Melatonin

[shijing]

Thanks for the info, denkin, it's good to know :)

Likewise, denekin -- I've recently started taking melatonin again myself, but didn't know about the connection with heavy metals!

 

[Beau]

Dr. Klinghardt believes that feeling dopey or groggy after using melatonin suggests a heavy metal protocol should be followed.

That's interesting because I've noticed that ever since I started going low carb and high fat in the diet, melatonin doesn't make me sleepy like it used to. It was bothering me actually, because it usually takes me a little while to fall asleep and melatonin helped quicken falling asleep. I haven't done a specific heavy metal detox, but I certainly have noticed how I'm less affected by melatonin than I used to be.

 

[H-KQGE]

Likewise, thanks. Held off of buying it due to the number of supplements I had at the time. Now reduced, I'll give this a try.

 

[Jacques]

Just for info, here's what Nora Gedgaudas says in his latest book "RETHINKING FATIGUE What Your Adrenals Are Really Telling You and What You Can Do About It" about melatonin:

CORTISOL/MELATONIN BALANCE
When cortisol peaks, melatonin plummets. When melatonin is down, cortisol is up. That’s normal. But skimp on sleep and you disrupt this natural rhythm and disrupt your immune response as well.

THE MELATONIN-CORTISOL RHYTHMIC PATTERN
Not getting enough time outdoors during the day or living in a place far from the equator where there are more dark hours than sunlit ones especially in the wintertime can alter melatonin secretion, too.
If your melatonin levels are too low, your sleep is going to be lousy. If you lack REM sleep, then you may not dream, which is actually necessary for your mental health. (Sometimes also a B6 deficiency can contribute to not being able to remember your dreams, but many sleep medications also interfere with quality restorative REM sleep.) Your immune system is also weakened by this, so you may be prone to catching every bug that comes through your workplace. This is one reason why some people notice themselves getting sick a day or two after, say, pulling an all-nighter or flying across multiple time zones, which impact melatonin too.
Melatonin primes your immune function and thus stimulates inflammation, while cortisol tends to dampen immunity and reduce inflammation. That’s how these two chemicals work together in a modulatory pattern or dance, if you will. There really isn’t any good or bad guy here. They just need to be in an appropriate balance to work properly.
So what do you think taking a melatonin supplement is going to do to you if your cortisol and melatonin circadian rhythm is off-balance? It’s only going to make things worse in the long run. The extra melatonin actually disrupts your own natural rhythm even more and also potentially disturbs the integrity of your pituitary function. In addition, oral melatonin typically does not cross the blood-brain barrier and can down-regulate or even prevent critical endogenous melatonin from being produced in the brain, which is needed for healthy and critical detoxification there.
Anytime you take a hormone – bioidentical or not – it’s going to have an impact on your circadian rhythms – every single time! You always want to make your own melatonin endogenously if at all humanly possible. And for that, you want to rely on precursory supplements like L-tryptophan/B6 from which your body can then make serotonin, which will then convert to melatonin at night.
To make your own melatonin you need L-tryptophan (which may work a bit better for some people than 5-HTP by the way, since 5-HTP can stimulate cortisol). I also recommend daily turmeric supplementation to help minimize the conversion of L-tryptophan to quinolinic (QUIN) acid. QUIN is a potentially neurodegenerative metabolite of something called kynurenine, which is a metabolite of the amino acid L-tryptophan used in the production of niacin.
Endogenously produced melatonin – but not supplemental melatonin – however, helps neutralize QUIN.
Vitamin B6 (or better yet – its coenzymated form, pyridoxal-5’-phosphate) is also necessary for the conversion of L-tryptophan into serotonin and melatonin, and so is B12 (preferably its methylcobalamin form, critical for the brain). Some people get around the QUIN risks associated with L-tryptophan through the use of time-released 5-HTP, which also potentially diminishes the likelihood of generating undesired cortisol.
It turns out that 5-HTP supposedly cannot be converted into kynurenine. That said, I am not overly concerned with this issue. Although some kynurenine metabolites (especially quinolinic acid) are known to be excitotoxic, others may even purportedly block excitotoxicity. The role that these metabolites play in health and disease is apparently not sufficiently understood to make gross generalizations, though I do think it’s a good idea to take turmeric with these supplements as a general anti-inflammatory precaution. L-tryptophan, after all is an essential amino acid, not to mention the least abundant amino acid in the modern-day food supply. To be deficient in L-tryptophan is not unheard of and supplementation may definitely be helpful.
I offer detailed information concerning what you need to know about safely and effectively supplementing with L-tryptophan in my book Primal Body, Primal Mind.

