What’s Really Happening to Your Body When Taking Melatonin

Photo Courtesy of Rite Aid

Photo Courtesy of Rite Aid

Lexus Petralia

Do you stay up at night restless struggling to fall asleep? A solution to that problem is taking Melatonin before bed. 

Melatonin is a hormone in your body that plays a role in your natural sleep-wake cycle. It comes in many different forms including:

  • Gummies
  • Pills 
  • Liquid drops
  • Dissolvable tablets

When you take Melatonin it adds to your body’s natural hormone to help you fall asleep easier and improve your sleep quality. A Melatonin pill can take anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours to kick in.

“A circadian rhythm, or circadian cycle, is a natural, internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours.” Your circadian rhythm is an internal clock that runs constantly and cycles through alertness and sleepiness. Melatonin helps improve any disorders in the circadian rhythm for adults and children.

Along with the benefits of taking Melatonin, there’s a chance of having some side effects. There are no major concerns, but always a chance of general effects like:

  • Dizziness
  • Headaches
  • Nausea 
  • Drowsiness 
  • Agitation

Melatonin comes with the possibility of some other uncommon side effects that are unlikely to happen. These could be short lasting feelings of depression, abdominal cramps, mid tremor, irritability, reduced alertness, mild anxiety, confusion, or disorientation.

There have been concerns that continuously taking Melatonin may reduce how much your body naturally produces. There hasn’t been any short term studies of this happening. It is safe to consume in short terms even with high dosages, but some minor safety precautions should be taken for the long term. 

Melatonin is proven to be safe for people to take and comes with very little side effects. If you are having trouble sleeping, Melatonin is a good safe hormone to take for assistance