MaxThrustPower, there is some information in your post about melatonin that threw out the BS flag to me. That study is 12 years old. One of the more ridiculous factoids was this one"

"Mistake #6: The dosage amount isn’t important.

The problem with melatonin is that it was discovered long before scientists really understood what it does and how much you need. For example, in the late 80′s and early 90′s, we thought melatonin was a sleep hormone. Now we know it is much more complicated. In addition, tablet sizes average 3-5 mg. New evidence shows that adult males only need 150 micrograms, and the average female needs only 100 micrograms (a microgram is 1/100 th of a milligram). So the average melatonin supplement is 20 – 50 times more than we need! If you are using regular melatonin tablets, you can cut the pill into fourths, otherwise, try to find the smallest pill size available. If you are taking time-released melatonin, do not break the pill, as this will ruin the time-release."

Honestly. While the dosage is very important, 20-50 times more than we need? So we need virtually none whatsoever? The smallest dosage pill (that I've heard of) is 1 mg. Which does almost nothing, for anyone at all. And by this study, it would be about ten times more than we need? Why bother?

"Experts" say you should only take melatonin for two weeks? This is old data.

It will only affect your performance in the aircraft if you are still under the influence. If you have taken melatonin at least 9-10 hours prior to flying, it should be out of your system.

 

Don't look for advice here, but I "sleep like a baby" nearly every night or day. Unfortunately that means I toss and turn for an hour, finally cry myself to sleep, and later, I wet the bed !

 

Some of these are just not practicable for our situation (away from base).

Sleeping Tips & Tricks - National Sleep Foundation

I've done as many as 120 Time Zones in 36 Days. Eventually, you're lying on the bed, unable to sleep, exhausted, with the room spinning, and white noise ringing in your ears like Niagra Falls.

Be careful about prescription. as well as over (and under) the counter drugs.

Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners

At Southern Air, we usually cry ourselves to sleep.

You may wish to get your union safety committee involved if conditions at your carrier do not adequately address your rest needs.

Be safe

 

Turn your alarm (iPhone) up to max and make sure it is an obnoxious tone. Before Apple took away the ability to record and use any sound, I used a recording of the sea lions barking on the piers in San Francisco as my alarm ringtone. It cuts through the earplugs...

In any case, most hotel phone ringers or cellphone alarm ringtones will wake you up - your body is primed to alert to it. The foamies blank out all the extraneous noises that keep you up - vacuum cleaners, maids habla-ing in the hallway, etc.

 

Vibrating alarm watch.

 

Bose QC15 are a very comfortable noise canceling earbud. They are even better at killing jet and wind noise than their over the ear brothers, the QC20, which many of you are familiar with.

Can offer quiet environment, white noise or tunes if desired, and your alarm.

QC15i for us iPhone guys.

Absolutely fantastic for deadheads.....

 

BusDriver12: The article I quoted is *NOT* from 12-year-old-data. If you follow the above link to the Talk About Sleep website, you’ll see the article was last updated/posted just one year ago (dated 23 Aug 2013). Yes, some portions of the source material in the footnotes is as much as 12-13 years old, but the overall advice of the article has been updated to reflect current medical advice. I will quote several OTHER leading medical websites that you can check which will give similar advice. That article I posted was just a quick reference I found with a web search which seemed to state what I understood about Melatonin and wanted to convey.

National Sleep Foundation(01/01/2014) Melatonin Dosage & Sleep - National Sleep Foundation
WebMD (06/20/2012) Melatonin for Sleep: Hormone and Supplement Effects on Sleep
Mayo Clinic(11/01/2013) Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) - Drugs and Supplements - Mayo Clinic
The Huffington Post (02/21/2011) Melatonin: Not a Magic Bullet for Sleep*|*Dr. Michael J. Breus
“Dr. Oz” (9/24/2012) Fact Sheet: Melatonin | The Dr. Oz Show

Melatonin is often overused and misused in our society today. It’s a natural sleep aid, not a sleeping pill. It’s not supposed to “knock you out” like a sleeping pill. It’s a supplement to HELP your body go to sleep naturally. Your statement that “smallest dosage pill (that I've heard of) is 1 mg. Which does almost nothing, for anyone at all” indicates to me that you expect it work like a sleeping pill. It doesn’t and it won’t, regardless of how much you take. “At the wrong dosage, melatonin may actually destroy your sleep cycle. Too much melatonin at one time may also cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, or irritability.” (Dr. Oz.) So overuse of it will not only fail to improve your sleep, but it also increases the likelihood of adverse side effects! And the more you take, the longer it will take to exit your system completely and could make you unsafe for flying the next day.

