One hormone you will want to know more about is melatonin. This hormone occurs naturally in the pineal gland and is the main hormone that directs your sleep habits. When melatonin production is high, you start to feel drowsy and want to get ready for bed. When the output is low, you are wide awake and sleep is not something you are remotely thinking about.

For those struggling to fall asleep at night, supplementation with melatonin may be recommended. Melatonin supplements are a manufactured form of the hormone that can help you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly. Is for you?

Here are some points to consider …

1. Do you have regular trouble sleeping? First, think about whether you have trouble sleeping at night on an ongoing basis. Those who struggle every night may want to refrain from using melatonin as a means of falling asleep and instead seek other more natural methods of falling asleep, such as meditation or deep breathing. While melatonin will help you sleep, it is not a supplement designed to be used every day in the long term.

While it is considered safe, some people may experience unwanted side effects like …

• dizziness,

• stomach cramps, and

• irritability.

Also, you may become dependent on the supplement over time.

2. How do sleeping medications affect you? Also, consider how sleep medications affect you. Do they make you drowsy during the day? In many people, this is very normal. They take medicine to sleep and the next day they feel completely out of place.

If this is the case for you, you will most likely react the same way when you use melatonin. While you can try a smaller dose and sometimes daytime sleepiness will solve the problem, in some people it never does. You can give melatonin a try and then you will quickly see if the supplement causes this problem for you.

3. When do you sleep? Finally, consider also when you are sleeping. Melatonin is often best used by those who work shifts or who travel to a different time zone and go to bed at a time when their body is not normally designed.

If that’s the case, then melatonin is likely to be of benefit to you. But if you go to bed at regular hours; between 10pm and midnight, it won’t be as helpful as your natural melatonin will. Again, occasionally, it’s okay to use it, but it shouldn’t be taken long-term.

There you have critical information about melatonin. While it is a natural supplement, as it is produced in the body, this does not mean that melatonin supplements should be used frequently. There are downsides to doing so.