Publish Time: 2022-03-14 Origin: Site
Melatonin is a hormone synthesized by the pineal gland using tryptophan. Its most well-known function is to improve sleep. Melatonin secreted by pineal gland shows a strong physiological cycle law, which is related to the alternation of day and night. It secretes less during the day and more at night.
One is people who need jet lag and shift work. Due to the deviation between circadian rhythm and expected sleep and working hours, it is difficult for these people to fall asleep and wake up. The sleep and awakening time can be adjusted by supplementing exogenous melatonin. The other is the middle-aged and elderly. With the increase of age, the pineal gland gradually shrinks until calcification, and the corresponding secretion of melatonin decreases, resulting in the weakening of the rhythm of the biological clock, resulting in less sleep and early awakening. Melatonin supplementation can promote sleep and deepen sleep.
Although melatonin is generally safe, there is not enough research on its safety for children and pregnant women, so it is not recommended for some special groups, such as children and pregnant women. In addition, it should not be used with special diseases such as depression.
For people who simply need to improve their sleep, it is recommended to take melatonin about an hour before going to bed. For people who need jet lag, if they want to take melatonin to prevent jet lag, they should start taking it a few days before departure. It is best to take melatonin about an hour before going to bed at the destination, which will help the body adapt to the new time zone.
MT1 and MT2 receptors of melatonin are very prone to "desensitization", that is, their activity decreases significantly after exposure to hormones at doses exceeding normal concentrations. When people buy health care products that can contain melatonin, they need to clarify its single dose specification. If you buy tablets, you can take them apart. It is recommended to take it from a small dose. 0.1mg-0.3mg melatonin can improve sleep, and 0.3mg-0.5mg melatonin can improve insomnia caused by circadian rhythm disorder. Unless recommended by doctors, high-dose long-term administration of melatonin should be avoided, which can reduce the risk of melatonin resistance.
For people prone to insomnia, in addition to considering supplementing exogenous melatonin, it is also recommended to make full use of endogenous melatonin. On the one hand, the rhythm of melatonin secretion is often closely related to the light change cycle of the environment. The light source stimulation before going to bed can inhibit melatonin secretion. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid looking at mobile phones and tablets for a long time before going to bed. In addition, we also need to pay attention to indoor lighting. If necessary, we can speed up sleep by pulling curtains and wearing eye masks. On the other hand, it is suggested to go to bed and get up on time to form a regular sleep routine.
Adequate and effective sleep is good for health. However, melatonin is not a universal sleep aid. It has a relatively clear adaptation to the population, and there is also the problem of drug resistance. Therefore, it is still necessary to be cautious in purchasing and taking health products containing melatonin. In case of long-term insomnia, it is recommended to go to the hospital, listen to the doctor's advice, and receive comprehensive treatment including drug treatment, psychological counseling and lifestyle intervention when necessary.