# Does Melatonin really work against insomnia?



## MaidMarian

I suffer from chronic insomnia, and was thinking about buying melatonin capsules to see if they help combat this problem. Has anyone here had experience with this "drug"?


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## rumjungle

Yep I have. I suffer from insomnia during times of anxiety and stress but they were prescribed to me because I had delayed sleep phase disorder. Since it's a natural chemical produced in the brain...it's a better alternative to heavy sedatives and sleeping pills. I took them to help get a better sleeping clock, with DSPD my body wasn't getting good quality REM sleep until between 4am-12pm, and when I took them it did help me get back into a better rhythm. My advice would be don't over do them or rely on them heavily, as they can have the adverse affect of making you sleepy during the day. I would use them in combination with good 'bed hygiene'...forming a routine around bedtime. 

I usually took between 3-9mg (ed. opps I forgot the dosage havne't taken them in ages)...I would start off with one capsule and see what works for you, and while they are safe, from what my doctor told me they're best for short-term usage to help adjust your body clock. Take them between 4-6 hours before you intend to go to sleep rather than an hour before.


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## colinmc21

I've used it, still do for sleep problems, and it works pretty good for me. Definitely a noticeable difference.


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## caithiggs

I buy the 3mg sublingual tablets, and I divide them in quarters (making for .75mg, which is a sufficient dosage!!) and take them 1 hour before I fall asleep. I make sure I am laying in bed during that time though, otherwise, if you're online or something you feel really drowsy but you'll still refuse to go to bed, you'll just push through the drowsiness. Makes you fall asleep for sure. I use them regularly since I sometimes have a hard time falling asleep at night. But since I started taking them my sleep has improved drastically.


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## sc47

Melatonin has done wonders for me. I have been taking it for a few weeks and I have been sleeping through the night for most of them. I fall asleep really fast.


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## Anxiety75

It worked for me. I took mine two hours before bedtime b/c it does take at least that long to make you feel sleepy. It was a long time ago. I don't take it now.


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## Mr. Frostie

Melatonin works great for resetting my clock when it gets out of wack. I try not take it all the time because I don't want to become dependent. It doesn't make me feel drowsy the next day like other sleep aids.

Like the other poster, I divide the pills in halves or quarters. .75 mg is more than enough.


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## radudeATL

I've had a similarly positive experience as Mr. Frostie. When I temporarily become an insomniac, the melatonin helps regulate things again for me.


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## LALoner

Melatonin puts me to sleep as long as I only take it every once in a while. If I take it every day it either stops working or actually seems to make me less sleepy. So I don't think it would help with insomnia because I assume you are looking for something to take every day.


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## contranigma

It doesn't work for me. All it seems to do is give me strange dreams. I have a lot of trouble getting to sleep. Last night I took Tylenol PMs and even those didn't make me feel drowsy and I stayed up until 2, but once I get to sleep I'm out.


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## sansd

I think it makes it a little more likely that I will actually get some sleep, but, like everything else I've tried, it's not that helpful.


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## millenniumman75

It is supposed to work for temporary issues, but continued use will get the body to adjust to not making enough, knowing that the pill would compensate.


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## kev

It does help a little. However, you may have to take it a couple hours before you go to bed and you will need a good 8 hours to sleep (maybe more). 

The dosage is a little tricky. Some people can get by with as little as .5 mg (you can get that at trader joes). But some stores will sell up to 5 or 7 mg (which is probably counterproductive... if 3 mg doesn't work, 5 or 7 probably won't either). Melatonin builds up in the system if you take it every day so if it works for you at all try to find the smallest amount that works. I've heard that prolonged use of melatonin can cause depression in some people, but I think other than that it is relatively safe.

If your insomnia is due primarily to anxiety and distracting thoughts, 25 mg - 50 mg of benadryl (or some product with diphenhydramine) may be more helpful. I don't particularly like benadryl though because it causes temporary cognitive decline and worsens depression for me (some people take it every day without a problem, but it isn't recommended for long-term use).

Valerian is safe and marginally helpful but melatonin is more effective for me.

Bottom line, yes, it might be helpful. Don't expect it to knock you out immediately though. It takes some time to work.


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## JaneEyre

Yes, melatonin works for me. It takes about 30 min to and hour to start working. But it sure knocks me out. I usually feel sort of "odd" the next day though.


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## kaye

wow, good results with melatonin.

