BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - You may have had trouble sleeping and have resorted to taking melatonin to get some z’s. A new study finds some of you may be using it at dangerously high levels.
Summer vacation allows our kids to catch up on sleep and reset. This comes after a school year of late nights, studying, projects, and exams. Many have leaned on melatonin to get extra sleep. Monkfruit Extract Powder
“Like any supplement we take, we have to be careful about how much you’re using,” said Ochsner Family Medicine Dr. Rachael Kermis.
A study by the medical journal JAMA shows that by 2018 Americans were taking more than twice the amount of melatonin than a decade earlier. Dr. Kermis said you should be mindful when using it. It’s not regulated by the FDA, so it’s unsure how much is in each capsule. If you take too much, she said you can feel the side effects.
Melatonin has been linked to headaches, dizziness, nausea, stomach cramps, drowsiness, and confusion.
“I think people think it’s going to be this magical cure-all and they keep increasing the dose and increasing the dose,” said Dr. Kermis. “If 5 mg doesn’t work, they’ll go to 10, they’ll go to 20, and we really don’t want to have people using doses over 5, sometimes 10 mg.”
That’s why she also emphasized good sleep hygiene.
“You want to make sure we’re not using our electronics before bed because that blue light can mess up that circadian rhythm,” she said.
Experts suggest not exercising right before bed as it could lead to a surge of adrenaline. Also, watch the caffeine.
The question many parents have: should you give your child melatonin?
“I think within reason, yes, but I always recommend talking to your doc beforehand, just because it might interfere with other medications,” said Dr. Kermis. “I recommend it mainly for people with shift work or people who have problems with jet lag.”
And if you’re still unsure about taking it, ask your doctor.
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