Health – Melatonin, the sleep hormone

In exciting pharmacy news, melatonin is moving from the dispensary shelves out to the shop shelves. While it is still available on prescription from your doctor, melatonin is now also available for sale in pharmacies. But there are some conditions.

So what exactly is melatonin? Melatonin is a hormone produced by our bodies that signals us to fall asleep. Melatonin production in our bodies is triggered by darkness and suppressed by light. For most people, melatonin levels usually start increasing in the evening, peaking overnight and then decreasing just before dawn. Melatonin levels stay low during daylight hours when other hormones take over to help us maintain focus, energy and alertness through the day. Melatonin production decreases with age, which can contribute to increased sleep problems. Disruptions in natural melatonin levels can also be triggered by changes in timing of light exposure caused by travelling, otherwise known as jet lag.

We all know that a good night’s sleep is important for both physical and mental health, but research is now showing just how important it really is. Not getting enough sleep has been linked to weight gain, decreased immunity, increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, increased risk of stroke, memory issues, mood changes and more.

Good sleep hygiene is considered the best way to help you get a better night’s sleep. This involves putting yourself in the best position to sleep well each night by optimising your sleep schedule, pre-bed routines and harnessing habits. For example, the daily rhythm of exposure to light and dark is actually a reason why night-time light exposure can cause trouble with sleeping. Reading a book before bed, instead of looking at your phone’s bright screen, is a better choice.

Although practicing sleep hygiene is considered the best way to help you with your sleep, melatonin in a tablet form can be used to add to your body’s natural supply of melatonin, so you can fall asleep more quickly. The controlled release tablets deliver slowly over a period of time to ensure that you are also less likely to wake up during the night. 

The newly available melatonin product is a 2mg controlled release tablet and is available to purchase for people aged 55 years or over for insomnia. Still to come to pharmacies is a fast-acting melatonin product for jet lag for adults 18 years and over, so watch this space.