Question for you: I am a chronic mild insomniac (potentially with some variation of ADHD, but this may be a byproduct of insomnia, unsure of the directionality; currently being investigated) with a lifelong pattern of occasional sleep delay onset but frequently “waking up too early” with my mind running, frequently having gaps of up to an hour in the middle of the night for no specific reasons even if I subjectively feel quite tired/sleepy. Circadian rhythm disruptions seem to be a semi-regular thing.
There are a number of sleep hygiene issues that will hopefully be resolved as kids get older, but in the meantime: I occasionally take an “herbal sleep aid” that has small amounts of chamomile, hops, passionflower, skullcap, catnip, etc, but also 500mcg of melatonin. Probably 3-4x per week, just a single capsule.
I generally find this aids my ability to fall asleep again quickly after a sleep disturbance at night, and I seem to be fairly sensitive to pharmaceuticals in general – everything from melatonin to caffeine.
Just became aware of this study:
I know the researchers are concerned about confounds, and I’m not sure what dosages would be like in the UK via prescription vs over the counter in NA, but is there any reason to avoid melatonin based on this study’s findings, or at least approach very cautiously?
I do not have any personal concerns regarding melatonin and cardiovascular disease. I can’t give you medical advice here, but my money is on that insomnia is very common amongst people who are at high risk of developing heart failure.
I think what caught my attention was that the "control” group (it was observational) wasn’t on melatonin, or at least didn’t have a prescription (UK data). It’s a bit of a messy study.
I didn’t realize that about the directionality though (heart failure causing insomnia), good to know!
I’m honestly not sure if it’s the melatonin doing the trick, but I do seem to be able to fall back asleep when woken up in the night with it.
As you might predict, lots of conditions can cause insomnia. It’s kind of like BMI to me, where a “normal” or low BMI correlates with increased mortality in older adults. It’s not the BMI per se’, but rather the medical condition that caused the low BMI (e.g. many types of cancer) that increases the mortality risk.