Case study: Melatonin

gwern

I discuss melatonin's effects on sleep & its safety; I segue into the general benefits of sleep and the severely disrupted sleep of the modern Western world, the cost of melatonin use and the benefit (eg. enforcing regular bedtimes), followed by a basic cost-benefit analysis of melatonin concluding that the net profit is large enough to be worth giving it a try barring unusual conditions or very pessimistic safety estimates.

Full essay: http://www.gwern.net/Melatonin

I discuss melatonin's effects on sleep & its safety; I segue into the general benefits of sleep and the severely disrupted sleep of the modern Western world, the cost of melatonin use and the benefit (eg. enforcing regular bedtimes), followed by a basic cost-benefit analysis of melatonin concluding that the net profit is large enough to be worth giving it a try barring unusual conditions or very pessimistic safety estimates.

Full essay: http://www.gwern.net/Melatonin

I've taken melatonin a few times-- it put me to sleep, though I think the onset of sleepiness was more like an hour after taking it. If I overrode the mild sleepiness, the melatonin's effect was lost,.

I've heard that people's natural production of melatonin declines with age, so there may be an age below which the pills don't make a huge difference for most people.

I've taken melatonin a few times-- it put me to sleep, though I think the onset of sleepiness was more like an hour after taking it.

Sure, that's possible. Maybe your formulation simply took a long time; if I chew my pills, they act that much faster since they have that much more surface-area. No surprise there. I've seen time-delayed version as well.

I've heard that people's natural production of melatonin declines with age, so there may be an age below which the pills don't make a huge difference for most people.

This too is possible. I was reading s... (read more)

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Case study: Melatonin

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Case study: Melatonin

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