Melatonin Make You Sleep Longer

Does Melatonin Make You Sleep Longer

Author: Lauren Smithson

Table of Contents

How Does Melatonin Affect Sleep?

does melatonin make you sleep longer

Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in your brain. It is the hormone that is responsible for regulating our bodyโ€™s sleep cycle and managing our circadian rhythm. Normally, the body usually secretes more melatonin once the sun sets and levels drop when the sun comes up. Your bodyโ€™s internal clock and the amount of daytime sun you get are the basis of how much melatonin your body makes. Many use melatonin supplements as a natural sleep aid to fight against sleep issues like insomnia. According to sleepeducation.org, 30 to 35% have brief symptoms of insomnia, 15 to 20% have a short-term insomnia disorder, which lasts less than three months, and 10% have a chronic insomnia disorder, which occurs at least three times per week for at least three months. Melatonin is a very common over-the-counter medication in the United States but is available by prescription only in places like Europe and Australia. Not only is it used to improve sleep, it can also be used to manage immune function and even our blood pressure. In addition, studies have shown that melatonin can act as an antioxidant, improve eye health, reduce seasonal depression symptoms, and more.

How Long Does Melatonin Take to Work?

does melatonin make you sleep longer

Our bodyโ€™s natural melatonin levels begin to rise as the sun sets, around two hours before we go to bed. Having a consistent bedtime routine can signal the body that it is time to elevate melatonin production in our pineal gland. Melatonin supplements typically begin to kick in between 20 minutes and two hours after ingestion. It is suggested to take one to three milligrams two hours before bedtime. Depending on how your body is affected by melatonin, you may need to do some trial and error when finding how long melatonin takes to work in your body and keep you asleep. There are also two types of melatonin that you can take to help with sleep, regular release and extended release. Regular release are usually the standard pills you can take. Extended-release melatonin, sometimes called slow- or time-release, allows the melatonin to dissolve in your body gradually.

Extended-release melatonin mimics natural melatonin production in your body. For those that have trouble staying asleep during the night, this is particularly helpful in keeping you asleep and helping you fall back asleep. Traditionally, melatonin supplements are taken in pill form, but Calm by Wellness has created a specially formulated sleep blend gummy that is a cocktail of melatonin, vitamin B6, and passiflora extract with the sweet, tropical essence of passionfruit. Purple carrot juice and pectin give these gummies a smooth texture making them the perfect before bed treat that will help you fall asleep a little easier and keep you asleep longer. Gummies take longer to digest than the pills, giving you a smooth, gradual ease into sleep and will keep you asleep longer.

Does Melatonin Help You Stay Asleep?

does melatonin make you sleep longer

Since melatonin is naturally created in the body, using a melatonin supplement is just assisting your body in its natural process. Everybody reacts differently to supplements, so there will be varying results when trying something new. Research does show that melatonin may let people with sleep disorders, such as insomnia, fall asleep faster, better, and stay asleep longer. It may also help you sleep better through the night, but not necessarily longer. There is still ongoing research on melatonin to gain more knowledge of the benefits of this hormone on our sleep cycles and even outside of sleep. But how long does melatonin last in your system? Melatonin typically stays in your system for around four to eight hours. This depends on a few different factors including age, caffeine use, blue light exposure, body mass, tobacco use, and the interaction with other medications.

Age: As you age, your metabolism slows causing the rate in which you can metabolize melatonin to slow. This can cause melatoninโ€™s effects to linger longer in your system.

Caffeine: If you drink a lot of coffee or beverages with high levels of caffeine, the effectiveness of melatonin supplements is dulled.

Blue light exposure: With so much technology in our daily lives, blue light is a big problem. It sends a signal to your brain that it is waking hours and this makes it harder for melatonin to be naturally made within the body.

Body size: Individual height and weight also affect the way the body absorbs melatonin as a supplement.

Tobacco use: Nicotine has been shown to dull the effects of melatonin in the body, making it harder for regular smokers to fall asleep.

Other Medications: Stimulants and blood thinners have been studied to counteract the effectiveness of melatonin.