I have been sleeping well but had a chronic 7+ year sleeping problem in the past. I tried melatonin tabs but didn't get results.

Nowadays I take a supplement called "Melatonin-Nanoplex" which is more natural and it helps me sleep. Here's the link to order it, if anyone is interested:
http://www.forresthealth.com/store/search.php?mode=search&page=1

It is a little pricey, but one bottle lasts me for 2-3 months.


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## MaidMarian

Just an update on my original post. I tried the melatonin, and it has no effect on me whatsoever. What seems to work for everyone else, doesn't work for me.....typical.


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## Toad Licker

I take it only when I have troubles getting to sleep. My doctor told me that it helps you to get to sleep but won't help you to stay asleep, for insomnia you'd probably want to try something else.


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## UltraShy

I tried it because my doctor suggested it. It's useless garbage at any dose. When I'm suffering from insomnia I don't need some damn pill that might kind of sort of help me sleep. I need a drug that will knock me out cold -- sadly, such powerful drugs are no longer prescribed (unless you're Michael Jackson).


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## SoloSage

Yeah, it worked for me, but I don't have severe sleeping problems. It makes you tired, but doesn't knock you out.


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## Scotso

MaidMarian said:


> Just an update on my original post. I tried the melatonin, and it has no effect on me whatsoever. What seems to work for everyone else, doesn't work for me.....typical.


What kind of dosage did you take? Melatonin really works, but the effective dosage seems to be different for everyone. Experts say that .3mg is the most effective dose, but that does absolutely nothing for me. I take between 9mg and 12mg when I'm having sleeping problems, and that works very well. They sell it in doses of up to 20mg that I've seen, so you have a lot of room to play with.


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## sc47

Scotso said:


> What kind of dosage did you take? Melatonin really works, but the effective dosage seems to be different for everyone. Experts say that .3mg is the most effective dose, but that does absolutely nothing for me. I take between 9mg and 12mg when I'm having sleeping problems, and that works very well. They sell it in doses of up to 20mg that I've seen, so you have a lot of room to play with.


Thats so true. I started off with 5, and it was to much, I could hardly wake up in the morning. So I take less now.


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## sc47

rocknroll714 said:


> Melatonin doesn't typically make people somnolent to my knowledge. At least not for me and everyone else I've talked to thus far. It strictly just seems to get you to sleep and enhance the sleep, which is really nice compared to all the other hypnotics like the antihistamines such as doxylamine (Unisom) and mirtazapine (Remeron) and GABA-A positive allosteric modulators such as zolpidem (Ambien) that are available.
> 
> In fact, melatonin's half-life is only anywhere from 0.5-2 hours at the most. For that reason, it strictly just gets people to sleep and keeps them so for a short period of time until they're in deep rapid eye movement (REM) mode. On account of that, I'd imagine waking up in the middle of the night might be problematic for a lot of people.
> 
> Though melatonin may be excellent for some, longer-acting melatonergics like ramelteon (Rozerem) (half-life 2-3 hours; okay, actually not so good, but still better than melatonin) and agomelatine (Valdoxan) (half-life 2-3 hours; again, not so good either.. my bad). Well, I guess they're somewhat better. In any case, if you were to wake up, I suppose you could just take more melatonin or one of them. Or you could just take a really high dose of melatonin right off the bat if you really need to get to and stay asleep (i.e., 20 mg or more). I've taken 100 mg of melatonin at once before and didn't really notice anything in terms of alteration of consciousness, but I did indeed sleep like a baby that night on the other hand. Studies have shown doses as high as 500 mg to 1 gram administered every single day for as long as a week are non-toxic to humans.


Anything can knock me out. Even tylenol, non-drowsy medicine knocks me out. Melatonin is the only medicine I take, other then vitamins in the morning. It does knock me out. I just thinking everyones different. I am thankful to have found something that has finally helped me.


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## PickleNose

I use Valerian regularly. I haven't tried melatonin. Valerian is very gentle but it is fairly effective on mild insomnia. 

I used to have severe insomnia and simply couldn't sleep until my body just gave out from exhaustion. Serious insomnia is tough to deal with. OTC pills probably won't do a thing. You might have to get a doctor to prescribe something but I hear they're wary about prescribing sleeping pills.


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## Scotso

rocknroll714 said:


> Melatonin doesn't typically make people somnolent to my knowledge. At least not for me and everyone else I've talked to thus far.