GET CONTROL OF YOUR MELATONIN CYCLE!
Go to bed at a reasonable hour. It’s simple enough, but you need to be consistent about your bedtime.
Avoid late-night or odd-hour work shifts when possible.
Shoot for no less than about six to eight hours of sleep every night. Some people might need a bit more. I’ve rarely seen anybody who needs much less than this. There are people who wake excessively early and think that’s normal for them. But generally speaking, most people need no less than about six to eight hours of sleep every single night in order to function at their best.
Don’t oversleep! If you sleep much longer than eight or nine hours, you may be incurring some diminishing returns. Too much is not necessarily any better than not enough.
Keep electromagnetic frequency (EMF) pollution out of your bedroom at night. That means not having plugged-in appliances in the place where you sleep. Use an alarm clock that winds up or is battery operated. (There are clocks available that claim to help neutralize EMF. My jury is still out on these devices, though.) You can keep your alarm clock in another room, away from your head and the immediate area in which you’re sleeping. You can also plug all of the appliances that you normally have in your bedroom during the day into a power strip, then turn it off and unplug it at night to avoid sixty-cycle contamination and undesirable “dirty electric” EMF fields. If you happen to have symptoms of circadian rhythm dysregulation, this step is particularly well worth consideration. Turn off your home Wi-Fi router at night when you don’t need it, as well.
Avoid caffeine in the afternoons and obviously at night.
Eat a tiny bit of protein (an ounce or two will do) before bedtime if you tend toward low blood sugar symptoms at night. A tablespoon or two of coconut oil at bedtime instead may also offer relief if you are transitioning to a more effective ketogenic approach.
Avoid melatonin supplements and use either appropriately recommended homeopathic/herbal remedies if you really need something or, as I mentioned earlier, L-tryptophan/B6.
Make sure you’re getting enough methylcobalamin, a form of vitamin B12. I am partial to liposomally based, sublingual liquid forms for superior absorption.
Avoid working on the computer late at night. The light from your LCD computer screens can actually block your melatonin production. F.lux, a program you can download from www.justgetflux.com, helps to block blue light from your computer screen when you’re up late staring at it. You can also look online for blue-blocking glasses to wear in the evenings at home before bed for a more comprehensive blue-blocking effect.

The pineal gland helps regulate circadian cortisol and melatonin balance.

There’s more than one way to disturb your circadian rhythm, and one of the most common and least recognized is calcification of the pineal gland, the brain structure that produces melatonin. Fluoride is a major culprit.

Luke suggested that the pineal calcification could be an indicator of decreased melatonin production and could become an indicator for circadian rhythm vulnerability and useful for assessing the need for melatonin replacement therapy. In fact, Luke and her co-authors thought that the degree of pineal calcification could be a better indicator of melatonin deficiency than measuring the amount of melatonin circulating in the blood. Furthermore, she said, “a decrease of melatonin production ... might lead to a disturbed circadian rhythmicity in the sleep-wake cycle, with the principal symptom being daytime tiredness.”

 

[Celena Johnson]

Hello all :) and good evening from NJ

So I have taken Melatonin works amazing :) ... ok next issue... I'm reading the article "Sulfate, Sleep and Sunlight: The Disruptive and Destructive Effects of Heavy Metals and Glyphosate" by Claire I. Viadro, MPH, PhD (Thanks for the link denkin!) and I come across this by Viadro: "Dr. Seneff from the national Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) is that insomnia occurs more often as an adverse reaction to aluminum-containing vaccines than to vaccines not containing aluminum."