Benefits of Melatonin

Whether you have insomnia, jet lag, or you work the night shift, melatonin can provide a restful nightโ€™s sleep. But there are some that believe melatonin can provide additional benefits such as reducing seasonal depression, increasing levels of Human Growth Hormone, promoting eye health, and treating GERD.

Can Support Better Sleep

In one study, it was concluded that melatonin decreases sleep onset latency, increases total sleep time, and improves overall sleep quality. Melatonin may also have a role in the treatment of insomnia. Sleep Well Gummies contain 2mg of melatonin, the perfect amount for those just starting out with a melatonin supplement.

Could Reduce Symptoms of Seasonal Depression

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also called seasonal depression, is a common condition that is estimated to affect up to 10% of the population worldwide. This type of depression is related to changes in the seasons and occurs each year around the same time, with symptoms typically appearing in late fall to early winter. Some research indicates that it could be linked to changes in your circadian rhythm caused by seasonal light changes. Low doses of melatonin are often used to decrease symptoms of seasonal depression. Further research is needed to determine the complete role of melatonin supplements with seasonal depression.

May Increase Levels of Human Growth Hormone

Human growth hormone (HGH) is a type of hormone that is vital to growth and cellular regeneration. Higher levels of this important hormone have also been linked to increases in both strength and muscle mass. There have been studies that have found that supplementing melatonin in males may increase the levels of HGH, however, larger-scale studies are needed to understand how melatonin may affect levels of HGH in the general population.

Can Promote Eye Health

Melatonin is high in antioxidants that can help prevent cell damage and keep your eyes healthy. Research has suggested that melatonin could be beneficial in treating conditions like glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration.

May Help Treat GERD

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition caused by the backflow of stomach acid into the esophagus, resulting in symptoms like heartburn, nausea and belching. Melatonin has been shown to block the secretion of stomach acids. It also decreases the production of nitric oxide, a compound that relaxes your lower esophageal sphincter, allowing stomach acid to enter your esophagus. Some research suggests that melatonin may be used to treat heartburn and GERD.

Are Melatonin Gummies Effective?

does melatonin make you sleep longer

The Sleep Well Gummies from Calm by Wellness contain 2mg of melatonin per gummy. This is an ideal dosage for those that are brand new to supplementing melatonin. They also contain vitamin B6 which has a wide array of health benefits such as improving mood, reducing symptoms of depression, promoting brain health, reducing Alzheimerโ€™s risk, treating symptoms of PMS, and preventing anemia. In addition to vitamin B6, Passiflora Extract, this is an herbal supplement used historically in treating anxiety, insomnia, seizures, and hysteria. Passion flower was formerly approved as an over-the-counter sedative and sleep aid in the U.S. for its calming and sleep inducing effects. With powerful sleep aid ingredients, these gummies are the perfect blend that are specially formulated to give you that extra helping hand when trying to achieve a calm, restful nightโ€™s sleep. So why gummies? After ingesting a Sleep Well Gummy, melatonin is absorbed into the bloodstream through the digestive tract and the sedative effects felt after consuming will often be more gradual in onset but last much longer than melatonin supplements that are taken in pill form.

Summary

Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in your brain. It is the hormone that is responsible for regulating our bodyโ€™s sleep cycle and managing our circadian rhythm. Many use melatonin supplements as a natural sleep aid to fight against sleep issues like insomnia. There are some that believe melatonin can provide additional benefits such as reducing seasonal depression, increasing levels of Human Growth Hormone, promoting eye health, and treating GERD.Traditionally, melatonin supplements are taken in pill form, but Calm by Wellness has created a specially formulated sleep blend gummy that is a cocktail of melatonin, vitamin B6, and passiflora extract with the sweet, tropical essence of passionfruit. Purple carrot juice and pectin give these gummies a smooth texture making them the perfect before bed treat that will help you fall asleep a little easier and keep you asleep longer. Gummies take longer to digest than the pills, giving you a smooth, gradual ease into sleep and will keep you asleep longer.

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