You’ve probably already heard of melatonin. I’ve used it in my practice for years as a safe and natural sleep aid. But many patients come to me reporting that after some initial success, it stopped working over time.
New research confirms the reason I’ve been giving patients for their lack of success with melatonin…
Scientists at MIT found that the usual recommended dosage has been much too high. By taking too much, you induce a different biological response and the benefits fade. (This is exactly what I’ve learned with my own patients.)
Today, I’ll show you how you can use melatonin effectively. You’ll also discover why melatonin does far more than give you a good night’s sleep.
Why Less Is Better
Your body produces melatonin naturally. It’s the main hormone of a tiny, pea-sized gland at the base of your brain called the pineal gland.
This gland regulates your sleep cycle. It works like this: the pineal gland monitors changing light levels throughout the day and when darkness falls, it excretes melatonin to bring on sleep.
Professor Richard Wurtman at MIT recently showed that melatonin is indeed an effective sleep aid – especially for older adults – but… He discovered that only 0.3 mg of melatonin is necessary for a restful effect. The usual dosage recommendation of melatonin pills is ten times that amount.
Professor Wurtman said that taken at a high dose, melatonin “stops working after a few days.” When melatonin receptors in the brain are exposed to too much, they become unresponsive.
Taken at the right dosage, it not only helps you sleep but also makes it easier for you to return to sleep after waking up during the night. A problem for many older adults.
For decades, travelers have used melatonin to ease the transition between time zones with great success. But melatonin holds other, more important health-enhancing secrets.
Melatonin’s Wide Range of Actions
Melatonin is one of the best-studied and most effective anti-aging nutrients available today. Melatonin stimulates your body’s release of human growth hormone. HGH production slows down as you age. Studies show improving HGH heightens energy, sexual performance, muscle gain, fat loss, and skin appearance.
Melatonin increases HGH levels even at small oral doses. No wonder melatonin increases lifespan in many animals studied.
Melatonin is also one of the most potent antioxidants ever discovered. It destroys disease-causing molecules called free radicals. It stimulates extra antioxidant enzymes that protect against illness.
Studies show that melatonin can reverse aging in the brain tissues of mice. Tests are under way to find the same effect in humans.
If you’re having trouble sleeping, think about taking melatonin. There is to date, no evidence to tarnish its stellar safety record.
I recommend a small dose of 0.3 mg about a half hour before bedtime. You may have to break a tablet into pieces to find this appropriately small dose.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD