Melatonin can be used for helping you sleep better. There is a clock inside a human body that lets you know when it is time to sleep and when to wake up. As the dark approaches, our body produces melatonin. The level of this is controlled by the inner body and the signals our brain gives out.
Therefore, when we see dark we give out a signal to our body which in return produces melatonin at a greater level, and the level decreases rapidly when daytime approaches. Despite that, some people might not be able to produce the exact amount of melatonin that is required therefore in result they take supplements for sleeping.
A question here arises that can you overdose on melatonin? Sometimes people get anxious when they can’t get enough sleep, and in the result, they try out the increased dosage of this drug which can be harmful in different ways.
When Should You Take Melatonin?
It is essential to know when you should take your supplementation. If you have just had a long tiring flight to treat the jet lag melatonin is an excellent option because it puts you to sleep at the time you want to. Insomnia and seasonal disorders are hard to look over so therefore you can use it in these times as well.
If you work night shifts, then what better thing could you have to use melatonin to put yourself to sleep at daytime so that you’ll be wide awake the next night. Patients can also take a suitable amount just to help themselves with the sleeping disorder because of the pain caused by surgery.
Any person out there who has sleeping problems and is tired of trying to put himself to sleep can use this drug which won’t even be harmful if taken properly.
How Much Melatonin Can I Take?
A very important question that can arise in your mind is that how much melatonin can you take in? A safe dosage is the lowest amount that will be effective for you to fall asleep without any side effects. A dosage between 0.2 to 5.0 mg is known to be safe enough at the starting. Dose differs with the difference in your age, body weight and how your body reacts to it.
The amount of melatonin you take can also depend upon your sleeping cycle and circumstance. Below are the suitable dosages were taken;
- For normal help needed while sleeping, try out anything between 3 to 10 mg.
- For treating insomnia in elder people, a suitable dosage is 1 to 5 mg.
- Getting rid of jetlag, you may take a dose of about 1 to 8 mg just before you are going to bed.
- For restlessness or periodic limb movements, take 3 mg dose.
Can You Overdose?
What happens if you take too much melatonin? Well, a simple answer to this is that yes technically you can overdose on melatonin. Taking too much of dose can cause sleeping disorders, you may face different sleeping and waking up routines. Therefore, a melatonin overdosage is hard to define because it differs from person to person and also depends on the situation.
Some people can take in more amount and be okay with that others might not be able to take overdosage and my fill sick if they have taken it. So, if you see any side effects then make sure that you do not take a dose that is not suitable for you because it can affect you in many ways.
An overdose of melatonin tablets is not suitable for young children at all, unless a doctor suggests. Dose between 1 and 5 mg may cause serious complications for children. In adults, its different and a dose up to 20 mg is fine, something more than this might become a lot harmful. Always start low and move up slowly to see the results.
Symptoms of Overdosing:
A lot of melatonin will have bad effects on you, and it will not work for the purpose it is intended. It can make it hard for you to sleep because your normal rhythms of circadian have been disturbed. Overdose can make you feel very dizzy, and you may fall asleep at timings that you may not want to. There are various problems which may occur;
- Diarrhoea
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Anxiety
- Joint pains
- Mood swings
For various people, too much of melatonin can cause them high blood pressures. That results in giving them another additional medication to lower their blood pressures. Therefore, it is not always advisable to take a supplement which results in other problems. You should be careful enough to have accurate amounts, so there are no harsh effects.
Which Amount Specifies Overdosing?
You need to make sure which amount specifies overdosage of melatonin. 5 mg dose is considered safe. As it is already said, it depends on the person and their habits to see which dosage is enough for them and which is considered to overdose.
Reasons Why You May Have an Urge to Overdose:
If you are in a daily routine of taking melatonin, then you may be taking in 0.3 mg per day, and any dose between 0.2 to 1 mg is a good amount to start in. You should take in the dose one hour before you are preparing to sleep.
People often make this mistake that they take the dose just as soon as they are in their bed and then find it hard to fall asleep right at that very moment. Such situations irritate the person, and instead of lying there waiting for a significant hour they just take in another tablet, and that is how they can get overdose at that time.
Measure your sleep cycles and always try to take your tablet before your bedtime so you can avoid any overdosage.
