Trouble Falling Asleep? Try Melatonin

By Carolyn Suerth Hudson, RDN, LD
September 4, 2018

You know the routine, you get into bed with the intention of falling right to sleep. But then you start tossing, turning, thinking, and you look at the clock and two hours have passed by. As the hours pass by the panic of “I have to fall asleep NOW, I have to get up so soon!” starts setting in.

You’re already having  your bedtime snack and are cutting out poor sleep habits, so what’s the next step? That’s where a melatonin supplement comes in. Clinically we’ve seen it help break this sleep deprivation cycle and help our clients get a good night's sleep. 

Research supports this, which Dr. Daniel Amen author of Change Your Brain, Change Your Body stated, melatonin, a hormone made in the brain actually helps regulate other hormones and maintains the body's sleep cycle. Beyond sleep assistance, melatonin has been demonstrated in animal studies to prevent premature aging and increase the average life span. Lastly, melatonin is a strong antioxidant and is not addictive.

Our nutritionists frequently recommend one to five milligrams of melatonin in a sublingual form, a form you put under your tongue because it gets absorbed into the bloodstream more efficiently and quickly.

Most of our clients find success falling asleep (and awaking refreshed, what a thought!) by taking three to five milligrams about a half an hour before going to bed.

Give it a try and let us know how you sleep! For more help getting to sleep check out our answers to our most asked sleep questions or consider meeting with a nutritionist (by phone or in person) for more personalized help.

Sweet dreams!