If spending hours in bed or waking up multiple times during the night is a constant struggle for you, then you know how difficult it is to wake up feeling refreshed in the morning. Anyone who has experienced at least one sleepless night knows how much it affects the next day.
Sleep quality can be negatively affected by stress and anxiety, shift work, age, and long flights. Next, let’s explore which melatonin supplement to choose to find an effective solution for these sleep problems?
What is a healthy amount of sleep?
How long healthy sleep should be depends on several factors. One of the most important factors is a person’s age. Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep each night to stay healthy. Therefore, sleep needs vary slightly at different stages of life:
- Infants: 12–15 hours
- Toddlers: 11–14 hours
- Preschoolers: 10–13 hours
- School-age children: 9–11 hours
- Teenagers: 8–10 hours
- Young adults: 7–9 hours
- Adults: 7–9 hours
- Older adults: 7–8 hours
What happens if we sleep too little?
Sufficient sleep is essential, as sleep deprivation not only causes fatigue and drowsiness but also negatively impacts our ability to learn and concentrate. Sleep deprivation weakens our immune system, disrupts emotional balance, and increases stress and anxiety.
Just one night of poor sleep can significantly increase our sensitivity to stress and anxiety, which in turn affects the quality of daily life. Therefore, it is vital to ensure good quality sleep and adequate hours of sleep at all ages to give the body the rest it needs.
When should you consider taking melatonin?
Chronic insomnia refers to sleep disturbances that have lasted longer than 1 month. The best results are achieved when melatonin is used for sleep disturbances lasting less than 1 year. With long-term sleep issues, the desired effect may take 2-3 weeks to appear.
Melatonin use is justified when:
- It takes more than 20 minutes to fall asleep
- Maintaining sleep is difficult, and you wake up repeatedly during the night
- You wake up too early or too late in the morning and struggle to get out of bed
- Shift work causes a disruption in your sleep rhythm
- Long flights disrupt your sleep pattern
Which melatonin supplement to choose?
In pharmacies, there are several forms of melatonin available – tablets, melatonin spray, and melatonin capsules. It’s important to know that melatonin is fat-soluble, and therefore the best results are achieved only with melatonin in oil form. Melatonin in oil form takes effect within 15-30 minutes, whereas tablets take significantly longer to absorb and should be taken 1-2 hours before the desired sleep time.
Melatonin capsules vary in dosage. It’s important to know that the classic dose for improving sleep is 1.99 mg of melatonin. If this dosage doesn’t provide relief for sleep disorders after 2-3 weeks, you may consider gradually increasing the dose. If melatonin 3 mg or melatonin 5 mg also does not provide the desired result, consult your doctor.
Which melatonin to choose if anxiety keeps you awake?
Have you ever found yourself awake in the middle of the night, tossing and turning under the blanket, staring at the clock, and waiting for morning to come? If your inner world is filled with noise, emotions, and rapidly wandering thoughts that control your mind and prevent you from falling asleep, it’s time to take action.
If you can’t fall asleep within 20 minutes, it may indicate moderate anxiety. To sleep peacefully and deeply, it’s important to calm down before falling asleep. If sleep issues are caused by anxious thoughts, melatonin alone won’t be enough to achieve a good night’s rest. An effective solution is a combination of melatonin in oil form and herbal components like valerian and lemon balm.
Melatonin is a naturally occurring sleep hormone in the body that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and helps shorten the time it takes to fall asleep. Valerian and lemon balm are known for their calming properties, which relieve stress and anxiety and promote relaxation. Therefore, melatonin capsules combined with lemon balm or hops, known for their calming effects, help more effectively reduce daytime stress and promote restful sleep.
Which melatonin to choose if shift work keeps you awake?
Sleep disorders related to shift work and the associated health problems are an important issue. People working night shifts face a major challenge when it comes to sleeping during the day because daylight suppresses melatonin production. This, in turn, makes it difficult to fall asleep during the day. Melatonin, a natural sleep hormone, helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle effectively.
Studies have shown that night shift workers sleep an average of two hours less during the day. As a result, fatigue builds up and worsens, leading to decreased work productivity, concentration, and decision-making abilities and an increase in sick days and the occurrence of work accidents.
If you feel that you no longer rest as well as you did before while working shifts, it is a sign that your body can no longer cope with irregular rest periods. To fall asleep faster and achieve deeper and longer sleep during the day, choose melatonin in oil capsule form combined with natural ingredients like lemon balm or hops.
Melatonin in oil capsule form significantly accelerates the time it takes to fall asleep, even during daylight hours. Lemon balm and hops help effectively alleviate sleep disorders caused by night shifts and promote deeper sleep. This combination effectively reduces anxiety and stress and helps achieve better sleep quality during the day.
Which melatonin to choose if age has decreased sleep quality?
For older adults, fragmented sleep and insomnia are among the most common health problems, as the production of the sleep hormone melatonin decreases with age, reducing its effect on sleep. This in turn causes sleep disorders and waking up in the early hours of the morning. Additionally, with menopause, the incidence of anxiety and depression increases, which in turn exacerbates sleep disturbances. Therefore, it is important to focus on both relieving anxiety symptoms and improving sleep quality to ensure well-being and sufficient rest.
For good health, it is crucial for older adults to get 7–8 hours of quality sleep. Quality sleep is deep and uninterrupted, ensuring sufficient energy levels and mental and physical well-being during the day. However, too few hours of sleep weaken the immune system, memory, and concentration. Studies have shown that long-term sleep deprivation and insufficient sleep increase the risk of dementia in later life. Therefore, it’s important to focus on sleep quality as early as possible to support health.
Those suffering from sleep problems might consider melatonin oil capsules combined with calming lemon balm or hops as the first solution for relieving sleep issues, before turning to prescription medications. This holistic combination helps calm down, relax, and improve sleep quality. The combination of melatonin with lemon balm or hops helps enjoy deep, restorative sleep, which in turn supports health and quality of life.
Which melatonin to choose for long flights?
Traveling offers enjoyable experiences but can also bring challenges, especially related to sleep. Jet lag, or difficulties falling asleep due to time zone changes, can occur when traveling between different time zones, and symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, insomnia, mood changes, and difficulty concentrating can last for several weeks.
Although the body eventually adjusts to the new time zone, there is an effective way to alleviate sleep disturbances caused by jet lag. One such option is to use melatonin oil capsules combined with hops and lemon balm.
When melatonin is combined with hops and lemon balm, it creates a powerful combination that helps adjust to the new time zone more quickly and reduces symptoms and sleep disturbances caused by jet lag. Melatonin is a natural hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and helps the body adapt to the new time zone more quickly. Valerian and lemon balm calm the nervous system and help relax and sleep better.
Choose your melatonin supplement wisely and stay healthy!