Melatonin does make many people drowsy in large doses and in any dose for some people, which is why most experts suggest low dosage. Everyone reacts differently to things. Take a large dose one day and you'll see what I mean.


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## steve p.

I'm sure that almost anyone that's gone through some extreme bouts with anxiety has experienced insomnia at some point. Back when I was having my problems, I'd go a very unhealthy route and self-medicate with alcohol. Sure it did the trick, but clearly was a bad thing overall in my life.

There are differences, but taking any sort of drug to help you sleep is unnatural, but I know sometimes we feel we have to due to overwhelming scary thoughts and restlessness.

One tip I would give to anyone suffering from insomnia is to get yourself into a regular workout routine - especially if you've never had one. One of the best ways to get rid of the excess nervous energy that can contribute to insomnia is by simply wearing yourself out. The other benefits are of course improved physical health, but mental health as well. As you get into better shape, you will feel better about yourself and gain confidence in all areas of your life, including dealing with your anxiety issues.

Something else that will help tremendously is learning how to meditate, and becoming comfortable in silence. This will make lying in bed alone with your thoughts much less intimidating and actually relaxing/enjoyable.

Cheers!


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## sweetpeazz

Can anyone tell me a good brand of Melatonin to take and where to get it? GNC? I been having terrible bouts of insomnia for the past couple months. I need something to help me sleep better or I am going to lost what little mind I have left.


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## Redefine

sweetpeazz said:


> Can anyone tell me a good brand of Melatonin to take and where to get it? GNC? I been having terrible bouts of insomnia for the past couple months. I need something to help me sleep better or I am going to lost what little mind I have left.


I just picked some cvs brand 5mg melatonin from cvs. I never tried it before but I'll let you know if it works. I have pretty bad insomnia so I won't be surprised if it doesn't but I'm giving it a shot.


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## PickleNose

OK. I got me some Melatonin (3 MG each) and I've tried it twice so far. Both times, I felt absolutely terrible after taking it! It does make me drowsy but in a really messed up way that makes me feel bad at the same time. When I took it yesterday, I went to bed and I was laying there kind of wanting to go to sleep but the effect it was having on me was making me sleepy but awake at the same time. Didn't like it at all.

Even now, I feel odd and messed up. I think this is how a hangover must feel (I don't drink).


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## nothing to fear

(old thread, and i know there's one already about melatonin but it's not relevant to this use.)

i took 3mg of melatonin last night and wow, i had the greatest sleep ever (it is _life_ brand, made from pineal gland of beef caddle which i really don't like though). i can't remember the last time i stayed asleep pretty much the whole night and barely tossed and turned.







i felt like a baby or kitten after a long nap when i woke up, it was so refreshing. it reminds me of the sleeps i would get when i'd be awake for 30 hours for overseas flights or last minute school work (etc). except better. when my alarm went off 8ish hours later i was still very drowsy though it wasn't a bad feeling, and i had read that the dose commonly taken is as low as .3mg to 1mg. i only took 3mg since that is what the capsules i have are, i think i may try to break them up and split them in half next time.

the drowsiness is so much better than what i would get from seroquel, benzos, sleeping pills, etc. i tend to find those are rather unpleasant feelings since it just knocks me out enough to lack the ability to keep my eyes open and move around, but not necessarily actually fall asleep. in that sense i'd compare the sleepy effects of melatonin more to marijuana; certain types i have had in the past would actually calm me down pretty well, enough to have a brief rest but not to the point of staying asleep the whole night.

however i'm not sure how well it would work against full-blown/long-term/severe insomnia. it depends what kind of sleeping problems you have and what their triggers tend to be. when i tried melatonin (3mg) a few years ago after it was given to me by my aunt, at the time i had very bad insomnia as a result of a severe episode of depression and dysphoria. it did absolutely nothing to me. high doses of seroquel (up to 300mg, i believe), would knock me out (benzos just made me slightly drowsy and dizzy) but it was never a satisfying sleep (it would also cause a drop in my blood pressure and would result in me fainting or collapsing if i tried to stand up which was dangerous).

pretty much all of my adolescent years i wouldn't get a night of sound sleep (maybe a few days a year if i was lucky), which had a horrible effect on me since i've only begun to realize now that it makes a major difference in my abilities to function during the day (mentally, socially, etc). i wish i had tried this earlier. oh well.

i'd definitely recommend anyone to give it a shot, at the least. out of the many psychiatrists i've seen, none have mentioned that it could help but i suppose it would defeat their purpose if they couldn't give out a 'scipt for it. it seems like it would be a good option to try out first if you are having problems with your sleep.