How it Works:

From: No Sleepless Nights Website (No Sleepless Nights)
“The way Melatonin works is based on the quantity the body produces at certain time of the day. In the morning (typically around 7:30am) your body produces less Melatonin, and at the other end of the day (around 9:00pm) it produces more Melatonin. When you have more Melatonin in the body, your body temperature lowers and you’ll start to feel sleepy. In the morning, the reduction of Melatonin means you will start to warm up and feel less sleepy. Melatonin production in the body is also affected by light. This is why it’s a good idea to expose your body to daylight every day. This makes sure your Circadian rhythm is working properly, and you are able to sleep and wake up according to the natural cycle of night and day.”

“So Melatonin regulates sleep but doesn’t make it happen. The important thing to note then is that Melatonin helps tell the body about the timings for going to sleep and waking up. In itself it is not something which makes you fall asleep. This is the main reason why it is not thought to be much help for most kinds of insomnia. But if you have had your sleep pattern disrupted, it can help to reset your confused body and brain.”

“If you find yourself needing more than 1 mg at night to fall asleep: You may be taking too high of a dose, and you put yourself at risk of disrupting your sleep cycle. If 1 mg of melatonin isn’t enough, your body may be telling you toaddothermethods to help your sleep.” (Dr. Oz)

National Sleep Foundation on Melatonin Dosage:

“Chances are good that you have seen melatonin in health food stores or in an advertisement or article. No other hormone is available in the United States without a prescription. Because melatonin is contained naturally in some foods, the U.S. Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 allows it to be sold as a dietary supplement (e.g., vitamins and minerals). These do not need to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or controlled in the same way as drugs.”

“Because it is not categorized as a drug, synthetic melatonin is made in factories that are not regulated by the FDA. Listed doses may not be controlled or accurate, meaning the amount of melatonin in a pill you take may not be the amount listed on the package. Most commercial products are offered at dosages that cause melatonin levels in the blood to rise to much higher levels than are naturally produced in the body. Taking a typical dose (1 to 3 mg) may elevate your blood melatonin levels to 1 to 20 times normal. Side effects do not have to be listed on the product's packaging. Yet, fatigue and depression have occasionally been reported with use of melatonin.”

“When given to animals, melatonin can cause changes in blood pressure and affect fertility. Such effects in humans would be a medical risk for people with heart-related problems, hypertension and stroke, kidney disease and sleep apnea as well as for women of child-bearing age.”

“For melatonin to be helpful, the correct dosage, method and time of day it is taken must be appropriate to the sleep problem. Taking it at the "wrong" time of day may reset your biological clock in an undesirable direction. How much to take, when to take it, and melatonin's effectiveness, if any, for particular sleep disorders is only beginning to be understood.”

“While there are real concerns about the widespread use of melatonin sold as a consumer product, there have not been any reported cases of proven toxicity or overdose.”

“For some people, melatonin seems to help improve sleep…Evidence that melatonin can reset the body clock is more well established, although it is not clear whether exposure to light may be more effective. Overall, research indicates improved sleep when melatonin is taken at the appropriate time for jet lag and shift work. Appropriate dosage and any safety risks will become clear with further research.”

*In other words, after years of Melatonin being in the marketplace, there is still a lot of uncertainty from “the experts” about whether it is effective at all as well as what dosage is appropriate and safe!

The Mayo Clinic lists an astonishing range of dosages for Melatonin use in clinical trials for various medical conditions which include sleep disorders as well as many other conditions. The oral dosages ranged from a paltry 0.05 milligrams to 40 milligrams daily for short periods of time! Obviously, there is still a large disparity in what the dosage needs to be. (Link to Mayo Clinic Data: Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) - Drugs and Supplements - Mayo Clinic

WebMD says, “In most cases, melatonin supplements are safe in low doses for short-term and long-term use. … In adults, melatonin is taken in doses from 0.2 mg to 20.0 mg, based on the reason for its use. The right dose varies widely from one person to another. Talk to your doctor to learn the right dosage and to find out if melatonin is right for you.”

