Melatonin is a common and commercially available sleep aid that many people take to help them collapse and stay asleep at night. However, the drug has side effects.
Can diabetics put melatonin safely to sleep?
In this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know about melatonin and diabetes.
What is melatonin??
Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone produced by the brain in response to the darkness. It helps you timing your daily circadian rhythm. It helps you sleep at night.
When exposed to light at night, the brain blocks the production of melatonin. Therefore, if you watch late-night TV, there is a high chance that you will continue to wake up late.
People can take synthetically produced commercially available melatonin every day to help them sleep. This is especially useful when the brain does not produce enough melatonin on its own.
Melatonin is considered one of the safest sleeping pills you can take, but it has potential side effects.
The side effects of using melatonin in the short term are:
- headache
- Dizziness
- nausea
- Sleepiness
Most people recommend taking 1-3 mg of melatonin before going to bed.
Taking more than 5 mg is associated with triggering headaches and migraines in some people.
Consult your doctor about their recommended dose for you.
The long-term side effects of melatonin use are unknown. More research needs to be done to determine the possibility of a long-term response to a drug.
How does melatonin work?
Melatonin is not hypnosis. This is a typical drug to treat insomnia.
Melatonin occurs naturally in the body, so taking additional melatonin can help your body regulate your circadian rhythm.
The circadian rhythm is the 24-hour clock in the body.
Melatonin functions physiologically by detoxifying free radicals. It helps in antioxidant effects, bone development and protection, reproduction, cardiovascular, immunity, and body mass regulation.
There is also evidence that melatonin can help the brain, improve gastrointestinal function, and improve psychiatric and cardiovascular disorders.
But what does this mean for people with diabetes?
Can people with diabetes take melatonin?
Most people with diabetes can take melatonin safely.
However, always consult with your doctor before starting a new medication, even if it is over the counter.
Taking melatonin is associated with improved insulin resistance when combined with exercise. It is associated with improved antioxidant activity, hyperlipidemia and inflammatory cytokines.
Another study noted that glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity were improved in study subjects taking exogenous melatonin.
Furthermore, mice showed improved insulin sensitivity by taking melatonin without relying on weight loss.
This evidence indicates that melatonin can contribute to type 2 diabetes management by inducing insulin secretion and improving beta-cell function.
This improves blood glucose levels, A1C levels and insulin resistance in diabetic patients.
Melatonin can also help to improve complications of diabetes, such as hypertension, cardiomyopathy, retinopathy, wound healing, kidney disease, and neuropathy.
Melatonin should only be adopted in the short term, but it has proven to be safe and effective, and may also offer many health benefits.
Does melatonin affect blood sugar levels?
Taking melatonin over a longer period of time can have a positive effect on fasting blood glucose and A1c, but taking melatonin from time to time before bed to help sleep does not significantly increase or decrease blood glucose levels.
Even taking melatonin from time to time does not require hyperglycemia or insulin in food to treat hypoglycemia.
However, if you are experiencing hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia levels from taking melatonin, contact your doctor to discuss treatment options and melatonin alternatives.
Can I take melatonin?
Yes, and you can take too much melatonin.
Typical adult doses range from 1 to 10 mg per night. However, taking 30 mg or more can cause severe adverse effects.
The side effects of taking too much melatonin are as follows:
- Excessive sleepiness
- vomiting
- Difficulty breathing
- Headache or migraine
- Hypotension
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Changes in hormone levels
- Mood fluctuations
Children are particularly susceptible to overdose.
If you suspect that you or your child has overdose with melatonin, call your doctor immediately or seek emergency medical attention.
Overdose of melatonin can cause serious side effects and can even be fatal.
Who should avoid melatonin?
Always consult your doctor before you or your child begins to take melatonin.
Do not take melatonin.
- If you are pregnant or breastfeeding
- You have an autoimmune disorder (talk to your doctor)
- You have high blood pressure (talk with your doctor)
- You are suffering from depression
- I have a seizure disorder
If you are under the age of 18, seek guidance from your doctor if you wish to take melatonin.
Can diabetic children take melatonin?
Many children respond to low doses of melatonin (0.5-1 mg) when taken 30-90 minutes before bedtime.
Children with diabetes (type 1 or type 2 diabetes) do not affect whether they are able to take melatonin.
If your child is struggling to sleep, talk to your pediatrician about the appropriate dose and timing of melatonin.
Is melatonin addictive?
Sleep experts and researchers say that melatonin is not addictive.
There is no evidence that people will become physically dependent on supplements, and if you stop stopping it, you won’t develop withdrawal symptoms.
However, if you have been taking melatonin for several weeks or a month and have not improved your sleep or you find that you can’t sleep without getting enough sleep, you should consult your doctor.
Can I get melatonin from food?
yes! For some people, taking exogenous melatonin in the form of a pill can be too strong.
You can also receive melatonin from the food you eat.
The following foods naturally contain melatonin:
- banana
- Cherry
- milk
- fish
- Walnuts
- kiwi
- egg
- pistachio
- almond
- oatmeal
- Cashew nuts
- sardine
- Grapes
- salmon
- Cherry juice
- Sunflower seeds
- mushroom
Eating these foods a few hours before going to bed can improve your sleep quality.
This can be a great alternative if you don’t want to take melatonin in the form of a pill.
Are there any options for melatonin?
There are many options for taking melatonin.
Always consult your doctor if you are interested in prescription sleeping pills instead of taking melatonin.
A prescription drug called ramelteon is specially designed to mimic the effects of melatonin in the body.
However, in addition to foods rich in melatonin, the following natural strategies may help you sleep at night:
- Lowers bedroom temperature to 68 degrees Fahrenheit
- Stop all caffeine consumption at least 8 hours before bedtime
- I exercise every day, but not at night
- Take a warm bath before going to bed
- Turn off the TV (and other screens with blue light) a few hours ago
- Not too close to bedtime
- In the evening, eat a lower carbohydrate, higher protein diet
- Don’t drink too much water before going to bed (so you have to use the toilet in the middle of the night)
- Enjoying herbal tea at night
- Use black out curtains in a completely dark bedroom
- Avoid alcohol
Additionally, natural supplements and vitamins such as magnesium, Valerian root, L-theanine, chamomile, and passionflower can also help you sleep.
