From: David Lubkin (lubkin@unreasonable.com)
Date: Thu Jul 01 1999 - 23:49:33 MDT
Both my daughter and I recently started taking melatonin. I followed the advice in
Smart Drugs and Nutrients II (ref:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0962741876/qid%3D930889217/002-4713766-4973440
Start with 3 mg a day (I recommend doing this when you don't have to go anywhere
the next morning!). If you are drowsy the following day, drop the dose until you're not.
If you're not sleeping better, raise the dose.
Turns out that the effective dose ranges from person to person from 0.1 mg to 200 mg
(Not a typo!). At 3 mg, my daughter (13) slept for 12.5 hours. She has settled at .6-1 mg;
I take 1 mg.
Important melatonin facts:
Melatonin is the principal hormone produced by the pineal gland, "a key element in the
maintenance of ... endocrine regulation, immune system integrity, and circadian rhythm."
Melatonin production is triggered by low light levels, and turned off when sunlight hits
your retina in the morning (which seems pretty cool to me). So it's reasonable to expect
that people will screw up their sleep cycles due to artificial lighting. Because of this, it is
CRITICAL to take melatonin at night. I take it around 9 or 10 PM. If you take it during the
day, it makes things WORSE. For example, taken at night, it inhibits tumor growth in cancer
patients; taken during the day, it accelerates tumor growth. (Precisely when you take it
in the evening does affect when you fall asleep and how groggy you'll be the next day.)
Production drops as you age. At 41, I produce 80% of what I did at 20. It's a straight-
line drop for men, and an S-curve for women (due to menopause). Old people don't
necessarily sleep less because they don't need the sleep; they may just sleep less because
they *can't* sleep.
It's also a great jet-lag treatment. One large dose your first night and you're over it. Also
reported to improve mental performance and longevity, and reduce depression and
seasonal affective disorder.
-- David Lubkin.
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