Overview
Melatonin is a natural hormone, which is produced and secreted by the pineal gland. Melatonin plays an important role in the regulation of many hormones in the body. Among its key roles, melatonin controls the body's circadian rhythm, an internal 24-hour time-keeping system that controls when we fall asleep and when we wake up.
Melatonin is also a very powerful antioxidant. In one study, melatonin was 60 times more effective than Vitamin C or water-soluble Vitamin E in protecting DNA from damage. Preliminary evidence suggests that it may help strengthen the immune system.
There are numerous claims and theories concerning all the things that melatonin may do and as a result it has become one of the popular life extension and life enhancing supplements that are currently available on the market today.
Uses
The most accepted function of Melatonin is it role in sleep regulation. Melatonin supplements help induce sleep in people with disrupted circadian rhythms. Melatonin is significantly more effective in decreasing the amount of time required to fall asleep, increasing the number of sleeping hours, and boosting daytime alertness.
Melatonin is purported to be one of those miracle substances that has a hand in everything. This may be due to the fact that during the height of the antioxidant craze, Melatonin was found to be a more powerful and more universal antioxidant than both vitamin C and vitamin E. Whatever the reason, Melatonin ostensibly plays a role in numerous health conditions.
Here is a partial list:
Since a lot of evidence for many of these claims is rather light and since I am not trying to sell you melatonin supplements, I am going to focus only on its role in sleep enhancement.
Insomnia
As many parents realize, drugs like Ritalin are not without side effects. One of the major complaints that parents have is that their children who take Ritalin can't fall asleep at night. Many parents report that their children, who may be only five or six years old, are wide awake until 11 pm or later.
Melatonin may be able to help these children. Since it is the primary chemical in the body that helps to induce sleep, children who suffer from insomnia often find that Melatonin restores their normal sleep cycle and helps them to be more awake and alert during the day.
How to Take It
There are currently no guidelines as to how to take Melatonin. Sensitivity to Melatonin is an individual thing and doses that are ineffective in one person may be too much for someone else.
The best approach for any condition is to begin with very low doses and slowly add more until you get the effect that you are seeking.
In children, it is best to start with a dose of about 0.3 mg/day or less. Although current research suggests that even doses as high as 10 mg are perfectly safe, it is best to proceed with caution.
In adults, 3 mg is usually a safe starting dose and you can increase it or decrease it as you see fit.
Availability
Melatonin is readily available in most health food stores in the United States and it is very cheap. In Europe it is a controlled substance. Most Europeans who wish to use Melatonin find it cheaper and easier to have it shipped from the US.
Adverse Effects
Melatonin is one of the least toxic substances known. In one extensive clinical trial, a high dose of 75 milligrams of melatonin per day was given to 1400 women in the Netherlands for up to four years with no ill effects.
The only consistent side effect of high doses has been drowsiness and a slower reaction time.
Other common complaints include:
These side effects were in healthy people. We also don't know how melatonin may affect people suffering from disease.
Possible Drug Interactions
Melatonin may interact or interfere with other drugs.
These include:
If your child is taking any of these things, you should consult with his doctor before giving Melatonin.
Also, caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol can all diminish levels of melatonin in the body while cocaine and amphetamines may increase melatonin production.
Conclusion
Often children with ADHD have a great deal of difficulty falling asleep. This can be due to the medications that they are taking or just be one component in the spectrum of their problems. When used properly, melatonin may be a safe and effective way to handle sleep problems in ADHD children.
