You don't have to be a shiftworker or jet setter to have awkward or non-existent sleeping habits, but both groups suffer quite a bit. Melatonin,one of the more popular over-the-counter supplements, may be headed toward anew delivery system, a patch placed on the body with small pulses of thehormone administered throughout the evening (or day), through your skin!
I've written about thissleep aid frequently because I get so many questions on it. Many supplementcompanies and health food stores will claim that melatonin is a naturalsleeping aid or nightcap because it "naturally" helps regulate sleep-wakecycles. Given its wide spread availability today, you'd presume it's safe andeffective.
Is it?
Well, that depends. Melatonin has been shown to helpregulate sleep cycles in certain populations and really help out quite a fewpeople, but like anything there are pros and cons :
- The precise mechanism of melatonin secretion inthe body is not well understood. We do know, however, that melatonin isn't justabout sleep-wake cycles. It's been shown to help regulate the femalereproductive cycle and may also affect the onset of puberty. Children who take melatonin can suffera delay in sexual development. (Sonever ever give a child a melatonin supplement.)
- This new patch study showed that men and womenhad different levels of melatonin in their system with the same dosage patch! Soa gender difference may apply.
- Studies have pointed to melatonin's role inregulating blood flow, specifically in constrictingcoronary arteries.
- And it's been suggested that melatonin can increase depression in people prone tothe illness.
For the record, melatoninis a hormone, and it's not aregulated drug under the FDA. No other hormone is available in the UnitedStates without a prescription. In some parts of Europe, melatonin is availableby prescription only.
If this experimental patch version of melatonin reaches themarket, it could have a much bigger effect on the body than just popping apill. The half-life of a melatonin pill is short and it doesn't last long; apatch, on the other hand, can deliver small doses throughout its use to keepthe levels in the body consistent for a longer, stronger effect. This might begreat for shift workers who sleep during the day, when the body does not liketo produce melatonin.
The patch has been tested on people who sleep duringdaylight hours and work at night.. For this reason, I can see why a melatonin patch could be helpful to those who maintainschedules opposite to the usual solar day (where the body prefers to be functional).
And I have great respect for thosewho manage to live this life for the sake of their careers and my safety (e.g.,emergency care, pilots, etc.). But, even though the patch would be sold as a prescription, it wouldn'tsurprise me to see people getting their hands on it without trying other sleephygiene tactics first, which can be far more effective and healthieroverall for the body, particularly for those of us that can really get ourshut-eye at night.
Sweet Dreams,
Michael J. Breus, PhD
The Sleep Doctor™
This article on sleep and melatonin is also available at Dr. Breus's official blog, The Insomnia Blog.