waking up during the night).Ĭircadian rhythms also shift with age, so the elderly often go to bed earlier than usual and get up earlier too. Besides, they often have a more sensitive sleep, which means a shifted balance between REM and non-REM stages as well as an increased likelihood of sleep fragmentation (i.e. So, is the sleep of an elderly person different from that of an adult? Due to a decrease in melatonin production, older people need an average of 30 minutes longer to fall asleep. The truth is, though, people aged 50 years and older need the same 7-8 hours of sleep. There is a common misconception that people need less sleep with age. But are they safe? And if so, what dosage is optimal for older people? Let’s find answers together… How Do Our Sleep Patterns Change As We Age? One of the most commonly recommended solutions is taking supplements containing Melatonin. Decreased melatonin production is one of them, which explains why older people quite often have problems with falling and staying asleep. So consider this sleep myth squashed: You should not take melatonin every night.A lot of change happens to our body as we age. "Melatonin is a hormone and should be used intentionally, ideally under the guidance of a licensed health professional," says Bhopal. Ĭonsidering its potential to throw off hormone health, it makes sense that melatonin is only available as a prescription in most countries. "I have not seen good data to show that high doses of melatonin will not impact your endogenous, natural production of melatonin," echoes Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN, mbg's vice president of scientific affairs.įurthermore, initial research has found that melatonin supplementation may negatively affect the function of other hormones like estrogen and male growth hormone 3. "It's important to remember that melatonin is a hormone and using any hormone regularly can down-regulate your own production of that hormone," notes Bonney. And beyond being ineffective, taking melatonin every night can be harmful. While short-term melatonin use is considered safe for most people, there is limited research to show that it is effective for promoting sleep long term. Some also tested positive for unlisted ingredients like serotonin, a neurotransmitter chemical (and a controlled substance.) She points to one study that tested melatonin supplements and found that they can contain anywhere from 83% less to 478% more melatonin than listed on the label. The vast majority of melatonin supplements are synthetic and can be made at varying quality standards. In addition to sticking to lower doses, Bhopal notes that it's important to buy melatonin from a reputable brand. This means that most people will want to take it within the hour leading up to bed to help them fall asleep at their desired time. Seema Bonney, M.D., the founder and medical director of the Anti-Aging & Longevity Center of Philadelphia, notes that melatonin typically stays in the system between four to eight hours, and it can take 30 minutes to two hours to "kick in" depending on the formulation. "I tell my clients 'less is more' when it comes to melatonin," she says, as taking higher doses of it can increase the likelihood of uncomfortable side effects like grogginess upon waking. To correct a short-term sleep disruption, Bhopal recommends taking no more than 0.5 to 1 milligram of melatonin at a time. But once you get your sleep schedule back on track, it's best to stop taking the hormone, as consuming melatonin nightly-especially in high doses-is not recommended. In other words, it can make it easier for you to fall asleep at a new time. "Melatonin is really helpful as a 'chronobiological agent' to adjust the sleep cycle," explains Nishi Bhopal, M.D., a psychiatrist specializing in sleep medicine.īhopal notes- and other experts agree-that increasing melatonin levels through supplementation can be helpful for correcting a temporary disruption in your sleep-wake cycle, like when you're traveling to a new time zone or acclimating to a night shift at work. This is where melatonin supplements usually come in. People who use bright lights or technology at night, or who need to stay awake during the evenings for work or travel, might find that their melatonin levels are out of whack, causing them to feel wide-awake when they should be asleep. Melatonin levels usually rise after sunset (hence its nickname "the hormone of darkness") and fall when the sun rises in the morning, which helps your body wake up. The amount of melatonin you produce depends on a number of factors, with the biggest being your exposure to light. Melatonin is a hormone that our pineal gland secretes to tell the body that it's time to wind down for sleep.
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