In recent years, "melatonin" has become the new favorite among health foods. Now, a study in the American Journal of Medicine found that more and more adults are taking melatonin to help them fall asleep, and the amount of use has tripled in just ten years. Wang Mingyuan, deputy spokesperson of the National Federation of Pharmacists Association and pharmacist of Yuzhi Pharmacy, said frankly: "Clinical observations over the past 20 years have shown that at least 30% to 40% more people have sleep disorders. It is true that the demand for drugs and melatonin is gradually increasing."
Melatonin and sleeping pills have completely different mechanisms!
Research points out that since 2006, the amount of melatonin taken by adults has increased significantly, far exceeding the daily dose of 5 mg for short-term treatment. Although melatonin was considered safe in the past, adverse reactions have gradually been reported. There is currently little clinical evidence as to whether it is suitable for long-term use and high doses.
Melatonin is a hormone naturally secreted by the human body. It must be secreted in the dark. In normal people, the amount of melatonin will reach its peak in the middle of the night, and then the concentration will begin to decrease. However, if you do not sleep when you should sleep, the light from 3C products will inhibit the secretion of melatonin, disrupting the biological clock and causing insomnia. Therefore, many people want to supplement melatonin to help them sleep.
What is the difference between melatonin and sleeping pills? Wang Mingyuan explained: "Sleeping pills are an external chemical substance that is taken to force the central nervous system to produce sleep. In fact, melatonin and sleeping pills have completely different mechanisms."
Be careful when ordering melatonin from abroad. The dosage is too high.
If you order melatonin from abroad, you should be very careful. If you really want to take it, a daily supplement of 2-3 mg of melatonin is enough. Not everyone can take melatonin, especially the following groups should pay special attention to: Groups under 18 years old: Not recommended because there is insufficient data on safety and effectiveness. Elderly groups: Especially not suitable for patients with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Groups with liver and kidney dysfunction
Melatonin is more effective for young people! Be careful about the side effects
In addition, the demand for melatonin has increased significantly in recent years. One of the main reasons is that some people feel that they have taken sleeping pills for too long and have developed dependence. They want to stop taking the medicine and use melatonin to gradually replace the function of sleeping pills in the future.
For this group of people, Wang Mingyuan said: "The process of drug switching is gradual, and it also needs to be replaced slowly after a doctor's evaluation. You may change from taking sleeping pills for seven days to sleeping pills for five days and melatonin for two days, and slowly make a drug change."
It is worth noting that although melatonin is safe, it still has some side effects. Common adverse reactions include: dizziness (4%) nausea (3%) fatigue (3%) Worsening of insomnia (3%) Somnolence (3%)
Whether people want to use melatonin to help improve sleep quality, or to replace the effect of sleeping pills, be sure not to overuse it! It is recommended that a doctor's evaluation be conducted to find out the main cause of the sleep disorder in order to truly improve the insomnia problem.
