Melatonin - Usage Trends

Usage Trends

According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in "Melatonin for Treatment of Sleep Disorders," "Studies suggest that sleep disorders affect 50 to 70 million Americans, representing 20 percent of the population." Since naturally occurring melatonin induces sleep, many people take melatonin supplements to help combat these sleep disorders. Cohen claimed that in the year 2000 more than 20 million Americans took melatonin supplements to help regulate their sleep. In addition to taking melatonin for sleeprelated problems, people may also be taking melatonin for its supposed benefits for a number of other conditions.

Insomnia

Insomnia is a sleep disorder in which a person has difficulty falling or staying asleep. As reported in "Melatonin for Treatment of Sleep Disorders," insomnia affects 6 to 12 percent of adults. Medical treatment for insomnia can include taking sleep aids, like benzodiazepines, in order to help the patient fall asleep. (A separate entry on benzodiazepine is available in this encyclopedia.) Relaxation techniques are also used. Some researchers believe that melatonin supplements can be used in the treatment of insomnia as well. However, other researchers have not found melatonin to have much effect at all on those suffering from insomnia.

There is some promising news for those who suffer from a form of insomnia called delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS). People with this condition have a sleep/wake cycle that has them set to fall asleep much later in the night, like 4 A.M., and rise much later the following day, like noon. According to "Melatonin for Treatment of Sleep Disorders," when taking melatonin supplements, the time it takes to fall asleep "decreased greatly in people with delayed sleep phase syndrome." This finding was considered "clinically significant." However, the time it takes to fall asleep only "decreased marginally in patients with insomnia," which was considered "clinically insignificant."

Jet Lag

People need to adjust their watches to the local time when they travel through time zones. But humans also need their body clocks, or sleep/wake cycles, to adjust to the local time as well. Being out of

Stanford University students are shown taking part in a research study on jet lag. They had their temperature and heart rate monitored after a flight from California to Tokyo. Jet lagor being out of synch with the time zonecan result in feeling
Stanford University students are shown taking part in a research study on jet lag. They had their temperature and heart rate monitored after a flight from California to Tokyo. Jet lag—or being out of synch with the time zone—can result in feeling tired, being awake, or being hungry at odd hours of the day. © Louie Psihoyos/Corbis.

synch with the new time zone can result in feeling tired or awake or hungry at all the wrong times. An out-of-synch body clock, coupled with a lack of sleep during a flight that has crossed multiple time zones, can result in "jet lag." Symptoms of jet lag can include:

  • Constipation or diarrhea
  • Disorientation
  • Dry cough, eyes, and skin
  • Earache
  • Fatigue
  • Headache
  • Impaired concentration, coordination, or vision
  • Insomnia
  • Irritability
  • Loss of appetite
  • Low mood
  • Memory loss
  • Nausea
  • Sore throat
  • Swollen feet

Melatonin supplements are thought to help reduce jet lag by helping the body clock more rapidly adjust to the new time zone.

Shift Work

A large number of people work during the hours that most people sleep. Having to be awake and alert during the time when the body normally should be sleeping can cause problems in a person's sleep/wake cycle. Melanie Johns Cupp in American Family Physician pointed out that in a "trial involving 27 shift workers, melatonin was found capable of 'resetting' sleep patterns to match the change in schedule in approximately one half of the patients tested."

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a mood disorder that causes depression in the winter months when the days are shorter and less light is available. Symptoms include low mood, irritability, fatigue, weight gain, and cravings for carbohydrates—like pasta, potatoes, or bread. Some researchers suggest that SAD is caused by elevated melatonin levels at the wrong times (i.e., not at bedtime) and that taking melatonin supplements may help regulate its production. Other studies have found melatonin does not help curb the symptoms of SAD and may actually make the symptoms worse. Light therapy (going outside in natural light or looking at artificial light) is another form of treatment for SAD sufferers.

Melatonin and Jet Lag

To help combat jet lag, according to Health Services at Columbia: Go Ask Alice!, it is suggested that a person take melatonin at the start of and during a trip at specific times in order to achieve the best results. If traveling east, a person, on the day of travel, should take one dose of melatonin between 6 and 7 P.M. of his or her normal time zone. At the destination, the person should take one dose of melatonin during the first five days at bedtime (between 9 and 10 P.M.) of the local time.

When traveling west, a person should take one dose of melatonin at the local bedtime after arriving at the destination, and continue to do so for the next four days. Melatonin has not been proven to help when traveling less than five time zones to the west.

Cancer

Researchers have studied a number of ways that melatonin may be helpful in fighting cancer. Some evidence suggests that melatonin may help regulate other hormones. Therefore, it may be helpful with cancers that are triggered by hormones like estrogen, such as breast cancer, or testosterone, such as prostate

Whether melatonin does or does not help curb the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is still debated. Light therapy (going outside in natural light or looking at artificial light) is also used to treat SAD. A mood disorder, SAD cause
Whether melatonin does or does not help curb the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is still debated. Light therapy (going outside in natural light or looking at artificial light) is also used to treat SAD. A mood disorder, SAD causes depression during the wintertime when there is less sunshine. © Louie Psihoyos/Corbis.

cancer. Melatonin has also been described as an immune-booster and antioxidant. Having a stronger immune system and a greater ability to fight off cancer-causing free radicals can aid in fighting cancer.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, other conditions thought to be improved by melatonin (although with limited or no research support), include: 1) osteoporosis—fragile bones; 2) menopause—a period in a woman's life in which menstruation ends; 3) eating disorders; 4) epilepsy—a disorder causing seizures; 5) heart disease; 6) inflammatory diseases; 7) attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); and 8) sunburn. Others claim that melatonin can improve life span, aid a person trying to stop smoking, and help with benzodiazepine withdrawal.