Melatonin: An Easily Forgotten Hormone

1. Melatonin: An Easily Forgotten Hormone HW499:Bachelor’s Capstone in Health and Wellness Professor Earon Davis By Hanan Muhammad February 27, 2014

2. What is Melatonin? • Melatonin, also referred to as MEL, MLT and Pineal hormone, is a hormone produced by the pineal gland, which is located in the center of the brain. • Those that are into certain spiritual traditions that perform yoga, meditation, and balancing the chakras know the brow chakra as the 6th chakra and relates to the pineal gland as “the third eye”. • The “third eye” is believed to be the entrance into higher consciousness and spirituality. • But melatonin, that is produced in the pineal gland, is itself the “sleep hormone”. This hormone tells the body when to go to sleep and when to wake up, thereby regulating our circadian rhythm. • Our circadian rhythm is what put our bodies on the 24-hour cycle. This rhythm is affected by the light and the dark, and melatonin is only released in the dark. The SCN or Suprachiasmatic Nucleus controls the production of melatonin and when it gets dark, the SCN tells the brain to make us sleepy.

3. The Pineal Gland and Melatonin

4. Why we need sleep? • Many people discount sleep, and often brag over how little sleep they can survive off of, but in reality, the lack of sleep is very dangerous. Sleep is necessary in different amounts for different ages, but is important regardless of the age. • Sleep allows our bodies to rejuvenate and helps our nervous and immune systems to work properly, for starters. • Those that suffer from lack of sleep often suffer from short term memory loss, a decrease in creativity and learning performing, adverse effects on mood and behavior, behavioral problems, increases levels of depression, fluctuations in weight, as well as diabetes and heart disease. • The Huffington Post listed some frightening effects of sleep deprivation that include increases risk of stroke, changes in bone mineral density that can lead to osteoporosis, and an increase in cancer risk. • All in all, not sleeping can pretty much kill you! • That’s why we need to get our pineal gland working properly…and melatonin may be able to help.

5. As a supplement… • Melatonin is the only hormone available without a prescription, and according to SleepFoundation.org, the US Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 has allowed it to be sold as a dietary supplement along with other vitamins and minerals. Because it doesn’t have to be approved by the FDA, precautions do need to be taken to ensure that the right dosage is taken. • Typical dose is 1-3 mg and the doses must be taken at the right time of day. • While studies are still being done, it is clear that melatonin is what causes us to fall asleep, but taking a synthetic version of the supplement may not make us just drop and fall asleep. It is more to reduce the time it takes us to fall asleep, as well as to reduce the number of times we wake during the time.

6. But what really sparked my interest…. What really sparked my interest in melatonin was when it was recommended for my 5 year old son, Aaron, when he was diagnosed with Autism last year. According to Autismspeaks.org. a reported 80% of children with an ASD suffer from sleep problems. Children that suffer from lack of sleep suffer with learning problems, daytime sleepiness and hyperactivity. Aaron would be up until 3 AM every night, and would be wide awake all day with no nap in between. His psychiatrist stated that he may not be producing enough melatonin, so she started him on 3 mg a night. The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disordered funded a studied 24 children ages 3-9 for 14 weeks of treatment with melatonin. The were given between 1-6 mgs and in all cases, the data showed that melatonin helped with sleep within one weeks time. And there were no apparent side effects in the children.

7. Contraindications… • As with every supplement, precautions should be taken in different health situations. There is a risk of nausea, vomiting, hypersensitivity, and a severe change in sleep patterns. • There are also drug interactions with medications such as anticoagulants, which could increase the risk of bleeding; antidiabetics which may decrease hypoglycemia; beta blockers, which may cause a negative reaction; and sedative herbs which may increase the effect of sedation. • Melatonin should also be avoid during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

8. Its worth a try… All in all, there are contraindications and risks to pretty much every thing we put in our bodies, whether FDA approved or not. But those two fellows in the picture to the right have benefitted greatly from taking melatonin at night. It helps them have a full night’s sleep, and as a result, I get a full nights sleep! That’s some pretty solid research on my part!!

9. Reference Page • “Brain Basics; Understanding Sleep” Retrieved from website http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/brain_basics/understanding_sleep.htm. • “Circadian Rhythms Fact Sheet” Retrieved from webpage http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Education/Pages/Factsheet_CircadianRhythms.aspx. • Lamm, Carin MD. “Sleep; Sleep and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)” Retrieved from website http://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/health-and-wellness/sleep. • “Melatonin and Irritable Bowel Syndrome” Retrieved from websitehttp://www.andersenchiro.com/melatonin-and-irritable-bowel-syndrome.shtml. • “Melatonin and Sleep” (2014 Jan 1) Retrieved from website http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-topics/melatonin-and-sleep. • “More Evidence that Melatonin Eases Autism-Associated Insomnia” (2011 Dec 13) Retrieved from website http://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/more-evidence-melatonin-eases-autism-associated-insomnia.

10. Reference page…cont… • “Sleep Deprivation Effects: 8 Scary Side Effects of Too Little Shut Eye” 2013 March 6. Retrieved from webpage http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/06/scary-sleep-deprivation-effects_n_2807026.html. • Skidmore-Roth, Linda. “Mosby’s Handbook of Herbs & Natural Supplements” (4thed) Mosby Elsevier. St Louis MO.