Image courtesy of The University of Vermont Health Network.
Sleep is a majorly important activity that everyone needs enough of to recharge, but sometimes it doesn’t come very easily. Many people have sleep disturbances for various reasons, and because of that, they may use supplements like melatonin to help the process along. Even people who get a good night’s rest on a regular basis can have bad nights from time to time as well, and melatonin is something that can be used as frequently or as infrequently as you need.
Getting enough sleep is important, so if this happens to be something that you struggle with, it is a good idea to find a way to get it, and using melatonin can be what finally works for you. So what is melatonin and how do you use it? Keep reading to find that out as well as the best melatonin products on the market!
What Is Melatonin?
Melatonin is a sleep aid used by people who have trouble in that area. It is something that your body produces naturally, and elevates during the evening. People take melatonin to sleep, but that is not because it works like a sleeping pill. People take melatonin to sleep because it puts you in a quiet, restful state as you’re still awake, and this state is what makes a person’s body feel relaxed enough to sleep.
When a person is in the restful state that melatonin brings on, they are more prone to falling asleep. So when a person doesn’t experience the melatonin levels that they are expecting, adding some melatonin from a supplement can help induce that state that they have been missing out on. Melatonin won’t knock you out and make you go straight to sleep, but it will relax you so that you eventually get there, and that is why it is growing in popularity as a supplement. And when melatonin induces some of these mild effects, you also need to make sure to work with it so you can fully enjoy a good night’s sleep.
How Do You Work With Melatonin?
Melatonin will help you to lull yourself to sleep, but that isn’t something that it can do solely on its own. It needs your help to work effectively, so if you want melatonin to help you sleep, work on practicing good habits that will make its job easier. Certain habits will make you feel more primed to sleep with or without melatonin, so when you add melatonin to the mix, it will be a recipe for a nice, deep sleep.
- Avoid using your phone right before bed. If you limit the time that you spend on your phone before bed, you can really improve your ability to sleep well through the night. It is best that you avoid using your phone about at least an hour before you go to bed. The light from the screen on your phone can stimulate your brain and delay REM sleep, so if you avoid it for a period of time.
- Avoid caffeine six hours before bed. Many people enjoy caffeinated beverages like coffee and soda to a great degree, but caffeine is a stimulant that can keep you awake for long periods of time, so too much of it before bed can harm your sleep schedule. If you drink a lot of coffee throughout the day, it can affect your sleep depending on how much you drink and what time you drink it. You should avoid having caffeine six hours before bed to get the most out of your nights of rest.
- Use warmer lighting at night. Some light is better for sleeping than others, and some light will hinder your sleep, making it more likely you’ll be up all night. If you want to have a good night’s sleep, either make your room as dark as possible, or only use warm light. Warm light can make you feel relaxed and ready for sleep, so if you limit your space to warm light at night, you can get a better night's sleep.
Are There Any Side Effects to Melatonin?
Melatonin is naturally found in the body, but too much of anything can bring about some negative side effects. Melatonin can come with a list of side effects, with some of them being mild and some of them being severe. Knowing the side effects can help you decide if using melatonin is right for you. Here are some of the side effects that you may experience:
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Stomachaches
- Nightmares
- Irritability
- Temporary depression
These side effects are relatively mild. Melatonin is incredibly safe for adults to take, and since it isn’t habit forming, it is easy to set aside. If you aren’t liking some of the side effects that you experience while taking melatonin, you can put a stop to it by no longer taking it, or you could even take less. Either way, you won’t end up dealing with any level of significant effects that you can’t handle. You can start and stop taking melatonin whenever you please.
The Best Melatonin Products
And now that you know some basic background information about melatonin, you need to know how to pick out the best options. You can buy melatonin in stores and online, and you don’t have to worry about getting prescriptions from a doctor. You can get it right off the shelves and start using it as soon as you get it. Here are some of your best options:
Dr. Emil’s EZ Doze
Dr Emil’s easy dose supplement is a natural sleep aid that can help people who suffer from sleep disturbances. It offers an extra strength dose of 5HTP, valerian root, melatonin, St. John’s Wort, passion flower extract, and other natural substances that can help someone get deep sleep. Using a powerful combination of premium ingredients that includes melatonin, this supplement can help you get to sleep and stay that way.
On top of the symptoms dealing with insomnia, 5HTP can help with binge eating and headaches, valerian root eases anxiety and restlessness, melatonin can treat anxiety, and St.John’s Wort can treat mild to moderate depression. Each of these functions combine to form a powerful sleep aid supplement that could provide people suffering from insomnia or other sleep related issues.
Dr. Emil’s Bedtime Burn
Dr. Emil’s Bedtime Burn is a non-stimulant metabolism booster that will help you sleep and burn calories while you do it. It supports appetite suppression and is a sleep aid. The less you eat right before bed, the more fat your body will be able to burn overnight when you take this as well.
This supplement will calm your mind to help you fall asleep, reduce late night cravings, promote deep sleep, and of course, burn fat. The formula is made with calming ingredients and without any harsh chemicals so that you can have all the benefits without all the side effects. You can find it on Dr. Emil’s website, and at other trusted retailers like GNC, CVS, and Walmart.
Dr. Emil’s Multi Collagen Plus Sleep Support
Dr. Emil’s Multi Collagen Plus Sleep Support will help soothe you into a comfortable sleep and enhance your beauty routine. It comes in a soothing lemon chamomile flavor that tastes good, so you can enjoy the flavor of a collagen drink as it gets you healthy. This supplement will help you tighten your skin, strengthen your joints, and get a good night’s rest all in one. The collagen will do a lot for your skin, hair, and nails while the melatonin in it will help you get to sleep and stay asleep.
Natrol’s Melatonin
Natrol’s melatonin will help you sleep tonight and live tomorrow. It is 99 percent pure melatonin that comes in several different forms. If you want, you can have your melatonin as a regular tablet, dissolvable flavored tablets, and gummies. Natrol is made with clean ingredients and is one of the best drug free sleep aids on the market. It contains no artificial sweeteners, is non-GMO, and contains no synthetic dyes. Their selection of different versions are all fast acting, and will help you get to sleep when you need it the most.
The melatonin gummies are the most popular on the website, and they happen to be vegetarian and gelatin free. It is flavored with strawberry and other natural flavors, and contains 10 mg per gummy. You can get a bottle that contains 60 gummies, 90, or 140. They are easy to take and won’t take long to be delivered from the website to your door.
Nature Made Melatonin
Nature Made also has a few different melatonin options on the market, so you have a wide choice when it comes to getting what you want. They have melatonin, capsules, gummies, and blends. There are tablets that are fast dissolving, ones that are extended release, and ones that are maximum strength. They even offer a version for kids who have trouble sleeping!
The melatonin gummies that you find on Nature Made’s site are meant to be taken as two per serving, and will provide the best dosage for you. This brand also has plenty of pharmacist recommendations under its name, so if you want a natural supplement that is sourced from high quality ingredients, this is one to go for.
Melatonin products can be found in many places, and some of those places are situated online and are very easy to order from. Visit Dr. Emil or any other website on this list for some high quality melatonin!
