do melatonin work in aiding your sleep?

I would suggest you only begin to try out the OTC remedies after exhausting all other possibilities. Melatonin is naturally produced by the body and you can boost levels by eating certain foods, for example walnuts.

There are a lot of other things you can try and I suggest you look at http://findbestsleepaids.com/ for advice. One thing you should know is that what works for one person, may not necessarily work for another so you may need to keep trying different things.

Hope that helps, but I repeat, please try alternative remedies before taking medications without your doctors advice.

I have been taking 2mg tablets of melatonin nightly for several months now. I don't consider myself dependent on it and on the weekends I usually get to sleep just fine without it. But for those weeknights (like tonight!) when the last thing I feel like doing is going to sleep before working the next morning, I swear by it.

By saying that, you might assume that it does work. Honestly, I'm not sure if it's placebo effect. When I initially took it, I could have sworn I felt *something* - but once again, it could be in my head. Truthfully, melatonin is not going to knock you out. It's a natural hormone of the body and it's nothing like a chemical sleep aid (I've tried those and they're a little *too* much and the side effects can be bad). What intrigued me about melatonin--and why I think it works well for me--is that it triggers the areas of your brain that put you in the "mood" for sleep. That doesn't mean it knocks you out, but it does make your bed look a little more appealing.

For me, I made sleep a ritual. Taking the melatonin gives my body an internal cue that I'm getting ready for bed. However, I also do other things to prepare for bed that are part of this ritual, like brushing my teeth and shutting my lights off. I also listen to audiobooks with soft, monotone narrators. Doing these things in conjunction has essentially solved my insomnia without the use of any chemical drugs. It's certainly not going to be that easy for everyone. It took me a decade to figure out the right combination, and the melatonin certainly helped.

The only side effect I experienced within the first month of taking melatonin was vivid dreaming. They weren't usually nightmares or anything horrific. I just remembered my dreams more consistently and vividly--they were like any other dreams I've had in the past in terms of content and experience. The only difference is I remember my dreams infrequently and hazily, so it was a pretty significant change to remember them clearly and nightly.

Melatonin is a circadian aid: it resets the bodily clock by biorhythm control. You should not be watching tv or using the computer if you are trying to fall asleep. They are too active for our brains-try a good book, soft music, warm milk, etc. Set up a little ritual whereby you can fall asleep-like your fave pajamas, a certain scene or image, or a mantra/visualization that you will sleep as certain # of hrs. Check these out and if you have any questions your doctor is the best one to answer them!

Melatonin is the hormone that is secreted by the pineal gland which is responsible for sleep it's natural and safe to take as a sleeping supplement. Although there are some possible side effects that are usually minor such as headaches, vivid dreams, and fast heartbeat.