MELATONIN-HORMONE OF SLEEP-CORRECTING SLEEP DISORDERS

  SLEEP DISORDERS AND TREATMENTS

                           A good night's sleep indicates that our body is in good health.

Insomnia is the condition in which a person is hardly getting sleep.

Generally, our brain controls all activities of our body including wake and sleep.

The pineal gland is an endocrine situated deep in the centre of the two halves of our brain.

Melatonin is synthesized by the pineal gland from the neuronal excitatory hormone known as 5-hydroxytryptophan (5HT3) or serotonin. Melatonin is chemically known as N-acetyl-5-methoxy tryptophane or roughly be called as acetyl methoxy tryptophane.

Melatonin is not a sleeping medicine like some antihistamines, gabaergic, or anticholinergic. But it helps a person to fall asleep by induction and regulating sleep patterns like the circadian clock.

When darkness fell the room our natural circadian rhythm reaches the mood of asleep. This is induced by our third eye known as the pineal gland by releasing melatonin into our blood.

Melatonin helps our body to identify the time for sleep when lights went off and darkness gets in.

Melatonin helps our body to prepare for sleep by relaxation, decreased respiration, and body temperature, yet it is not a sleeping drug. Melatonin does not keep you dull or sleepy.

When the sun rises in the morning our eyes detect light and our third eye the pineal gland reduces the secretion of melatonin. Melatonin preparations are available in the market as food supplements.

One can use it with the following precautions. Because overdosage and overtime use may produce side effects.

Melatonin can be used safely for 1 year for continuous use. After that one should put at least a three-month gap.

Melatonin can be dosed from 05 to 10 milligrams according to the person's needs.

05 mg may give a person to sleep for 1 hour while 10 mg may give you 7 to 10 hours of sleep. A low dose is always safe.

Melatonin is having other advantages also such as fat loss, muscle gain, improved metabolism, and muscle protection. It prevents muscle waste.

Melatonin does not keep a person asleep but it will induce sleep.

On overdose melatonin actually, reset your circadian clock and your sleep pattern will be changed.

The Science of Sleep:-

Our body has its own sense of rhythms known as circadian rhythmic cycles in a 24 hour day time. These cycles are involved by the secretions of various chemicals and activities to schedule our body's various daily programs such as what to do and when to do. These circadian cycles are actually known as the Mind in Mind. This In Mind has to be prepared or to be consulted by our mind before scheduling any program.

For example, if a person has got an engagement in the morning for that he set his alarm to wake him up at 6 o'clock in the morning. But when the alarm rings at 6 a.m the person cannot get up and his mind and mood will not cooperate with him to get up to attend the scheduled program.

This is because his mind did not consult or programmed the In Mind or the circadian clock accordingly.

Melatonin is one of the chemicals involved in the circadian rhythms to schedule our sleep time when darkness falls. Melatonin tells our body to go to bed because it is time for sleep when your bedroom becomes dark.

This circadian cycle starts from the brain's suprachiasmatic nucleus which is situated at the centre of the brain. At the sunrise in the morning when light fills the bedroom the suprachiasmatic nucleus sends circadian signals down to the spine. The body sets the program ready for the day. When the light falls on the eyes the retina sends back the signals to the suprachiasmatic nucleus which in turn commands the pineal gland to reduce melatonin release. In the evening when the light dims and darkness falls on the retina again signals go to the pineal gland through the suprachiasmatic nucleus to increase the melatonin release into the blood and the cerebrospinal fluids. The presence of melatonin attains its peak at midnight. Normal sleep starts. This is the science of sleep. Any disturbance to this science may result in normal sleep disorders.

Side Effects: -Side effects are few as follows.

1.Headache

2.Short Depression

3.Sleepiness, somnambulant

4.Dizziness

5.Stomach pain

6.Hypothermia

7.Bedwetting in Children

8.Day time drowsiness in adults.

Do not drive at least for 4 hours after taking melatonin.
Merits:-
Melatonin is safer than clonazepam in patients with Parkinson Disease
Melatonin is graded as a food supplement and not a sedative by the FDA because it works entirely in a different pathway.
Melatonin by itself is a derivative of serotonin a hormone of peace and an excitatory neurotransmitter. Sedatives and sleeping pills are working through Gamma Amino Butyric Acid (GABA) pathway which is a neuronal inhibitory pathway.
Of course, serotonin is an excitatory neurotransmitter it is not as powerful as the catecholamines and hence it is not hormone of stress.
Similarly, serotonin has some inhibitory effects on some nerve synapses but not as strong as GABA and hence it would not produce much drowsiness and sedation.
Comparisons:-
GABA-ergic sleeping medicines like benzodiazepines such as alprazolam,midazolam,nitrazepam and diazepam may cause more sedation and respiratory depressions.
GABA-ergic neuroleptics like Gabapentin, Pregabalin are all producing fatal drowsiness and sedation
In addition, all of the above drugs can cause addiction.
But melatonin is very safe and free from all the above drawbacks as it is based on serotonin

Contraindications:-
Do not take sedatives like diazepam or zolpidem with melatonin
Do not take omeprazole like PPI medicines.
Do not take anticoagulants like aspirin, clopidogrel, or warfarin along with melatonin.
Do not take diclofenac like pain killers along with melatonin.
Consult with a neuro specialist before taking this medicine.