Now I remember reading an article on Sott about vaccines being linked to autism http://www.sott.net/article/268145-The-Vaccine-Autism-video-the-CDC-Big-Pharma-doesnt-want-you-to-see (this is a vid I couldn't find the article). Now if what I understood is close sulfate is needed in the CSF and melatonin aids in its delivery via the pituitary gland...ok now I read this "Sleep disorders are also linked to autism as well as other neurological diseases, including depression, schizophrenia, ALS, Parkinson's disease, and others."

So if insomnia (sleep disorder) can be linked to heavy metal toxicity (metals in vaccines which can cause insomnia)...and sleep disorders are linked to autism which as the article states above...hmm something to think about but I may be getting ahead of myself...just sharing my thoughts :) a lot of really good info Melatonin works for me (luckily) but I really didn't know its importance and what it does...research before I do anything for sure :)

 

[Chad]

Just for info, here's what Nora Gedgaudas says in his latest book "RETHINKING FATIGUE What Your Adrenals Are Really Telling You and What You Can Do About It" about melatonin:

Thank you for that Gandalf! :) I really like Nora and am very much interested in her perspective - and i've wondered about her new book on Fatigue. Also everyones posts about their experiences and dosage is really useful - thanks y'all :D

I've been hesitant about using L-Trypophan but have heard alot about it's role helping sleep. So i've ordered a bottle from Source naturals (formula is ok for now - price too!) and i'll do a little test on myself and report back.

Obviously her comments make me wonder whether melatonin is the best supplement to take but, as mentioned, it's apparently useful as an antioxidant and helps repair the gut (from a previous post) and i really think it helps me feel more alert in the AM, but if L-Tryptophan helps with sleep onset, that'd be great.

 

[lostinself]

Obviously her comments make me wonder whether melatonin is the best supplement to take but, as mentioned, it's apparently useful as an antioxidant and helps repair the gut (from a previous post) and i really think it helps me feel more alert in the AM, but if L-Tryptophan helps with sleep onset, that'd be great.

For me melatonin alone is pretty useless as a sleeping aid. After taking it i feel drowsy but it doesn't help me to actually fall asleep. And if i don't manage to get some sleep despite having taken M, i feel horrible all the next day long (headache, drowsiness).

L-tryptophan turned out to be much more effective, working like melatonin was supposed to. It's perhaps best to take it with GABA - these two make a wonder combination as far as healthy regenerative sleep is concerned. It also produces very vivid dreams and somewhat trippy feeling after waking up too early which some may not like (i do).

 

[Celena Johnson]

"Turn off your home Wi-Fi router at night when you don’t need it, as well." Thanks Gandalf for the info. I use to work 2nd shift (5pm-11:30pm) working on comp. I had no idea what the blue light from the comp does to melatonin as well as appliances EMF pollution. I sleep right next to my router and laptop and have a horrible I would say habit (for lack of better word) of waking up every 2 hours. Thanks for the link for F.lux...I use my comp at night a lot and is something I can use. Thanks again Gandalf, I will also unplug my router at night...I mean its less than a foot from my head.

 

[Celena Johnson]

Maybe the melatonin will work better than it already does when combined with techniques to minimize demolishing it. Having no problems so far

 

[davey72]

I have been prescribed tryptophan and have found it to be useful to bring on the onset of sleep. I would need at least three grams and after about an hour i get very sleepy. If i dont go to sleep within about an hour the feeling goes away and i suppose one would have to take them again. So if you try it then make sure you go to bed in a half hour or so or better yet right away and meditate. I dont really need them myself and havent even been taking much melatonin anymore which i want to start doing more of for its detox benefits but i think it can be useful for others who have problems falling asleep combined with melatonin.. There certainly is no "trippy" aspect for me as was mentioned above.

 

[Chad]

Thanks for that Davey72 :) It's good to know.

