Melatonin as a Sleep Aid
Melatonin as a Sleep Aid
So what is Melatonin really all about? The following report includes some fascinating information about Melatonin--info you can use, not just the old stuff they used to tell you.
Melatonin is a sleep aid that falls outside the two categories aids usually fall under. Before looking at the sleep aid melatonin, one needs to explain the other two areas first so a comparison can be effectively drawn.
The first area is prescription based sleeping pills: the types of “sleep aid” that is only available by a doctor. The second area is over the counter (OTC) or those types of sleep medicines that do not require a doctor’s written prescription such as Tylenol PM.
If you base what you do on inaccurate information, you might be unpleasantly surprised by the consequences. Make sure you get the whole Melatonin story from informed sources.
Now, since melatonin does not require a prescription why is it not considered an over the counter medicine? Because it is considered a food supplement and not a medicine and this is the source of some slight controversy as melatonin falls outside the realm of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation. Although just because a drug has been approved by the FDA doesn’t mean that it isn’t going to harm anyone, as many cases have shown over the years.
In the human body, the pineal gland releases melatonin which effects the hormone levels in the human body so as to regulate sleep. Supplement versions of melatonin are widely available in health food and vitamin shops in the United States for use as a sleeping aid. Melatonin is, however, not legal for sale in the European Union. What is legal within some countries of the European Union is a multitude of anabolic steroids! So, using the EU as a basis for what should or shouldn’t be sold in a health shop is dubious at best.
The usual ‘line’ that pharmaceutical companies will role out on a sleep aid like melatonin is that because it is not under the radar of the FDA then it is a risky supplement, butkeep in mind, melatonin is a competing product to prescription and OTC sleeping aids. So, if one does have any serious concerns about the risks of melatonin as a sleep aid it is best to consult with one’s doctor and not rush into OTC pills as they may not be advised either. Again, always check with a doctor first.
When word gets around about your command of Melatonin facts, others who need to know about Melatonin will start to actively seek you out.