Melatonin, The Sleep Hormone

Melatonin is a hormone produced by the body to control sleep cycles. This hormone is produced in the pineal gland (located in the brain) and reaches its peak production during the night, which induces a person to sleep.

Other functions of melatonin include maintaining the health of cells and regulate the regeneration of tissues that suffer some wear, control bad mood and reduce fatigue.

When melatonin decreases (effect may be caused by atrophy of the gland production, the effects of age or because of other diseases), certain biological changes occurring in the body. For this reason, scholars often turn to melatonin replacement therapy to alleviate the effects. Melatonin replacement can be very effective in combating sexual dysfunction, the effects of aging and above all, regular sleep disorders and control. The hormone replacement therapy melatonin is generally safe and does not create dependency to the drug. Melatonin administration produces a natural sleep and progressive. Also do not cause headaches the day after consumption. Melatonin is ideal for those who can not fall asleep easily and tend to toss and turn. Contrary to what occurs with other drugs used for sleep, melatonin does not inhibit dreaming.

There are ways and ways to treat insomnia. Depending on the degree of suffering from insomnia that could assess the need for combined treatment of medication and other therapeutic measures. Generally, the doctor will discuss with the patient to understand what situations can be the cause of insomnia. If this were not enough, it could recommend sessions with a psychoanalyst, indicate alternative therapies to achieve greater relaxation, or, in more severe cases, carry out pharmacological treatment of sleeping pills. Do not forget that insomnia is a result of bad habits to be modified. Sleeping pills should be taken only under medical prescription.

In general, doctors do not recommend the use of sleeping pills more than a few days, since they can have side effects. Therefore, the main objective usually develop the ability to sleep without the aid of pills. In addition, sleeping pills can habituate a person to use, losing its effectiveness after a while.

Hormone replacement therapy melatonin should be prescribed by a doctor. In normal health, a person can eat between 1 and 3 mg of melatonin dosage, which must be provided one hour before bedtime. For the dose is appropriate, the person who ingested melatonin should not have trouble waking in the morning, or trouble sleeping at night.

Who should avoid taking melatonin?

  • Pregnant women
  • Allergy
  • Autoimmune patients
  • Patients with some types of cancer (lymphoma, leukemia, etc.)
  • Children
  • Women who are considering having a child soon (the hormone may act as a contraceptive).

One of the best ways to prevent insomnia is to realize what are the stressors that occur throughout the day and try to avoid them.  Metformin itself may not cause sleep problems, but many conditions related to its use can trigger them because diabetics are prone to disorders like sleep apnea, obesity and insomnia as side effects of metformin. Hormonal conditions and peripheral neuropathy, with its nerve pain, also affects the ability to fall into restful sleep. To improve insomnia, Is also often helpful to keep a healthy diet and physical activity outdoors.


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