Melatonin as an Anxiety Reliever: Examining its Efficiency, Usage, and Additional Factors
Melatonin, a hormone synthesized in the pineal gland, has gained attention for its potential benefits in managing sleep disorders and anxiety.
Melatonin plays a crucial role in regulating the body's sleep-wake cycles and promoting sleep. It can help reduce sleep onset latency, the time it takes to fall asleep, by about 7 to 29 minutes, particularly in children and adolescents with comorbid disorders like ADHD or autism spectrum disorder. Evidence also supports its ability to increase total sleep time modestly and improve sleep quality in primary and secondary sleep disorders, jet lag, and shift work sleep disorder.
While melatonin's evidence base is strongest for improving sleep onset and some circadian-related sleep disorders, its effects on anxiety are less definitive. Some users report calming and relaxing effects that can indirectly aid anxiety-related sleep disturbances, but it is not primarily an anxiolytic drug.
Common supplements and vitamins for anxiety include Vitamin D, Vitamin B complex (B6 and B12), L-theanine, Omega-3, Valerian, and Lavender. For those seeking pharmaceutical options, antidepressants such as serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) can treat anxiety by controlling stress and mood. Other options include beta-blockers, typically used for high blood pressure, and Buspirone, a nonbenzodiazepine that can help treat anxiety but may take time to show results.
Benzodiazepines, which act faster than antidepressant medications, can be useful as the first-line treatment for anxiety, but they can cause serious withdrawal symptoms if used long term. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are behavioral therapies that can also help reduce anxiety and discomfort.
It's important to note that melatonin supplements can interact with other medications and produce certain side effects, requiring a doctor's recommendation. Common side effects include dizziness, nausea, headaches, drowsiness, agitation, irritability or restlessness, dry mouth, dry or itchy skin, pains in arms or legs, strange dreams or night sweats.
Before taking melatonin, individuals should consult a healthcare professional, as it can interact with other medications, such as blood thinners, antidepressants, and blood pressure medications. Severe anxiety symptoms, such as a high heart rate, feelings of depression, sleeping difficulties, or suicidal thoughts, should be addressed by visiting a doctor.
Exposure to light, especially blue light, can cause low melatonin levels. Melatonin supplements are available as oral tablets, transdermal patches, and rectal suppositories. Research has indicated other uses of melatonin, including treating age-related cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative disorders.
If you or someone you know is in crisis and considering suicide or self-harm, seek support from the 988 Lifeline, Crisis Text Line, or Befrienders Worldwide. Common causes of anxiety include exposure to stressful environments, a family history of anxiety or other mental disorders, medical conditions such as diabetes, heart arrhythmias, or thyroid disorders, overuse of caffeine or illegal substances.
In summary, melatonin is a powerful tool for improving sleep onset and managing certain sleep disorders, particularly in children and certain secondary insomnia cases. While it may aid relaxation that can help with anxiety-related sleep trouble, it is not established as a primary treatment for anxiety itself. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting any new supplement regimen.
- Melatonin, a hormone synthesized in the pineal gland, can help reduce sleep onset latency, the time it takes to fall asleep, by about 7 to 29 minutes, particularly in children and adolescents with comorbid disorders like ADHD or autism spectrum disorder.
- Science has shown that melatonin plays a crucial role in regulating the body's sleep-wake cycles and promoting sleep.
- Before taking melatonin, individuals should consult a healthcare professional, as it can interact with other medications, such as blood thinners, antidepressants, and blood pressure medications.
- Melatonin supplements can be useful in treating age-related cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative disorders, according to recent research.
- Common supplements and vitamins for anxiety include melatonin, Vitamin D, Vitamin B complex (B6 and B12), L-theanine, Omega-3, Valerian, and Lavender, while pharmaceutical options may include antidepressants, beta-blockers, Buspirone, and benzodiazepines.