“How should I take melatonin? Take 0.3 -1 mg of melatonin 90 minutes before you go to sleep. This amount of time will allow your brain to recognize the melatonin you took and make you feel sleepy.” (Dr. Oz)

The Huffington Post: “The correct dosage of melatonin can be a problem. According to research conducted at M.I.T., the correct dosage of melatonin for it to be effective is 0.3-1.0 mg. Many commercially available forms of melatonin are in three to 10 times the amount your body would need. In fact, there is some evidence that higher doses may be less effective.”

Here is a link to the MIT article which summarizes the study: Scientists pinpoint dosage of melatonin for insomnia | MIT News Office

Perhaps. It depends on who you ask. And I will clarify that the intended meaning was how long it was appropriate to take daily without a break from it. After the questioning of this statement, I did see that some of the concern over the usage period has been relaxed in recent years. The point is that we are supplementing our body’s natural production of the hormone Melatonin as a temporary measure. And that’s not something we should need to do on a permanent basis unless we have other medical issues. I see now that the recognized “safe” mark for continuous usage is up to two to three months before taking a break from it.

However, that’s not to say that it should be necessary to take it for periods of three months at a time.

“If you’ve been taking melatonin for longer than two weeks: This may be a sign that your body’s sleep issues come from another problem, like stress or depression, that must be addressed differently.” (Dr. Oz)

Safety is an issue

Maybe it will. It depends on the person and the dosage. But it can cause grogginess and I have felt that side effect in me personally and I've never taken more than 3mg. And that was before I started hearing about how much we were overdosing ourselves on Melatonin.

When we take Melatonin to sleep during periods before we are scheduled to fly, it can be risky, as people react to it in different ways. I know for me, when I take Melatonin, I don’t feel as sharp the next morning for awhile. I do have some of that morning grogginess. So I don’t take it anywhere close to operating an aircraft. I tend to use it more on my days off to help reset my body clock and get a restful night’s sleep.

WebMD: If melatonin makes you feel drowsy, do not drive or operate machinery when you are taking it.

Mayo Clinic: Drowsiness or sedation may occur. Use caution in people who are driving or operating heavy machinery (including aircraft) and those taking depressants, stimulants, or sedatives.

Dr Oz: Because it is so powerful, too much melatonin may actually disrupt your sleeping pattern, which may lead to your waking up in the middle of the night. Some people complain of a “melatonin hangover,” which may lead to them feeling even more groggy and unrested! This happens because any residual melatonin in your system in the morning will make your body think it’s still nighttime – and it will be even harder to wake up.

Huffington Post: Melatonin can have side effects. Melatonin (two to three milligrams or higher) has reported side effects of:

• Headaches
• Nausea
• Next-day grogginess
• Hormone fluctuations
• Vivid dreams and nightmares

In summary, I'm not "anti-Melatonin" and I do still take it myself occasionally. However, I believe in being an 'informed consumer.' I do think there are some widespread misunderstandings in the American public that need to be addressed.

 

Even the conflicting advice about melatonin?






.

 

MaxThrustPower, after all those quotes, there is very little that you wrote that contradicts with what I said. I do not dispute much of what you quoted. Except, as TonyC pointed out, the conflicting advice given by your sources, in particular--dosage. Dr Oz and Huffington Post (such reliable sources) say 0.3-1mg, while WebMD and Mayo Clinic say up to 20mg and 40mg, respectively. A big difference there. Dosage is absolutely important, and is what is screwed up by most people who take melatonin. I gave instructions on how you are supposed to titrate yourself, and figure out the appropriate dosage for each individual.

I don't think people should use it like a sleeping pill. I've never had a sleeping pill in my life. But the 2 mg that I take works perfectly for me. You should only take it if you have enough time to sleep fully (8-9 hours), or you will be groggy. Of course you never take it when you have to fly soon, you need enough time to sleep. I used to sleep like most older people do. I'd wake up in the middle of the night, and stay up for an hour, trying to get back to sleep. I rarely dreamt, and when I woke up, I'd still be tired. I'd get a cup of coffee and it wouldn't do the trick, so I'd lie back down on the couch for an hour or two and get some more sleep (if I could). Now, with only 2 mg, if I wake up at night, I go back to sleep. I dream, and when I wake up, I feel rested. I sleep like a younger person, which is the goal.

As far as taking it during the day, there is conflicting advice on that, so I can't stand firm on doing it. But it works for me, most of the time. Instead of 3 hours of sleep, I can get 6-7 during the day. If it's not accepted practice, then don't do it.

 

Titrate, titrate, titrate....Good grief! Stop trying to impress us with that word. We've all been titrating since junior high!