In recent years, melatonin has become the new favorite of insomniacs, and it has been promoted by some businesses as the "magic medicine" for treating insomnia.
So, is melatonin really that amazing? Will there be side effects from excessive supplementation of melatonin?
Feng Bo, director of the Department of Endocrinology, Shanghai Dongfang Hospital, said: "Melatonin is a hormone synthesized or secreted by the cells of the pineal gland, because the pineal gland is regulated by sunlight. Therefore, the content of melatonin varies with the time of day. Changes, like the biological clock, affect biological rhythms, and thus have a certain therapeutic effect on insomnia. However, the doses of melatonin currently on the market are different, and it is not recommended to take long-term large amounts."
Insomnia is mainly divided into difficulty falling asleep and persistent sleep according to clinical manifestations . Cui Haisong, deputy chief physician of the Department of Psychiatry, Tongji Hospital in Shanghai, pointed out that melatonin is not a panacea, and that different types of insomnia should be prescribed to the symptoms. “Melatonin is sensitive to light, It is secreted, so some people stay up all night, sleep during the day but still feel sleepy. This is the reason."
Melatonin has a calming and soothing effect and is called a "physiological hypnotic", but it is not suitable for all types of insomnia. The crowd includes: work-related disturbance of work and rest, adjustment of jet lag, and reduction of melatonin in the elderly. It is worth noting that melatonin is metabolized by the liver. Patients with liver disease cannot use melatonin, otherwise it will increase the burden on the liver and aggravate the condition.
