Melatonin is good for you

[Castor Muscular]

A friend of mine is a microbiologist.  His research determined that Melatonin has a lot of benefits besides just helping adjust your sleep cycle.  He takes 40mg per night.  I started taking 40mg per night a few weeks ago, and I must admit, I sleep better and I feel better during the days.  Just an FYI, because conventional wisdom is that 3mg is all you need and anything beyond that is wasted. 

 

[Juan2manybeers]

A friend of mine is a microbiologist.  His research determined that Melatonin has a lot of benefits besides just helping adjust your sleep cycle.  He takes 40mg per night.  I started taking 40mg per night a few weeks ago, and I must admit, I sleep better and I feel better during the days.  Just an FYI, because conventional wisdom is that 3mg is all you need and anything beyond that is wasted.

Maybe, but its also a hormone that the body produces naturally... Unless you have chronic insomnia why not just go to bed at the same time every night so your body knows when to release it?

 

[Izdaari]

A friend of mine is a microbiologist.  His research determined that Melatonin has a lot of benefits besides just helping adjust your sleep cycle.  He takes 40mg per night.  I started taking 40mg per night a few weeks ago, and I must admit, I sleep better and I feel better during the days.  Just an FYI, because conventional wisdom is that 3mg is all you need and anything beyond that is wasted.

Maybe, but its also a hormone that the body produces naturally... Unless you have chronic insomnia why not just go to bed at the same time every night so your body knows when to release it?

Good thought, but some of us have work schedules that make that impossible.

 

[Castor Muscular]

High doses of melatonin has benefits other than helping you sleep.  I can't remember them all, though.  Supposedly it helps you lose weight, among other things. 

 

[Izdaari]

I use melatonin, but just the 3mcg size. I'll check into that.

 

[Castor Muscular]

Next time I see my friend I'll ask him to remind me of the details.  He researched it as part of his job, including animal testing.  He makes his on 30mg melatonin supplements (among other supplements), but doesn't sell them. 

 

[Castor Muscular]

I use melatonin, but just the 3mcg size. I'll check into that.

I used to take 3mg but it didn't do anything for me.  In fact, it made me sleepy in the mornings.  Why 30-40mg makes me more alert is a mystery, but it works.  Maybe it's just the quality of his custom-made supplement. 

 

[HeDied4U]

A friend of mine is a microbiologist.  His research determined that Melatonin has a lot of benefits besides just helping adjust your sleep cycle.  He takes 40mg per night.  I started taking 40mg per night a few weeks ago, and I must admit, I sleep better and I feel better during the days.  Just an FYI, because conventional wisdom is that 3mg is all you need and anything beyond that is wasted.

Maybe, but its also a hormone that the body produces naturally... Unless you have chronic insomnia why not just go to bed at the same time every night so your body knows when to release it?

Good thought, but some of us have work schedules that make that impossible.

Ain't that the truth! Working various shifts throughout the week can really make it hard to get to bed the same time each night.

 

[Vandal]

As someone that works overnight's (11pm-7am) melatonin works wonders. I take a 3mg pill most days and sleep all day. When I don't my sleep is restless.

I had read somewhere that Melatonin helps with weight loss. I haven't seen it on me yet...

 

[Castor Muscular]

As someone that works overnight's (11pm-7am) melatonin works wonders. I take a 3mg pill most days and sleep all day. When I don't my sleep is restless.

I had read somewhere that Melatonin helps with weight loss. I haven't seen it on me yet...

You'd need a higher dose, my friend tells me.  I'm dieting now, so I won't know if the melatonin is helping or I'm just doing a good job at dieting.

 

[Juan2manybeers]

yeah... i'd just be wary about taking any hormone tbh. the body only produces between 5-25 micro grams. that's way less than whats in the pills. It's possible that there's a reason your body only produces so little. Also to those who can't sleep without melatonin, taking artificial hormones suppresses your bodies ability to make the hormone naturally. this is why bodybuilders undergo post cycle therapy after taking testosterone.

just my $.02 though

 

[Castor Muscular]

yeah... i'd just be wary about taking any hormone tbh. the body only produces between 5-25 micro grams. that's way less than whats in the pills. It's possible that there's a reason your body only produces so little. Also to those who can't sleep without melatonin, taking artificial hormones suppresses your bodies ability to make the hormone naturally. this is why bodybuilders undergo post cycle therapy after taking testosterone.

just my $.02 though

Whatever.  My former piano teacher has been taking high doses of melatonin for at least 15 years.  He seems to be doing fine and he's got to be pushing 70-80.  According to his daughter, some of his hair color has even returned.  I don't get the connection, since that's melanin not melatonin, but that's the story. 

taking artificial hormones suppresses your bodies ability to make the hormone naturally

Now that's true.  If I'm ever stranded on a deserted island with no access to a vitamin store, I'll be in a real pickle.