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## rickthegreat

contranigma said:


> It doesn't work for me. All it seems to do is give me strange dreams. ...


Yeah! But they also leave me very drowsy and tired no matter how much I sleep. Cooool dreams though. I take Xanax now though. Doesnt do me any good to sleep a lot but still feel groggy.


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## leonardess

Toad Licker said:


> I take it only when I have troubles getting to sleep. My doctor told me that it helps you to get to sleep but won't help you to stay asleep, for insomnia you'd probably want to try something else.


I've found that to be true for me.


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## rosieveg

I used Sublingual Melatonin 3mg once and it knocked me out/had very gross night mares,mind you I'm on the Nic Patch as well,made me so tired the next day I slept most of the day! Is this normal? I took it at 3pm,woke up at 12:30pm for 1hr fell asleep in a chair while on the computer then crawled to bed,up at 7pm now here I am it's now 7am! Should I just take a quarter of the dose or take it earlier in the night? My phychiatrist said it would help with sleep and stress/anxiety during the day. Thanks rosieveg


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## LostPancake

^Yeah, try it in smaller doses - I had that kind of reaction when I first tried it at 3mg sublingual. I usually just bite them in half now, and that dose seems to work. It's great because sometimes I just want to go to sleep at 8pm or something, and it'll knock me out after 20 or 30 minutes - I just read until I fall asleep.


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## renski

A glass of red wine does the trick for me these days.


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## Neptunus

It has for me, but its effects wore off within a week.


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## rawrguy

I take it for sleep and it seems to be working. I might have to increase my dose though.


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## MrBBB

A pharmacist told me that 5mg is a good dose of Melatonin if you are having a lot of difficulty sleeping. I found them to work fairly well. Tylenol PM or Advil PM are good OTC options, but probably shouldn't be taken on any kind of regular basis. Unfortunately for me, I have a dog that likes to be up at the crack of dawn, and no sleeping pills help with that!


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## mayadusa

*Melatonin helps you overcome Insomnia*

I have never been sleep deprived but I have a friend who had this trouble. She always complained that with Insomnia it was really hard for her to concentrate on work or on any other day to day activity. A disturbed sleep cycle, affected her immune system and she would fall sick and have common cold and fever every now and then. It was tough for her to stay energetic and vigilant. She decided to take an action to handle this problem. She then consulted doctors and searched the internet and found the hormone, Melatonin, responsible for regulating our sleep-wake cycle. She also discovered that as her natural Melatonin was disrupted she has to take Melatonin Supplements.

She then tried using Melatonin and it really helped. She was able to fall asleep on time, wake up on time and her biological clock worked just fine. Observing her improve drastically, I thought that by finding out about Melatonin Supplements so many people suffering from the same problem can be benefited. Melatonin Supplements can be found at several webshops, they offer Melatonin in different forms. This can be very misleading for a person who is looking for a Melatonin Supplement which can really help. While selecting a webshop, one must take care of certain things. First of all one must make sure that the webshop is a reliable. I know EuroHelath is a webshop that provides pure and high quality Melatonin Supplements http://www.eurohealthproject.com/melatonin_biotonin Secondly, one must be aware of the fact that "Natural Melatonin" contains various impurities and can be very detrimental to health. Thus, one must always choose synthetically prepared Melatonin Supplement, which is again available at http://www.eurohealthproject.com/melatonin_biotonin

 
Melatonin Supplements have been used by several individuals and no serious side effects have been reported to the FDA. Melatonin also has several other positive effects. Low doses of Melatonin Supplements exert anti-aging effects. Melatonin also protects against cancer, AIDS, heart disease, autism, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Antioxidant property of Melatonin empowers the immune system, thereby protecting from several viral and bacterial infections. Melatonin helps one lead a quality life


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## DeeperUnderstanding

Melatonin works great for me. I have actually decided to start taking it every night, because there are nights where I can't get to sleep...and it's a miserable feeling.


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## Belshazzar

It has worked well for me. Seems like it hasn't for many people. YMMV, I guess.


