Natrol Sleep Advanced Melatonin Time Release Tablets, Nighttime Sleep Aid, 10mg, 60 Count

Getting to sleep on time is more work than I ever figured
Melatonin changes your circadian rhythm. It does not make you sleep. Your body does that. According to my doctor, you need to give any natural supplement like melatonin time to work.If you want something that works faster, then try Silexan – this is a purified extract from lavender oil. It works by relieving tension and anxiety allowing you to fall asleep. Assuming it works (it’s pretty mild), it will work on the first or second pill. I tried Integrative Therapeutics and it was very effective putting me to sleep but it didn’t keep me asleep.Melatonin is synthesized from serotonin, so if you are depressed/anxious then odds are good that your serotonin levels are low and you have very little melatonin. If this is so, then the odds that melatonin pills will work are pretty good. Of course, if it ain’t so, then it could be something else completely. For example, my cortisol (stress hormone) levels are upside down – low in the morning and very high in the evening. It just keeps rising as the night advances and I get livelier. In order for the melatonin to work, first I had to control the cortisol levels. I did this by taking ashwagandha supplements. I attended a tutorial for MD’s taught by Dr. Low Dog. She is an herbalist, MD, faculty at the Univ. of Arizona program in Integrative Medicine. She also started and Chaired the US government committee which reviews herbal supplements and safety. According to Dr. Low Dog, ashwagandha will reverse this odd cortisol pattern but you have to take it 24/7 for at least four weeks. I’ve been taking it for 6 weeks and I think it’s finally working. I’m getting sleepy at night instead of running around in circles faster and faster.Of course, I’m still going to bed at 2 AM. So, I ordered some melatonin. Because Dr. Low Dog also had a lecture on melatonin and it’s very, very beneficial even if it doesn’t make you sleepy. It’s a powerful antioxidant and I notice the price is way lower than many other powerful antioxidants.Took melatonin 2 hours before desired bedtimeDay one – worked as if it were a knockout pill – slept 12 hoursDays 2-4 – no apparent effectDays 5 – very similar to day oneRepeat days 2-5After two weeks: bedtime is changing to desired bedtime but sleep cycle is still 12 hours one night followed by nights of short sleep with no apparent early sleepiness. Also, cycles of short vs. long nights of sleep is getting shorter.In a fit of frustration, I took the melatonin AND the silexan together. I slept for 12 hours and then spent 3 hours flopping around in bed, grunting and trying to wake up enough to haul myself out. Only for the desperate.In the middle of the two weeks, I realized the chemical connection between melatonin and serotonin. I am bipolar and a known under producer of serotonin. I went and ate some inositol – this is vitamin B8 normally produced by the probiotics in your gut but I’m also being treated for a gut infection. Inositol is required for the production of serotonin along with a few other ingredients. The inositol usually controls my panic attacks, anxiety and depression but those symptoms seem to be under control. Sure enough, for about 2-4 days after I took the inositol, my sleep improved dramatically. Looks like you need serotonin and melatonin to stay calm enough to sleep and to stay asleep.If you don’t want to tinker with your serotonin levels (an activity not without danger), Dr. Low Dog recommends either chamomile or lemon balm tea. Both are calming, simple, effective and inexpensive (she likes inexpensive, the first MD I’ve ever heard praise a $3 box of medicine in teabags). The trick is to drink 3-4 cups throughout the day, every day, to get the effect. Remember to give it some time to get going. Also, both lemon balm and chamomile have no known safety issues with other herbs, supplements or medications. What about inositol? Well, if you are the wrong kind of bipolar genetics ( the over-methylators = 30% of bipolars respond poorly. Bipolars are 2% of the population, so about 0.6% of the general population responds poorly. I don’t know about other genetic conditions that might be sensitive ) then it might make you manic in high doses.Conclusion; the melatonin is working great but I’m afraid to take it because I might sleep 12 hours. It’s most likely much too strong especially the time-release portion. Time to order some more melatonin and try again.And if the melatonin never really works? I’m still taking it. It’s MUCH less expensive than other antioxidants and I’m a big believer in protecting my mitochondria. I’ve had my mitochondria taken out before and it’s simply awful.Please don’t start taking any of these supplements without getting more background first. There are side effects.Update: It turns out it’s best to start melatonin at a lower level (3 mg was right for me), then after a few months you can increase the level as you build up a small tolerance. I’ve settled on 5 mg quick release. My friend and I both had this reaction.

take as directed
these seem to work better for me than the regular melatonin I was taking. I still wake up during the night but I fall back to sleep easily

My wife buys this for me when I’m getting low.
There is nothing to dislike. I need this to use with my sleep machine. I always wake up refreshed

Didn’t notice a difference in sleep quality
I have severe insomnia. I take sleep meds, psych meds, vitamins, supplements and I still wake up every hour or two at night. It is miserable. I thought the time release melatonin sounded like a great option. I took it for several months and I didn’t really notice a tangible difference. I switched back to the regular release bc I know for sure that does something.