Melatonin, Sleep Enhancement, and ADHD
Overview
Melatonin is a natural hormone, which is produced and secreted by the pineal gland. Melatonin plays an important role in the regulation of many hormones in the body. Among its key roles, melatonin controls the body's circadian rhythm, an internal 24-hour time-keeping system that controls when we fall asleep and when we wake up. Melatonin is also a very powerful antioxidant. In one study, melatonin was 60 times more effective than Vitamin C or water-soluble Vitamin E in protecting DNA from damage. Preliminary evidence suggests that it may help strengthen the immune system. There are numerous claims and theories concerning all the things that melatonin may do and as a result it has become one of the popular life extension and life enhancing supplements that are currently available on the market today. Uses
The most accepted function of Melatonin is it role in sleep regulation. Melatonin supplements help induce sleep in people with disrupted circadian rhythms. Melatonin is significantly more effective in decreasing the amount of time required to fall asleep, increasing the number of sleeping hours, and boosting daytime alertness. Melatonin is purported to be one of those miracle substances that has a hand in everything. This may be due to the fact that during the height of the antioxidant craze, Melatonin was found to be a more powerful and more universal antioxidant than both vitamin C and vitamin E. Whatever the reason, Melatonin ostensibly plays a role in numerous health conditions. Here is a partial list:
- Insomnia
- Osteoporosis
- Menopause
- Depression
- Eating Disorders
- Breast Cancer
- Prostate Cancer
- Cancer-related Weight Loss
- Sarcoidosis
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Epilepsy
- Sunburn
- Viral Encephalitis
- Heart Disease
Since a lot of evidence for many of these claims is rather light and since I am not trying to sell you melatonin supplements, I am going to focus only on its role in sleep enhancement. Insomnia
As many parents realize, drugs like Ritalin are not without side effects. One of the major complaints that parents have is that their children who take Ritalin can't fall asleep at night. Many parents report that their children, who may be only five or six years old, are wide awake until 11 pm or later. Melatonin may be able to help these children. Since it is the primary chemical in the body that helps to induce sleep, children who suffer from insomnia often find that Melatonin restores their normal sleep cycle and helps them to be more awake and alert during the day. How to Take It
There are currently no guidelines as to how to take Melatonin. Sensitivity to Melatonin is an individual thing and doses that are ineffective in one person may be too much for someone else. The best approach for any condition is to begin with very low doses and slowly add more until you get the effect that you are seeking. In children, it is best to start with a dose of about 0.3 mg/day or less. Although current research suggests that even doses as high as 10 mg are perfectly safe, it is best to proceed with caution. In adults, 3 mg is usually a safe starting dose and you can increase it or decrease it as you see fit. Availability
Melatonin is readily available in most health food stores in the United States and it is very cheap. In Europe it is a controlled substance. Most Europeans who wish to use Melatonin find it cheaper and easier to have it shipped from the US. Adverse Effects
Melatonin is one of the least toxic substances known. In one extensive clinical trial, a high dose of 75 milligrams of melatonin per day was given to 1400 women in the Netherlands for up to four years with no ill effects. The only consistent side effect of high doses has been drowsiness and a slower reaction time. Other common complaints include:
- Vivid dreams or nightmares
- Stomach cramps
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Irritability
- Decreased libido
- Breast enlargement in men
- Decreased sperm count
These side effects were in healthy people. We also don't know how melatonin may affect people suffering from disease. Possible Drug Interactions
Melatonin may interact or interfere with other drugs. These include:
- Antidepressant Medications
- Antipsychotic Medications: many of these medications are now being used in treating children with ADHD and Bipolar disorder
- Benzodiazepines
- Blood Pressure Medications
- Blood-thinning Medications, Anticoagulants
- Interleukin-2
- Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
- Steroids and Immunosuppressant Medications
- Tamoxifen
If your child is taking any of these things, you should consult with his doctor before giving Melatonin. Also, caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol can all diminish levels of melatonin in the body while cocaine and amphetamines may increase melatonin production. Conclusion
Often children with ADHD have a great deal of difficulty falling asleep. This can be due to the medications that they are taking or just be one component in the spectrum of their problems. When used properly, melatonin may be a safe and effective way to handle sleep problems in ADHD children. Anthony Kane, MD
ADD ADHD Advances
http://addadhdadvances.com Attention Publishers:
This article is available for your website or ezine.
For an ezine, send an email to: melatonin@addadhdadvances.com.
For a website send an email to: melatoninhtml@addadhdadvances.com Anthony Kane, MD is a physician and international lecturer. Get ADD ADHD Child Behavior and Treatment Help for your ADHD child, including child behavior advice, information on the latest ADD ADHD medication help, and help with Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Sign up for the free ADD ADHD Advances online journal. Send an email to subscribe@addadhdadvances.com
MORE RESOURCES:
BBC News |
Malaysian authorities consider yoga banBBC News, UK - 59 minutes agoMillions of people across the world use yoga to release stress and to stay in shape, simply as a form of exercise. However, the ancient form of movement has ... |
Yoga of compassionMonterey County Herald, CA - 4 hours agoHow can a yoga practice uplift your spirits, increase compassion for self and others and create sukha — the Sanskrit word for ease and happiness — during ... |
Mama yoga trumps karateTheChronicleHerald.ca, Canada - 4 hours agoI do know yoga. And I’m not afraid to use it. I have to be a tough yogi. I live in a family of karate practitioners: two brown belts and one green. ... |
New class at North Shore Yoga designed for childrenChattanooga Times Free Press, TN - Nov 19, 2008A children’s yoga class unravels more noisily than adult versions of this ancient Indian practice. “There are a lot of active poses,” said Claire Mooney, ... |
Yoga in a chairLouisville Courier-Journal, KY - Nov 20, 2008By Darla Carter • dcarter@courier-journal.com • November 20, 2008 If the idea of getting down on the floor to strike a yoga pose makes you say, "Ouch! ... |
Yoga - Google News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Zyprexa - History of the Drug
Since the beginning of mankind, mental illness has played a role in our society. Victims of such illnesses have been outcast, stereotyped and often ridiculed.