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## MrDisaffected

It helps for sure. 
I like Melatonin 'cause it's non-habit forming and there are not any noticable side effects for me. I have used everything from benzo's to opium to enjoy my sleep and now i don't use any of the harder chemicals i find Melatonin a nice sleep-inducer when i need (travel, long flights, etc)


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## anomalous

Sort of. Benadryl works a lot better, though. If only I wasn't practically dependent on it these days.

I have to agree on the strange dreams with Melatonin thing, too.


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## coldmorning

I've heard it depends on the type of insomnia you have. Melatonin works very well for me. I've had insomnia for most of my life and it's the only thing that has worked consistently. The only negative thing is that the sleep I get isn't as deep and I tend to wake in the middle of the night. But I just go right back to sleep (usually).


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## Canadian4Life

It works yes and very well too. I have been on everything from xanax to seroquel and this gives me a "real" and refreshing sleep


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## millenniumman75

Yes, it does.


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## Hypnotoad

I've tried it, but didn't work for me AT all..

BUT

I have Delayed sleep phase disorder, so it's virtually impossible for me to fall asleep at night. Even Ambien, Lunesta, etc...don't work for me I have to take a dose of serequel each night in order to get to sleep at night.


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## jaxen

It works but you get a limited time frame to fall asleep...even with the sustained release. If you don't fall asleep within that time frame it can actually have the opposite effect of giving you a weird energized yet tired feeling. I think if your anxiety is due to or coupled with OCD this stuff is much harder to fall asleep with. Because like someone else said, if your doing something else like surfing the web, playing games, etc, you can fight through the tiredness. Well OCD and anxiety sort of make you unwillingly fight through it. If your looking for something to knock you out, i wouldn't say this is it. Even if it does work well, its not a long term solution as your body builds up a tolerance to it. It affects other hormones as well. I'd try this stuff last as a sleep aid.


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## TexasMedicine

My sleep has gotten worse and worse over the past year or two (a correlation with my stress levels), so a couple of weeks back I started taking melatonin before bed. 1mg per tablet, I down it with a bit of water but have noticed no effects on my sleep whatsoever. Tried 3 tablets last night and still nothing, I'll see how I go with 5 tablets tonight.


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## Thestruggle1

I have tryed melatonin and it doesnt work for me. It will get me very tired but im still not able to fall asleep.


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## DeeperUnderstanding

I need to start taking it again.


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## Faith012

Melatonin does work it has worked for me I've taken some natural Melatonin capsules and I fall asleep fast


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## RawrJessiRawr

It made me a little sleepy but didn't make my mind as sleepy as my body felt so it didn't work for me. Ive had insomnia for about eight or more years though.


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## The Professor

WintersTale said:


> Melatonin works great for me. I have actually decided to start taking it every night, because there are nights where I can't get to sleep...and it's a miserable feeling.


To everyone: don't take it for more than a couple months. Downregulation occurs... your body stops making its own melatonin... you become dependent. Whoever said it's non habit forming is incorrect.


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## Crystalline

I'm using Trader Joe's Melatonin (500 mcg per tablet) and it works pretty well, though I've had to take two tablets at times.


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## Addler

It mostly worked for me when things got bad. Might wanna give valerian a try, too.


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## StayingMotivated

I wish it was a cure all for me-I do believe it's helped but it's not fixing or correcting whats wrong with me. for some it will work for others it wont.


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## molefacedmofo

When I first tried out melatonin years ago, I felt nothing and it didn't help me sleep.

Years later, suddenly it makes me extremely drowsy. It's been my savior for insomnia.

The only problem I have is that it sometimes makes me wake up 3 hours or so after falling asleep, and I'll be unable to go back to sleep. That usually only happens with higher doses though.

It's a really strong antioxidant too. Promotes wound healing, etc.


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## river1

Yes I take it every night.. I've grown dependent on it though so be careful.. I've been taking it for almost 3 years now. I find that it is very effective by dissolving the capsule into a bottle of water and drink it. If I don't try and sleep right away I get achy muscles.. but weighing out the pros and cons I think it is a good idea to try and reset the sleep wake cycle.


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## Christina123

Melantonin works best for a specific type of insomnia. The type that is caused by a body clock out of whack. If you can't fall asleep at a normal time, but can perfectly fall asleep at 3 am, then Melantonin can work do achieve a more normal body rhytem.


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## Mmt47r

It's a miracle supplement. Take 3mg every night. Puts me to sleep in 20 min. I have severe insomnia


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