 

[Castor Muscular]

yeah... i'd just be wary about taking any hormone tbh. the body only produces between 5-25 micro grams. that's way less than whats in the pills. It's possible that there's a reason your body only produces so little. Also to those who can't sleep without melatonin, taking artificial hormones suppresses your bodies ability to make the hormone naturally. this is why bodybuilders undergo post cycle therapy after taking testosterone.

just my $.02 though

aloha juan-demasiadas cervezas ... cómo son las cosas en su isla?...... outstanding answer..... i wrote 2 posts in this thread the other day saying something along those same lines.. and discussing the LD50 principle of setting dosages for drugs and medications... but then i deleted it this morning...  :-\ ..... but you are absolutely correct....  just because a small amount of something is good for the body it doesn;t automatically translate into meaning a whole lot of that same thing is good for you.... many drugs and compounds have a therapeutic effect in one dose but a very contrary and opposite effect in a higher dose... and every drug or substance no matter how good it is at lower dosages becomes toxic and even fatal at some point....and just because one person might tolerate self experimentation with a higher dose of something doesn;t mean someone else will..... venturing outside the officially recommended dosages of medication and supplements.. without medical oversight... is dangerous.... regardless of who says it might be ok.....

and btw castor.... juan is absolutely right.... i wouldn;t do anything outside the officially reccomended usage of any supplement without a doctors approval first... nor would i ever recommend such a thing for someone else even if my own doctor approved it for me.... each individual is different....... 

Thank you for your concern.  I told my doctor last week (Tuesday) I was taking the melatonin.  He didn't say anything bad about it.  In fact, he even finished my sentence for me.  "I was having trouble sleeping until I started taking 30mg pills of..." "melatonin, yeah". 

EDIT: Yeah, he's aware of ALL the medications I'm taking.

 

[Castor Muscular]

well... ok... you didn;t say that about having a doctor approve it in the op... you said you had a friend who is a microbiologist.... but still.... what juan2muchcervesa said is still correct.... when you begin taking higher dosages of any naturally occuring substance in the body your body will curtail or even stop it;s own production of the same..... so eventually you will require an even higher dose of melatonin and might even become dependant on it....... and then you will be like me....  .... just dependent on different things....  ;D

We desperately need to make sure we're never stranded on a deserted island without access to our vitamins/meds...

One more thing - my blood test showed that I'm low on potassium, and my diabetes is worse.  He told me to stop taking HCTZ and come back this coming Tuesday.  He didn't say a word about melatonin. 

 

[Juan2manybeers]

yeah... i'd just be wary about taking any hormone tbh. the body only produces between 5-25 micro grams. that's way less than whats in the pills. It's possible that there's a reason your body only produces so little. Also to those who can't sleep without melatonin, taking artificial hormones suppresses your bodies ability to make the hormone naturally. this is why bodybuilders undergo post cycle therapy after taking testosterone.

just my $.02 though

Whatever.  My former piano teacher has been taking high doses of melatonin for at least 15 years.  He seems to be doing fine and he's got to be pushing 70-80.  According to his daughter, some of his hair color has even returned.  I don't get the connection, since that's melanin not melatonin, but that's the story. 

taking artificial hormones suppresses your bodies ability to make the hormone naturally

Now that's true.  If I'm ever stranded on a deserted island with no access to a vitamin store, I'll be in a real pickle.

I lol'd.  Hey, if you understand the risks and don't mind paying for a  solid night's sleep than I say go for it. Personally, my dopamine receptors are almost totally fried and I don't really wanna risk the same happening to my melatonin receptors.

 

[Castor Muscular]

look at all the body builders from the 80s and 90s that died too young.... and then look at what they died of..... ..... pretty scary....

They died from making macho action films?  Oh, wait, Arnold was 60's and 70's.