Low Blood Pressure - Why is Your Blood Pressure Low?
Why is your blood pressure low?As a doctor with an interest in the subject, I'm often asked if a low blood pressure is normal or if such a reading indicates some abnormal process in the body? In fact - it can be difficult to precisely define what we mean by low blood pressure. It all really depends on what's normal for you as an individual.
Vioxx and Bextra Lawsuits Could Tie Up Courts for Years
In September, 2004, pharmaceutical giant Merck voluntarily withdrew its painkilling medication Vioxx from the market. Studies show that Vioxx increases the risk of heart attack and stroke among patients who have used the drug for longer than 18 months.
Comfortable, Affordable Lab Coats for the Health Care Professional
When a health care professional uses lab coats it conveys several different messages. First, lab coats give an appearance of professionalism.
Anxiety Management With Prescription BuSpar: Don't Worry, Be Happy
We've all had one of those weeks: the washing machine overflows, the dog forgets his housetraining and the toddler her toilet training, the boss is going through a divorce and making everyone miserable. And you feel like you just don't know how to handle it all.
The Highway to Health - Bumped Heads
I recently had a reader send me this comment:"As a full-time dad I have to deal with just about every minor illness my two children pickup, everything from a bump on the head to chicken pox. I found the Highway to Health ebook very useful and it's one of the first things I reach for when something goes wrong!"Mr John Bradbury
United KingdomIt got me thinking - although the Highway to Health does cover headaches, perhaps going into a little more detail about 'bumps on the head' would be useful.
Lumbar Puncture: This (Really) Is Spinal Tap
I couldn't resist the title's corny riff on the name of the rock band and their movie, but the kind of spinal tap featured in this article was a spinal tap before Spinal Tap was Spinal Tap. (Does that make any sense?)Known more formally as a lumbar puncture, this kind of spinal tap is a valuable medical test with an interesting history.
Kids and Medication Part I
We have all talked a lot about the problems in our educational system, about latchkey kids, about teacher turnover (50 percent of teachers quitted within the first five years on the job), psychologists over prescribing medications such as Prozac and Ritalin with our friends and families. We can all foresee a terrible problem in the future because we are feeding these drugs to kids under the age of six, their brains have not been fully formed yet and these drugs and their predecessors and competing drugs all have adverse side effects.
Three Antioxidants (ginko biloba, grade seed extract, and selenium) for Alzheimers Treatment
Checklist of Treatments for Alzheimer's DiseasePart 3 of 83. Three Antioxidants: ginko biloba, selenium, grape seed extract.
Lunesta Tolerance
Lunesta is a newly released sleeping pill. Marketed as a revolutionary sleep aid, Lunesta is the only medication approved by the FDA for long term treatment of insomnia symptoms.
Bextra and Vioxx Withdrawal Spawn Advertising Pause from Bristol Myers
Pharmaceutical giant Bristol Myers Squibb has announced that they will suspend direct-to-consumer advertising for their prescription drug products for a year. This comes in the wake of the well-publicized withdrawals of Merck's Vioxx and Pfizer's Bextra, two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that were voluntarily withdrawn from the market recently.
You Are Getting Very Sleepy....The Truth about Hypnosis
A hypnotic "trance" is not something that is foreign to us--we've all been so absorbed in thought while reading a book or watching a movie that we fail to notice what is happening around us. These focused states of attention are similar to hypnosis.
Generic Medicines
Generic DrugsGeneric Online Pharmacies started making a big impact on the net since the mid to late 90's. This has allowed the prescription drug buyer to save hundreds with the click of a mouse.
Fifteen Ways to Fight Heel Pain
There are many different causes of heel pain, but the most
common cause is plantar fasciitis (plan * tar fash* ee * I *
tis). If you experience a sharp pain in your heel when you
first step down in the morning, it is most likely due to plantar
fasciitis.
Vioxx Personal Injury Lawsuits
Personal injury attorneys representing clients who have allegedly been harmed by the prescription drug Vioxx are congratulating themselves over a historic judgment rendered recently. On August 19, 2005, a judge awarded the family of Bob Ernst $253.
"Doc, my mouth is so dry all the time. What could be the problem?"
Sjogren's syndrome is an autoimmune disorder - a disorder in which your body attacks its own tissues because it thinks they are foreign. It prevents your body's exocrine (moisture-producing) gland from producing enough moisture for different areas of your body.
Residential Drug Treatment Centers
Chemical dependency recovery provides with positive changes in reactions and behaviors. Residential Treatment Centers can be accommodate those suffering from alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling addiction, and more.
Pharmaceuticals: The Next Frontier in America's War on Drugs
America's war on drugs, which has been fought in the opium
fields of Afghanistan and the cocaine plantations of
Columbia, will have to reinvent itself to combat what is set
to be America's biggest drug abuse problem, pharmaceuticals.
One in five American's, nearly 48 million, have used
prescription drugs for non-medical purposes at least once in
their lives.
Medication Compliance Kit ... A Life Saver
Pill Proof LLC introduces the first, easy to use medication compliance kit for consumers and medical professionals. Owner, Jane Langdon, has a sister in law with Parkinson's Disease.
Cetyl Myristoleate for Arthrtis: Science or Speculation
There are a lot of fabulous stories about Cetyl Myristoleate (also known as CMO or CM) floating across the Internet. Mine is one of them.
|
