Should Singaporeans take Melatonin Supplements?
More and more Singaporeans are becoming night owls. The annual Global Sleep Survey in 2021 discovered that almost 3 in 10 Singaporeans sleep less due to the pandemic. Released on 17 March 2021, the study surveyed 1,000 Singaporeans, and found that 28 per cent of them said that they now sleep less each night. Meanwhile, 57 per cent said that the pandemic directly impacted their sleeping patterns. There’s a wealth of remedies to treat sleep deprivation and insomnia. But melatonin is gaining traction for being a natural solution to sleep difficulties. Do melatonin supplements actually give you better sleep? Tropika Club finds out more.
Table of Contents
No Time to Read? Here’s a Snappy Summary of This Article
- What is Melatonin? Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain that regulates our sleep-wake cycle. It is also available as a supplement that can help with jet lag, insomnia, and other sleep disorders.
- How Does Melatonin Work? Melatonin signals our body to relax and prepare for sleep by binding to receptors in the brain and reducing nerve activity and dopamine levels. It also helps manage our circadian rhythms, which are influenced by light and darkness.
- The Effectiveness of Melatonin Supplements Melatonin supplements are not a magic pill that can make you fall asleep instantly, but they can help you adjust your sleep pattern and improve your sleep quality. They are especially useful for people who travel across time zones, work night shifts, or have delayed sleep-wake phase disorder (DSWPD).
- Should you use Melatonin for Insomnia? Melatonin can be a safe and natural alternative to sleeping pills, but it is not a cure for chronic insomnia. It is best used as a short-term solution for occasional sleep problems, and only after consulting your doctor. You should also follow the recommended dosage and timing, and avoid alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine before taking melatonin.
- Can Melatonin Work for Night Shifts? Melatonin can help night shift workers adjust their sleep schedule and reduce the negative effects of shift work on their health. However, it is not a substitute for proper sleep hygiene and regular exposure to natural light. Night shift workers should also consult their doctor before taking melatonin, as it may interact with some medications or medical conditions.
What is Melatonin?
Some of you may vaguely remember its name from your secondary school biology classes. Melatonin can be found in the eyes, bone marrow, and gut. But it’s mainly produced by the pineal gland, an endocrine gland located in the brain. The pineal gland produces melatonin in response to darkness—which is why you keep hearing things like ‘avoid looking at your phone before you sleep’. Because the light from your phone or computer screens may disrupt your body’s natural melatonin production.
There are man-made, artificial variants of melatonin too. These nutritional supplements are generally chemically similar to the melatonin that our bodies produce.
How Does Melatonin Work?
Though the exact mechanism of how melatonin works aren’t clearly understood. Some theories aim to explain how it helps us fall asleep. As much as it has been defined as the sleep hormone, melatonin isn’t the substance that knocks you out—it simply signals your body to relax.
Melatonin helps manage our circadian rhythms: the body clocks that let us know when to sleep, when to wake up, and when to eat. As it gets dark, melatonin gets into our blood flow, and then binds to receptors in the brain and reduces nerve activity. Also, some research shows that melatonin reduces the levels of dopamine in our body, which helps your body achieve a state of rest.
The Effectiveness of Melatonin Supplements
The science isn’t that clear yet when it comes to the effectiveness of melatonin supplements. That said, there is a body of research that suggests that melatonin can help cure the effects of jet lag. With your sleep patterns disrupted, you may experience impaired functioning and digestive problems. With melatonin, it helps ‘resets’ your body as you cross multiple time zones, so you can get used to the time of day in your destination. And you don’t even need to have a high dose of melatonin—a small dose of 0.5mg is as effective at reducing jet lag as a 5mg dose.
Melatonin is also prescribed to people diagnosed with Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder (DSWPD), where they have difficulty falling asleep from before 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. In one review, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences stated that it found melatonin, in a daily dose of 10mg or less, is safe for adults. However, it cautioned the use of melatonin to treat DSWPD for children, adolescents, and women of reproductive age. Higher doses of melatonin in healthy adults caused health risks and safety concerns. That includes headaches, hypotension, hypertension, gastrointestinal upset, and worsening of alopecia areata. It also associated melatonin with an increase in depressive symptoms for some patients.