Anthony Kane, MD
ADD ADHD Advances
http://addadhdadvances.com
Attention Publishers: This article is available for your website or ezine. For an ezine, send an email to: melatonin@addadhdadvances.com. For a website send an email to: melatoninhtml@addadhdadvances.com
Anthony Kane, MD is a physician and international lecturer. Get ADD ADHD Child Behavior and Treatment Help for your ADHD child, including child behavior advice, information on the latest ADD ADHD medication help, and help with Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Sign up for the free ADD ADHD Advances online journal. Send an email to subscribe@addadhdadvances.com
At the urging of the Food and Drug Administration, the... Read More
How Does Online Pharmacies Affect Pharmacy Leaders?With cheaper drugs made... Read More
What is a coronary heart attack?Are you at the risk... Read More
Zyprexa is a prescription drug that treats schizophrenia, acute mania... Read More
Since early 2004, it has become more apparent every day... Read More
Healthcare professionals are under pressure to remember, utilize and absorb... Read More
I stumbled across TMJ when I needed treat a literal... Read More
There is a huge concern in the medical industry that... Read More
How does a mind contemplate itself? That's a philosophical question... Read More
No person likes to feel housebound and dependent on others.... Read More
Thalidomide is responsible for causing more than 10,000 children to... Read More
We have a marvelous array of medical tests available to... Read More
As an ADD coach I am often asked about the... Read More
Lunesta is a newly released sleeping pill. Marketed as a... Read More
At one moment, a life of activity consumed with enjoyable... Read More
Hi Rusty. A few days ago, I slightly injured a... Read More
"As an arthritis specialist, one area that I see people... Read More
Intravenous Chelation was the most common practice until a few... Read More
If you take a simple stroll down the foot product... Read More
Myth #1: "Nothing can be done about arthritis..."You don't have... Read More
We've all seen patients who were far beyond the reach... Read More
As a physician specializing in psychiatry, I know that many... Read More
The word Antibiotic is constructed from Greek words anti, which... Read More
The U.S. government's annual bill for healthcare spending ? $3,925... Read More
Today there are about 70 million Americans with arthritis?that's one... Read More
Most writers suffer from a lack of discipline. The urge... Read More
We all know that there's no such thing as cheap... Read More
When was the last time you enjoyed a good night's... Read More
Just about all health care providers have need of stethoscopes.... Read More
There are many different causes of heel pain, but the... Read More
Tea tree oil is the essential oil comes from the... Read More
Clinton's recent quadruple bypass surgery has been largely debated. Being... Read More
Americans are on the go. According to a NSGA Survey,... Read More
Before a child can be appropriately diagnosed with cerebral palsy,... Read More
There has never been a better opportunity for chiropractic medicine?and... Read More
What's Insomnia?Identifying insomnia is a little like the old joke... Read More
Sinusitis and Sinus Infection Starts with a Little SniffleYes, I... Read More
As Pres. Bush was touring the Midwest, shortly before he... Read More
"The more we do to you, the less you seem... Read More
Myth #1: "Nothing can be done about arthritis..."You don't have... Read More
We have all talked a lot about the problems in... Read More
What is a coronary heart attack?Are you at the risk... Read More
Anxiety is the most frequently occurring mental health disorder in... Read More
Hypnotherapy is one of the best known and most widely... Read More
Looking for the best doctor to suite your medical needs... Read More
The U.S. government's annual bill for healthcare spending ? $3,925... Read More
The recent removal of several high profile and popular prescription... Read More
How To Buy Your Way Out Of An Early Death... Read More
The market for painkillers is huge. People don't like pain... Read More
With the recent front-page news about the possible hazards of... Read More
Peptic ulcers, which are in the stomach and the duodenum... Read More
As computers, Internet and technology have become increasingly more available... Read More
Today in the United States, there are hundreds of thousands... Read More
Q. Why is there so may uninsured people in America?A.... Read More
Don't laugh. Both get a lot of coverage in the... Read More
Paxil went on the market in 1992 at the height... Read More
Australian scientists say they have identified a toxin which plays... Read More
If you take a simple stroll down the foot product... Read More
Cold-Eeze is a homeopathic solution to the common cold. It... Read More
Throughout time there have always been two opposing points of... Read More
When a health care professional uses lab coats it conveys... Read More
Even in clinical trials, Lotronex displayed a tendency towards causing... Read More
Many researchers believe that addiction is a behavior that can... Read More
Risperdal is an atypical anti-psychotic drug that balances the levels... Read More
When was the last time you enjoyed a good night's... Read More
With more medical advantages, an adjustable bed finds more functions... Read More
Medicine |