Guest guest Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 Hi Sondra, The point I was trying to make about melatonin is that even though it is a hormone that the body normally produces, it is still quite powerful and I believe it is often used unnecessarily or in excess. This is one of the very few countries where melatonin is sold as a " nutritional supplement " . In much of Europe and in Canada melatonin can only be obtained by prescription. This is due to concerns that viruses could be transmitted thorough animal products that are used in the manufacturing process of melatonin supplements. Hormones are often used to fool the body. Birth control pills are used to make the body believe it is already pregnant. Melatonin is used in a similar manner, but affects sleep/wake cycles. That's why it's useful for jet lag. You can fool the body into thinking it's time to sleep even if it's the middle of the day because you are giving it a hormone that the body produces at night to induce sleep. But just because melatonin induces sleep doesn't mean it's due to a melatonin deficiency, in the same way that taking aspirin to cure a headache doesn't mean the headache was caused by " aspirin deficiency " . We really shouldn't mess around with hormones unless we have had specific levels tested. If melatonin induces sleep in spite of an underlying sensory issue, it's just that temporarily the effects of melatonin are more powerful than the proprioceptive issues. That's why addressing the underlying issues can eliminate the need for exogenous substances to promote sleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 If melatonin induces sleep in spite of an underlying sensory issue, it's just that temporarily the effects of melatonin are more powerful than the proprioceptive issues. That's why addressing the underlying issues can eliminate the need for exogenous substances to promote sleep. ************** thanks as this is of what i was of wondering, so teh melatonin just tricks the body and overrides the neurolgy and sort of forces a sleep. i to wondered of how that works because I to know for self it does help of me greatly to get of a good sleep so if having a few days of severe non sleep days I to take of it if remember of it and it does give me a good sleep enough to cope that day. sondra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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