Should You use Melatonin for Insomnia?
Some subject matter experts point to melatonin’s effectiveness in treating insomnia for the short term. But melatonin only showed improvements to a limited extent for long-term uses.
Practice guidelines from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (2017) and the American College of Physicians (2016) indicated a lack of evidence on the effectiveness or safety of melatonin supplementation for chronic insomnia to recommend its use. Meanwhile, the American College of Physicians guidelines recommends cognitive-behavioural therapy for the effective treatment of insomnia, instead of melatonin, as an initial treatment for insomnia.
Can Melatonin Work for Night Shifts?
The science is pretty murky here too. Two research reviews pointed to only small or inconclusive results for studies dissecting the effectiveness of melatonin supplements for shift workers. One review analysed 7 studies, with a total of 263 study participants. The review found that some participants may sleep around 24 minutes longer in the day, but the time needed to fall asleep may not change. However, the review considered the results to be of low quality.
Another review analysed 8 studies, where 5 of them were in the previous review. With 300 participants, this review discovered that while six of the studies it analysed had high-quality results, the results were inconclusive. And, it did not recommend the use of melatonin for shift workers.
Conclusion
Melatonin supplements can be a useful tool to help you sleep better if you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep due to jet lag, shift work disorder, or delayed sleep phase syndrome. However, they are not a cure-all for every sleep problem and they may not work for everyone. You should always consult your doctor before taking melatonin supplements and follow the instructions carefully. You should also practice good sleep hygiene and healthy lifestyle habits to improve your overall sleep quality and well-being.
We hope this article has given you some insights into melatonin supplements and their benefits and risks. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below. We would love to hear from you.
And if you are looking for more articles on beauty, lifestyle, places, eats, and events in Singapore, check out Tropika Club Magazine, your ultimate online destination for exploring and supporting the vibrant local scene. We feature local businesses, from neighborhood hawker stalls to upscale aesthetic clinics, and offer valuable insights into all things Singaporean. Stay tuned for more updates and tips from us.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are the benefits of melatonin supplements?
Melatonin supplements may help improve your sleep quality, duration, and onset. They may also help with jet lag, shift work disorder, or delayed sleep phase syndrome. Melatonin may also have some antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-boosting effects.
What are the risks or side effects of melatonin supplements?
Melatonin supplements are generally safe and well-tolerated by most people, but they may cause some side effects, such as daytime drowsiness, headache, dizziness, nausea, or mood changes. Melatonin may also interact with some medications or medical conditions, such as blood thinners, blood pressure drugs, antidepressants, seizure medications, autoimmune diseases, or hormonal disorders. You should consult your doctor before taking melatonin supplements if you have any health issues or take any medications.
How much melatonin should I take and when should I take it?
There is no official recommended melatonin dosage for adults in Singapore, but a range of 1 to 5 milligrams generally appears to be effective. You should start with the lowest dose possible and gradually increase it until you find the optimal dose for your sleep needs. You should take melatonin supplements about 30 minutes to 2 hours before your desired bedtime. You should avoid taking melatonin during the day or too close to your waking time, as it may disrupt your circadian rhythm and cause prolonged drowsiness.
Where can I buy melatonin supplements in Singapore?
Melatonin supplements are available over the counter in many pharmacies and health stores in Singapore. You can also order them online from reputable sources. However, you should be careful when choosing a melatonin product and check the quality, purity, potency, and safety of the product. Some products may contain more or less melatonin than stated on the label, or even other ingredients that are not listed or approved.
Can I give melatonin supplements to my children or pets?
Melatonin supplements are not recommended for children or pets without consulting their doctor or veterinarian first. There is not enough research on the safety and effectiveness of melatonin for children or pets. Children and pets may have different melatonin needs and sensitivities than adults. Melatonin may also affect their growth, development, behavior, or health in unknown ways. Therefore, you should always seek professional advice before giving melatonin supplements to your children or pets.
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