Dr Oz: The Truth About Melatonin
Are you one of the millions of Americans who rely on Melatonin as a sleep supplement? If so, this episode had some shocking news you’ll want to hear. Did you know that Melatonin could actually be doing more harm than good? Learn about the Melatonin side effects that have Dr Oz so concerned.
What Is Melatonin?
You can find Melatonin over the counter, and it is not habit-forming like some prescription sleeping pills. It is a hormone naturally produced by the body that signals it’s time for bed. But Dr Oz said this supplement could actually be having the opposite of the effect you’d hoped.
Dr Michael Breus returned as Dr Oz’s guest to reveal what has him so concerned about Melatonin. He said that he tells his patients it’s not a sleeping pill, and those who are taking it are typically taking an incorrect dosage.
“People don’t understand. This is not the type of thing that people should be taking if they can’t fall asleep, if they’re stressed out,” he said. “That’s not what Melatonin does.”
Dr Oz: Melatonin Dangers
Dr Oz & Dr Michael Breus discussed Melatonin Dangers and Side Effects of the supplement that regulates sleep but is commonly misused as a sleep aid.
How does Melatonin hurt your sleep? If you take it right before bedtime, it’s not going to take effect immediately. If you take another one or continue taking it throughout the night, you are getting an overdose and causing other unintended side effects.
Despite the successful marketing efforts, Dr Breus insisted that Melatonin is not a sleep aid, but a sleep regulator. He said it tricks the body into thinking that it’s nighttime.
Dr Oz: Melatonin Side Effects
April is a viewer who has struggled with sleeping issues for years. Her body is tired, but she can’t turn off her brain. She eventually started taking Melatonin. At first, she was able to sleep through the night. But very soon, she was waking up in the night and would take additional pills.
“Since I had read that it was safe, I felt like I could add a third pill,” she said. This led to nightmares of being chased and other vivid dreams. Then in the morning, she would feel hung over.
As she joined the doctors, April said she is desperate for a solution and thought she had found a safe, natural fix. Dr Oz said you have to make sure you are doing diligent homework on supplements like Melatonin.
Dr Oz: Melatonin Hangover Symptoms
April said she coined the phrase Melatonin Hangover because the morning after reminds her of wild partying in her 20s (you go, girl). She reported a headache and foggy brain. Her daughter notes that she is moody, and April said she has trouble getting out of bed. Looking back, April feels like she did the right thing taking Melatonin to battle her sleeplessness and anxiety.
Dr Oz: Melatonin Causes Dizziness
Dr Michael Breus told April she isn’t alone. The studio was full of women who have also tried taking Melatonin. He said common side effects of Melatonin include “dizziness, nausea, [and] irritability the next day.” Has this ever happened to you?
He said it’s understandable that people turn to Melatonin when they don’t know what else to do about their sleep problems. Dr Oz explained that if you take Melatonin around 11 p.m., you might wake up by 2 a.m. and end up taking another pill. By 6 a.m., you can’t get out of bed.
That’s because the hormone is keeping your body asleep, and you have to fight that to get awake and get going. Dr Oz said the symptoms are explained by the effects of the supplement. He said that he thinks many doctors don’t realize what Melatonin could be doing to your body’s sleep patterns.
Brenda Jervis says
I know of a young couple that has a two year old. They were giving him melatonin in the afternoon for a nap, he was still sleeping at 5 pm they would get him up for supper and then around 9 pm they were giving him more melatonin to go to sleep at night. I have read about some of the side affects but didn’t mention an age of the children. What are the long term affects on a child this young? Could this affect his liver or other organs? I am concerned with this method of getting him on a regular sleep pattern.
Melatonin user says
This article doesn’t state how much melatonin is too much. I take 1 or 2 – 1 mg pill(s) every night before I go to bed, and have been for years. Is the 1 mg dose just as bad? I don’t wake up in the middle of the night (unless to use the restroom), nor do I have any other bad side effects like the article describes. Be more specific with the dosage that is causing these side effects. Grocery stores sell the 3 mg pills. (I’ve seen them go up to 5 mg!) If you still want to try melatonin, get them from a health/nutrition store, and get the 1 mg pills.
maddogg says
Since she was 8 yrs old till now (at 11), i have been giving my daughter melatonin whe she has trouble sleeping. I give her no more than one 5mg tablet or two 3mg tablets, aprox 30 mins before bedtime ( around 7:30 pm ) . I have had excellent results, with no issues in the mornings or with nightmares. But i have never issued a second dose if she wakes up in the night. I have discovered that patience and good old fashioned common sense parenting does wonders. I only administer it on nights where i can clearly see she is still “wound up” up bedtime. Or if she is still awake after 2 hrs in bed. I was born in 1971. And we were given nothing but threats of a whoopin if we didnt get to sleep. So as a parent i find it difficult to hand out meds and such, to avoid a sleepy child the next day. Be carefull with yer childten people, and a 10mg dose of common sense for you goes further than drugging your child to sleep.
Peace and love
The maddogg
Harold Smith says
The truth about melatonin is that it’s just like anything else; the devil’s in the details, which this obviously biased article studiously avoids.
Just like anything else, melatonin may not help every single person with every possible sleep issue, but you won’t know until you give it a try, right?
There’s an overwhelming amount of evidence (published in peer reviewed medical/scientific papers) that melatonin exerts beneficial effects on health.
I challenge the author of this article to cite ONE SINGLE peer reviewed paper where a person or an animal was ostensibly harmed by melatonin.