Can You Die From Melatonin Overdose?
That is a very confusing and an important question that all melatonin takers may have in their minds. If we look broadly, it is said that you cannot die from an overdose of melatonin. It might be hard to accept because we all think that overdosage of anything is bad and yes that is true, but in this case, the amount of melatonin your body will produce will increase just a certain amount but not to which you can fall asleep permanently.
If you are asking this question in your head then that means you have tried to overdose, well that is okay if you have but make sure you do not do that again and again. As it will bring you no good and all you will go through is many sleeping disorders and nothing else. Your workplace might be disturbed because you will feel dizzy all day and won’t be able to concentrate well on any given tasks.
So, overdosage does harm your life in a lot of aspects, but you certainly don’t die because of it.
If Overdosage Is Taken, What Should You Do?
If you have a bottle of 3 mg melatonin, and it states that you have to take one tablet every night, but you go out of the way and take 3,4 or maybe even 5. So is that overdosage. Well, the answer is very obvious that it is for sure.
It is very common for people to overdose because they get irritated and don’t think what they did wrong there but just keep on increasing the number of tablets they take in. Waking up in the middle of the night and having another tablet well that just simply adds up in the overdosage rating.
If you are scared of any harm, it will bring you which it might as well will then you need to start taking your dosage serious and at the right time.
The more dosage you will take in the unpleasant you will start feeling. If 3 mg didn’t let you sleep then believe me another 3 mg one hour later won’t help either.
If you have taken an overdosage of this drug, then you may not find any specific details to how to cope with them. You will only see that its written everywhere to correct your dosage and do not overdose next time. If you have taken an overdose and are going through serious problems, you need to visit your doctor right away. Do not neglect any side effects that you have recently faced in your routine. Always consult a doctor if any seriousness occurs.
Avoid Various Things With Melatonin:
When you are taking a supplement, you need to see which things you can easily take with it. Always avoid having alcohol or caffeine because they will only make your sleep cycles worse. Your natural melatonin productions can be severely affected, and a lot of problems may occur.
To avoid other things along with this drug you need to visit a doctor that is because if you take any other medication, your doctor can tell you which side effects may occur. For example, if you are a pregnant woman and are having various other medication then it is not suitable for you to take any dosage of melatonin. On the other hand, if you are on birth controlling pills then your body may cause more melatonin, so taking any supplements will just make you sleep way more, and your routine will be disturbed.
Make sure you avoid melatonin with any sorts of drugs such as warfarin, it can be as worse as causing risk of bleeding. Many drugs mix up together and effect kidneys and lungs badly.
Melatonin Lasts Till:
The plasma life of this ingredient is very less, and it can range from 20 to 50 minutes time. In this regard, you can see that there is no advantage if you take a higher dose before sleeping because it will not last for a longer span of time. Make sure you take a long-acting tablet at the right time. So, you can sleep in time when the plasma is still working and wake up accordingly for the time set.
Is It Habit-Forming?
Melatonin tablets are supplements which can be taken only once needed. They are not habit forming and are not known to be addictive. It depends upon how you take this it’s a lot of a mind game, you need to focus on and to take this as a medicine but not as an addiction. If you start taking these supplements more often then, of course, it becomes a habit, and this is for sure not a pleasant habit to have.
Is It Safe For Children?
Many pediatricians and a lot of parents use melatonin for their kids just to make them develop a proper sleeping cycle. It is helpful for them to develop proper sleeping timings, but any sorts of supplements are harmful to your children. Always avoid giving them your children, but if it becomes out of your hand and is quite important, then a suitable amount of dose is enough.
Conclusion:
As you have read all about melatonin and have gathered a lot of information, it is simply said that you may not have an urge to overdose because supplements are there to help you out of a situation but not to put you in any danger. Some people might think that overdosage is fine as it won’t cause any severe harm. Well yes, it won’t but what about the oversleeping?
The dizziness in the daytime and waking up all disturbed in the middle of the night. These all are the problems which can disturb your daily routine. Make sure you take melatonin only if you have sleeping problems and find it hard to sleep at night. It’s advisable to consult your doctor and then start these kinds of supplements. He knows which drugs are you already taking and if any of them can have a bad reaction if combined with an increased number of melatonin in your body.
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