Despite it being a relaxing escape for a lot of people, it can be tough to fall asleep. Difficulty sleeping happens for a lot of different reasons, but for most, it’s because of stress and constant thinking. Luckily, modern medicine has come up with substances that can be purchased over the counter to help us experience better sleep in order to prepare us for the challenges of the days ahead. Melatonin is a prime example of a sleeping supplement that many of us use, but is it really as good as people claim it to be? Learn the pros and cons of using melatonin to better understand whether you should buy a bottle or not.
List of Pros of Melatonin
1. Fall Asleep Faster
For whatever the reason you’re having trouble sleeping, Melatonin can help you fall asleep faster. When you take the supplement, you can be sure that you won’t have to lie awake in bed for long hours every night. This reduces the frustration of failing to fall asleep when you want to and helps you maximize the sleeping hours you have.
2. Stay Asleep
Some people don’t have trouble falling asleep, but find it difficult to stay asleep. Melatonin works to keep you asleep for longer periods of time to give you that rested feeling every time you wake up from your slumber.
3. Less Sleep Disturbances
There are a vast number of people who experience sleep disturbances such as unpleasant dreams and night terrors that make it difficult to enjoy sleep. But with Melatonin, the occurrence of these disturbances is significantly reduced, which means those who experience them can sleep and relax without fear of these terrors.
List of Cons of Melatonin
1. Side Effects
Melatonin changes hormones to achieve the effects it promises, but some studies suggest that this might not be the best for our systems if we intend to use Melatonin frequently. Adverse side effects and negative physiological changes can occur with prolonged use, which can significantly impact the way we perform everyday tasks.
2. Loss of Self Regulation
When the body becomes dependent on the intake of Melatonin, it loses the ability to self regulate the production. What happens is that our bodies become pill dependent, and when we finally cease our intake, the body is no longer capable of manufacturing its own supply of Melatonin.
3. Headaches
While Melatonin can help you sleep soundly throughout the night, there are reports that claim that prolonged use of melatonin results in headaches during wakefulness, which then causes individuals to intake the substance again to fall asleep in the hopes of relieving the pain. This becomes a vicious cycle, and further deepens the dependence.