclusion (0.3mg being an optimal dose)
pdfernhout 8y ago
Sleep: Much More Than You Wanted to Know (in a good way): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34466963-why-we-sleep https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34466963-why-we-sleep That Sleep book by Matthew Walker has a good explanation of how sleep-related hormones (including melatonin) and such work -- and how to get better and longer sleep. More seriously though, the melatonin article was useful to me as we decided we were using melatonin incorrectly with our dog to reduce early morning barking (too high a dose even though it was what it the bottle advised, too early) -- and so we stopped giving it to her entirely.

41 points by lainon 8y ago

One bit that's missing from the article is a warning about taking it too often, or at too high of dose. It does recommend taking only .3mg, but it doesn't warn you how "hungover" you will feel if you take too much. I tried a 5mg pill once, and felt really awful the next day. Just like any drug, start with small doses. I've also read how it's possible to develop a dependency if you take it too often. Your body becomes used to the supplement, and natural production is reduced.

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]

Gatsky 8y ago

Agree re jet lag, works really well. Interesting that the ‘correct’ dose is so low (0.3mg)

ValentineC 8y ago

I like gwern's analysis on melatonin: https://www.gwern.net/Melatonin https://www.gwern.net/Melatonin

floatingatoll 8y ago
What do you like about it?

kup0 8y ago

I haven't had a need to take Melatonin in a long time, but the last time I took a small dose (fraction of a 1mg gummy), 30 minutes later I got really cold and then could not keep my eyes open, it basically knocked me out. It was very uncomfortable (especially the feeling that I couldn't fight to stay awake) but it worked. Scared me off of the stuff for good. Thankfully, over time I've gotten to where I don't have sleep issues anymore other than those I self-inflict (late nights). I still wonder if somehow I really psyched myself into a placebo effect or something, because I rarely hear of this happening when people take it. MIT has done some studies that show smaller doses are in-fact just as (or more) effective than larger ones: http://news.mit.edu/1999/melatonin-1103 http://news.mit.edu/1999/melatonin-1103 And studies mentioned in this article seem to agree with that conclusion (0.3mg being an optimal dose)

pdfernhout 8y ago

Sleep: Much More Than You Wanted to Know (in a good way): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34466963-why-we-sleep https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34466963-why-we-sleep That Sleep book by Matthew Walker has a good explanation of how sleep-related hormones (including melatonin) and such work -- and how to get better and longer sleep. More seriously though, the melatonin article was useful to me as we decided we were using melatonin incorrectly with our dog to reduce early morning barking (too high a dose even though it was what it the bottle advised, too early) -- and so we stopped giving it to her entirely.