Ah, sleep—our nightly escape into the land of dreams, where we frolic with imaginary creatures or movie stars and eat cake for breakfast. But do you remember what true, restful sleep feels like? What happens when those fun, fluffy dreams turn into insomniac nightmares? 

With 50% of Canadian adults having trouble falling or staying asleep and about 25% not getting the recommended hours of sleep¹, you’re not alone if you’re considering sleep medication, melatonin, or another sleep supplement to help you get back to dreamland again. 

While we can’t tell you what your experience will be like exactly when using melatonin or other sleep aids, we can explain how melatonin works and what sleep problems melatonin may be able to help with, so you feel better finding the most effective sleep aid for you.

Melatonin as a Sleep Aid

Did you know that your body naturally produces the hormone melatonin in a gland in the brain? Think of melatonin as that chill friend or partner who helps you wind down after a long day. The brain releases melatonin mostly at night to signal your body that it’s time for sleep. 

This may be one reason why sleep problems often occur in shift workers—when you try and sleep during the day, your body’s natural levels of melatonin are low. This natural production of melatonin that helps us maintain a regular sleep-wake cycle corresponds to night and day, not the hours you work. So, using melatonin as a sleep aid can be particularly helpful for adjusting your sleep around shift work or battling jet lag after that 2 a.m. flight to Vancouver, for example.

We know what you’re thinking—is it safe? While melatonin is considered safe for many people, using the right dosage is important. Taking too much melatonin can cause side effects such as headaches, nausea, dizziness and even muscle aches. Plus, using more than your body needs could leave you quite groggy when waking, so you may have to experiment to find the right dose for you.

So, does melatonin work as a sleep aid? For many people, yes. Many people swear by it. However, like any sleep aid, different people will have differing results. Frustrating, we know and, frankly, while melatonin can be an effective dream maker, it doesn’t work for everyone.

If you do take melatonin, read all you can about it, especially the instructions on the packaging. Timing can be key to your success. Melatonin needs to be taken about 30-60 minutes before bedtime to work effectively. Take it too early and you might find yourself staring at the ceiling at 3 a.m. Too late and you may need someone to drag you out of bed and push you through the first part of your day.

Why Should You Try Melatonin

So, should you stock up on melatonin supplements or melatonin-based sleep aids, or go it alone and hope for the best? It’s hard to make important decisions when you’re sleepy, so think about it this way: What’s your situation?

• Do you toss and turn while traveling? Melatonin might be the key to helping you adjust.
• Shift worker? Melatonin might help reset your sleep cycle so you can fall asleep when it’s light and then work through the night.
• Looking for a longer-term sleep buddy? Melatonin may work, but if you have chronic sleep problems, it’s probably time to talk to your doctor to see what else may be keeping you awake.
• Do you like waffles? Then waffle back and forth, so you don’t have to choose. Keep melatonin and other types of sleep aids (not waffles) in your medicine cabinet (and away from children) so you have a sleep solution that fits almost every need.

Sleep-eze now offers melatonin-based sleep aid Rest-eze™ in addition to our array of other sleep aids. It’s formulated with 5 mg of melatonin to help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep and 250mg of Ashwaganda to help ease stress and help you unwind.

One final note, at the risk of this article making you sleepy, if you are over age 65, have any health conditions, or are taking other medications or supplements, check with your doctor or pharmacist first. Make sure adding melatonin won’t interact with any meds you’re taking and will be safe for you. 

¹ Public Health Agency of Canada. Last updated: 2019-09-06. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/canadian-adults-getting-enough-sleep-infographic.html