Not sleeping enough and not sleeping well has become a "common problem" of contemporary people. Data shows that the incidence of insomnia in Chinese adults is as high as 38.2%.
Melatonin, as a naturally occurring substance in the human body, has its own aura of "health hypnosis", and related products are even regarded as "sleep aids for the old and young".
"Life Times" invited experts to interpret the true effect of melatonin and list the applicable population.
Experts interviewed
Jiang Yuli, chief pharmacist of Jiangsu Provincial People's Hospital
Zhang Shihong, chief pharmacist of the Medical Department of Dalian Central Hospital
Shi Ming, deputy director of Shanghai TCM Insomnia Medical Collaboration Center
A lot of people are abusing melatonin
As long as you search for the word "insomnia" on social platforms, there are "experience posts" recommending melatonin. On major online shopping platforms, some big brands of melatonin health products sell more than 10,000 orders per month.
A reporter from "Life Times" visited offline pharmacies and found that melatonin, as a "best-selling category", is usually placed in a conspicuous position in the store.
Different pharmacies have different main brands, and the product forms include gummies, tablets, capsules, etc. Staff at several pharmacies said that melatonin is a mature product, "similar to a vitamin." A staff member at one of the pharmacies said: "Melatonin is a 'healthy' product, which is safe and has no side effects, and children can also take it." ”
Melatonin abuse is widespread, and it is not only used by adults. A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics, after interviewing about 1,000 American parents, found that nearly 1/5 of the children took melatonin before bed for nearly 30 days.
Melatonin products are an exogenous hormone, and long-term supplementation may lead to several conditions:
Aggravated Sleep Loss Symptoms
Long-term use will lead to a decrease in the body's melatonin secretion, which will lead to dependence, causing sleep disorders and aggravating insomnia symptoms.
It brings a burden on the liver and kidneys
Excessive use of melatonin will increase the burden on the liver and kidneys, and adverse reactions such as headaches, gastrointestinal reactions, depression, anxiety, and mental symptoms may occur.
Reduced fertility
Long-term use of large amounts can cause hypothermia, release too much lactation hormone, lead to infertility, and reduce male physiological desire.
Affects mental state
Exogenous melatonin can cause mental disability, distraction, decreased reaction speed and sensitivity, daytime sleepiness, headaches, dizziness, etc., and may also affect other hormones and worsen anxiety and depression.
Interfere with the efficacy of other drugs
Melatonin is not recommended for long-term aspirin users, as drug interactions can occur between them and affect their efficacy. People with blood clotting disorders, depression, epilepsy, etc., are especially not recommended to take melatonin.
Melatonin is suitable for two groups of people
Melatonin is a hormone synthesized by the pineal gland of the brain known as the "night hormone." As an endogenous hormone, its main function is to remind people that it's time to sleep.
- The secretion of melatonin has a circadian rhythm, and the concentration at night is 3~10 times higher than that during the day. Generally, melatonin is secreted at 9~10 o'clock in the evening, peaks at 2~4 o'clock in the morning, and gradually decreases at 7~9 o'clock the next morning.
- Age will also affect its secretion, after the age of 35, the secretion of melatonin will decrease significantly, on average every 10 years will be reduced by 10%~15%. The decline in melatonin is more pronounced in older patients with sleep disorders.
- Jet lag can also affect melatonin secretion when traveling for business.
Since the advent of exogenous melatonin in 1950, it has set off a global boom and only entered the domestic market in the eighties and nineties of the last century.
There are two groups of people who are candidates for melatonin:
☑ Jet lag and shift shifts, such as flight attendants, cross-time zone travelers, three-shift staff, etc., can not only alleviate jet lag, but also play a role in synchronizing sleep rhythms.
☑ In the elderly, as the pineal gland of the brain gradually shrinks until calcification, and the secretion of melatonin decreases, moderate supplementation can improve sleep.
Temporary or short-term use of melatonin, such as taking 2 mg at bedtime for 1~2 months, once a day, is usually safe, but overdose or long-term use is abuse.
How to ensure the secretion of melatonin in the human body
Melatonin products belong to health care products in mainland China, and the recommended dosage is 1~3 mg per day. Globally, a few countries such as the United States regard it as a health food, while most countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and France are cautious and strictly control it as a prescription drug.
Experts recommend treating melatonin as usual with other sleeping drugs and using it as directed.
People with insomnia often fall into two misconceptions:
One is to try to solve it on your own, and only see a doctor when you are desperate, but nearly 90 kinds of diseases are related to long-term insomnia, and once insomnia occurs, you need to seek professional help as soon as possible.
The second is that it is impossible to distinguish between insomnia and insomnia, and it is usually diagnosed as insomnia only if it occurs 2~3 times a week and lasts for more than a month.
People with mild insomnia symptoms can start with physical therapy, such as improving sleep Xi and creating a comfortable sleeping environment. People with severe symptoms can be treated with a combination of physical, psychological and pharmacological regimens.
If you want to ensure the normal secretion of melatonin in your body, it is recommended to do the following:
- Replace the bedroom curtains with blackout curtains;
- Avoid smoking before going to bed, and do not drink strong tea, coffee, alcohol and other high-caffeinated beverages;
- Don't eat on an empty stomach or in large quantities, and don't eat too greasy or difficult to digest;
- Don't do a lot of exercise 2 hours before going to bed, you can do proper relaxation, such as soaking your feet in hot water, listening to sleep music, etc., to establish a good sleep state for yourself;
- Try not to touch your phone and computer half an hour before going to bed;
- During sleep, try to turn off the bedroom light source and wear an eye mask to sleep. ▲
The author of this article: Life Times reporter Shi Jie Editor: Wang Xiaoqing
Copyright Notice: This article is the original of "Life Times" and is not reproduced without authorization.