Melontin Anyone?

I take a 3mg and on rare occasions I take a second one. since we know we can take a 10 mg I see no problem with taking a second one if I wake up

I have learned a bit about this because we have a child with a diagnosed sleep disorder.

First, Melatonin should be taken about 4 hours before bedtime. And activities should be limited for the hour before bedtime (quiet reading, no exciting tv or computer games, listening to audio books, etc).

Second, if your Melatonin says "FDA approved" on it, it is not true and the whole product should be suspect. Melatonin is not a drug, it's a hormone that is natural, and the FDA does not regulate it nor approve it.

Third, a national study by a reputable hospital investigated the Melatonin in most over-the-counter brands that you can buy at Costco, your supermarket, the pharmacy shelves, etc. They found a huge discrepancy in the actual product in the pills. Some had too much, some too little, some varied from pill to pill in the same bottle... you get the idea.

Our doctor told us to only buy Melatonin from a company called Life Extension Foundation (www.lef.org). They are the only producer of Melatonin that the hospital knew of who submits to outside investigation of their standards and our doctor (who is a sleep specialist at a major hospital) said their Melatonin dosage could be trusted. And it's about the same price as what you could get at any store.

They offer fast acting and time-delayed Melatonin. You might try both for a week or so and see which one helps. Many people try the 3 mg to start.

I take two melatonin 3 mg each, 1 hr prior to going to bed. i have no issues sleeping.

I think you need to try something else. Falling asleep and staying asleep are two different issues, sometimes related but not always. From what I understand, melatonin will not help you stay asleep.

Have you tried white noise?

I take the 3mg. If you wake up, I do not suggest watching TV...it messes up your sleep cycle.

Also, ensure that you're getting enough water during the day and eating properly.

I take 3mg or 5mg. I usually sleep a good 4 or 5 hours, take another and sleep the rest of the night. I don't always wake up in the middle of the night and take another, but often. It doesn't take long at all to fall back asleep. Maybe 5 or 10 minutes max and it's not hard at all to wake up a few hours later. I dont hesitate to take that second pill because I know it wont make me groggy or oversleep.

HI
I have the same sleeping problem, it is awful. I too started to take
Melontin, my Dr recommended it. I take the 3 mg and sometimes
take 2 pills if I know I am going to have a hard night. I have found that
they work really well, normally. If my mind is racing then it is still
hard to fall asleep and stay asleep.
There are some things you need to do ..... 1- do not watch tv or
read at least 1 hour before bed. You have to train your brain to let
go and relax so you can sleep. 2- do a little physical excercise before you go to bed, simple things, stretching, sit ups, etc. this helps slowing down your thoughts and puts your mind in your body. 3- once in bed
try wiggling you feet around. This also takes your mind out of your brain and into your body, your energy moves to your feet, keep doing it till you fall asleep. which will be quicker than you think. - or as fast as you quit thinking.

My sleep doctor told me to take 5-6mg 30 minutes before I go lay down to sleep. If you wake up in the middle of the night, do not watch TV. Do something that requires very little light. When you have anything with light shining in your face, you'll wake up even more. Instead, read or do something where the light is behind you and is subtle.

Melotonin, unfortunately, didn't work for me. I tried all different strengths... Good luck!!!!

My daughter takes Melatonin for sleep issues. We've found the time released Melatonin is better for her as it releases throughout the night. It takes a little longer to initially dose off than the other Melatonin but she maintains the sleep once she's asleep.

I take melatonin occasionally. When I do, I take 3mg. On the nights that I take melatonin I don't ever have any trouble sleeping the whole night. If I do wake up, it's just to use the bathroom and then I am able to go right back to sleep. The only times melatonin hasn't worked for me are the times I stayed up too long after taking it and I missed the "window" of feeling sleepy.

My doctor said to take 3 mg. I can take 3mg 1/2 hour before lying down to sleep, then sleep all night and awake refreshed. My husband can take 3mg 1/2 hour before lying down to sleep, then sleep 20 minutes to 2 hours, then awake and be unable to sleep the rest of the night. I suspect it must be a very individual thing.

I take 5-6 mg, which was the maximum my doctor told me to take. It doesn't always work for me, though. Have you tried Valarium Root? That stuff knocks me out flat for 8-10 hours (I only use it for special, OMG-I-NEED-TO-GET-SOME-SLEEP occasions).

Dosage wise I don't know exactly, but it is more effective when taken 2-3 hours before going to bed.

I take the 10 mg and I have taken as many as three to get to sleep! I'm glad you asked this question because I don't know what the normal dosage is, I only know that sometimes it takes me 2 - 3 to get to sleep!