Current:Home > BackAre there melatonin side effects? What to know about the sleep aid's potential risks.-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Are there melatonin side effects? What to know about the sleep aid's potential risks.
View Date:2024-12-24 20:53:59
Catching a flight across the country or just having some trouble sleeping? Many people turn to melatonin supplements in these instances for extra help catching some Z’s.
While melatonin does not have huge risk factors tied to it, every supplement can bring side effects if too high of a dose is taken or if used instead of prescribed medicines, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.
Whether you are using the supplement to avoid jet lag or fight insomnia, or just want to sleep better, these are the side effects of melatonin and what to watch out for.
Melatonin side effects
Side effects from melatonin are rare, but there is more risk involved when taking higher doses, explained Dr. Hal Alpert, telemedicine consultant for Blue Sleep. Here are some of the side effects to be aware of:
- Headache
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Vivid dreams (sometimes nightmares)
- Dry mouth
- Itchy skin
If a person were to take much too high of a dosage, the following could occur, according to Alpert:
- Rebound insomnia
- Irritability
- Depression
- Sedation that lasts into the next day
Additionally, melatonin can interact with other drugs, so it is important to know when to avoid melatonin depending on any other conditions, said Alpert.
“Melatonin can decrease the effectiveness of drugs for epilepsy and immune suppressive drugs,” said Alpert. “You should avoid using melatonin in pregnant women, breastfeeding women, seizure disorders [and] depression.”
Melatonin can sometimes either raise or lower your blood pressure and make bleeding more likely if you’re on blood thinners, according to Alpert.
Catch some ZZZs:Here's how long melatonin lasts
Just Curious for more?
Here at Just Curious, we're looking into all of your questions. From "Is melatonin bad for you?" to where the Titanic wreckage is located to why people talk in their sleep, make sure to check out USA TODAY's Just Curious section for more trivia, tidbits and information you might want to know.
veryGood! (44667)
Related
- Judith Jamison, a dancer both eloquent and elegant, led Ailey troupe to success over two decades
- Simon Cowell dubs Golden Buzzer dance crew Chibi Unity 'one of the best acts' on 'AGT'
- BP CEO Bernard Looney ousted after past relationships with coworkers
- Japanese boy-band production company sets up panel to compensate sexual assault victims
- Tom Brady Admits He Screwed Up as a Dad to Kids With Bridget Moynahan and Gisele Bündchen
- A Berlin bus gets lifted with the help of 40 people to free a young man pinned by a rear wheel
- EU boosts green fuels for aviation: 70% of fuels at EU airports will have to be sustainable by 2050
- China’s ‘full-time children’ move back in with parents, take on chores as good jobs grow scarce
- Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper Prove They're Going Strong With Twinning Looks on NYC Date
- Abortion rights group files legal action over narrow medical exceptions to abortion bans in 3 states
Ranking
- Man Found Dead in Tanning Bed at Planet Fitness Gym After 3 Days
- Inside Kim Jong Un's armored train: A sweet home
- Judge denies Meadows' request for emergency stay related to Georgia election case
- Environmental groups sue US over sluggish pace in listing the rare ghost orchid as endangered
- Guns smuggled from the US are blamed for a surge in killings on more Caribbean islands
- Ocean scientists concerned over uptick of whale deaths on Northeast coasts
- For several episodes this fall, ’60 Minutes’ will become 90 minutes
- Top Hamas leader in Beirut in a bid to stop clashes at Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp
Recommendation
-
Judge set to rule on whether to scrap Trump’s conviction in hush money case
-
How to help those affected by the earthquake in Morocco
-
Rwanda will host a company’s 1st small-scale nuclear reactor testing carbon-free energy approach
-
Russian journalist who headed news outlet in Moldova is declared a security threat and expelled
-
West Virginia governor-elect Morrisey to be sworn in mid-January
-
Number of U.S. nationals wrongfully held overseas fell in 2022 for the first time in 10 years, report finds
-
Taylor Swift wins the most awards at 2023 VMAs including Video of the Year
-
UK economy shrinks in July amid bad weather and doctors’ strikes