Question about melatonin

[BethC]

Hi! I've been seeing "melatonin" on other threads but I've never heard of it. What is it and what is it for? Thanks!

[goops]

Melatonin is a hormone which your body produces while you are sleeping. A lot of people (including me) take it to help them sleep better. Most people take Melatonin about a 1/2 before going to sleep. Some people believe that Melatonin helps prevent cancer - it has also been reported to slow down the growth of breast cancer:

http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/n...-breast-cancer

In one of my alternative cancer treatment books it says that if you have to much light in your room your body does not produce enough melatonin which increases your risk for cancer. They also claim that night lights do the same thing. The book also claims that people who work nights have a higher cancer risk because they sleep during daytime hours.

[Bill]

Hi Beth! I'm not an expert, but here's what I know. Melatonin is a substance produced by the penal gland to help regulate our circadium rhythms (sleep cycles). Also, it is an anti-oxidant.( Not enough of one to thwart the effects of chemo.) Natural production of Melatonin within the body decreases after age 40. I have taken Melatonin many times. It is available at most large chain pharmacies in the sleep aid section. It just helped me to get drowsy and fall asleep, and I slept longer and better with it. I would recommend talking to your doctor about it, then your pharmacist, and if you decide to try some, buy a tablet cutter and try a half dose at first, not that it's really potent or anything, but maybe that's all you need to help you sleep. In my experience, there are no morning side effects like grogginess, or whatever that you normally get from OTC sleep aids, sominex, and all the -PM meds. Hope this helps, Love, Bill