I think i missed the window last night after taking it and slept fairly rough! (some of that is due to physical pain from an accident though). I'll report back when i have more data ;)

 

[luke wilson]

Oh boy, ran out of my normal supplements.. decided to get some new ones and add melatonin instead of 5-HTP this time round (just to see what all the fuss is about). Well, reading this thread, it looks like I got the wrong one. Mine says 10MG of melatonin . I just took one before reading the thread. Though it also says "Time release" so hopefully that means I'm not going to fry my brain.

Well, will report back tomorrow.

 

[Minas Tirith]

Oh boy, ran out of my normal supplements.. decided to get some new ones and add melatonin instead of 5-HTP this time round (just to see what all the fuss is about). Well, reading this thread, it looks like I got the wrong one. Mine says 10MG of melatonin . I just took one before reading the thread. Though it also says "Time release" so hopefully that means I'm not going to fry my brain.

Well, will report back tomorrow.

I took 10mg, too, without knowing it's too much and the dreams got a bit overboard Not that I dreamt anything dramatic, but they were very realistic and colorful, and came in the morning, so that I was a little confused where I exactly was when I woke up. Maybe you can cut the tablet in half, I have stopped taking it for the moment, but will try the halfing as well. Do not want to throw the bottle away.

M.T.

 

[luke wilson]

Oh boy, ran out of my normal supplements.. decided to get some new ones and add melatonin instead of 5-HTP this time round (just to see what all the fuss is about). Well, reading this thread, it looks like I got the wrong one. Mine says 10MG of melatonin . I just took one before reading the thread. Though it also says "Time release" so hopefully that means I'm not going to fry my brain.

Well, will report back tomorrow.

I took 10mg, too, without knowing it's too much and the dreams got a bit overboard Not that I dreamt anything dramatic, but they were very realistic and colorful, and came in the morning, so that I was a little confused where I exactly was when I woke up. Maybe you can cut the tablet in half, I have stopped taking it for the moment, but will try the halfing as well. Do not want to throw the bottle away.

M.T.

How long did you take it for?

I don't want to throw the bottle away either.

Anyways, so I had my first sleep having taken it.

I'm not exactly sure when it's meant to hit... not entirely sure how to describe my sleep as well. Well, went to bed around 10:30 PM. I had taken it about an hr before. I wouldn't say I was sleepy before going to bed though I didn't feel like I had my usual staying up alertness. The strange part is that I started to dream before I actually fell asleep though the dream was nothing eventful. This has happened to me before and still does whenever I'm sleepy/tired/bored and trying to stay up without anything exciting to do.

Then next thing I know I'm waking up at 2:45 am. I truly felt like I had been asleep 8hrs at this point. Shock horror, it's only 2:45 am. Back to sleep I went again and next I remember hearing the shower in the house. Didn't bother to look at my watch. Then next is my alarm going off... This time though I didn't feel like I had a wholesome night sleep. I wasn't really groggy/foggy either but not refreshed either, somewhere in-between. Not sleepy either. I had a mild headache but that's because I'm coming down with a cold since last night.

I dreamt sure but nothing that would make me go 'wow'. The dreams were rather boring and mundane actually.

I will take it tonight again then go off it for the rest of the week.

 

[Konstantin]

Oh boy, ran out of my normal supplements.. decided to get some new ones and add melatonin instead of 5-HTP this time round (just to see what all the fuss is about). Well, reading this thread, it looks like I got the wrong one. Mine says 10MG of melatonin . I just took one before reading the thread. Though it also says "Time release" so hopefully that means I'm not going to fry my brain.

Well, will report back tomorrow.

I took 10mg, too, without knowing it's too much and the dreams got a bit overboard Not that I dreamt anything dramatic, but they were very realistic and colorful, and came in the morning, so that I was a little confused where I exactly was when I woke up. Maybe you can cut the tablet in half, I have stopped taking it for the moment, but will try the halfing as well. Do not want to throw the bottle away.

M.T.

I think that 10 mg is too much. Well its more or less individually for everybody but try to experiment with dosage and see what is best for you.When i started with Melatonine i was taking 3mg and few months later 1.5 mg is doing its job very well.