Is it better to use sleeping pills or a non prescription medication like melatonin for sleep?
Melatonin is a brain hormone (pineal gland) that is secreted according to a person’s biorhythm. It is low during the day and peaks in the middle of the night. Exposure to light and dark controls its secretion rather than when sleep occurs (12). It has been well documented to be lower than normal in subjects with insomnia and administration of it may improve sleep problems in some people (13). Taking melatonin may be more beneficial in circadian rhythm disorders such as jet lag or shift workers (14, 15). Melatonin levels are lower in menopausal women who have insomnia and higher in menopausal women with depression and hyperprolactinemia (16). The hormone is a marker for circadian rhythm disturbance (as is cortisol) but not necessarily something that needs to be replaced (17). You can have your level checked with a home test called SleepCheck. A dose of 10 mg a day by mouth seems to be safe over a 30 day period (18) but whether it should be used on a regular basis for insomnia or circadi
