ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Melatonin use for sleep is on the rise. But, a new study reveals people are taking too much, and taking it in the wrong way.
Sleep expert Dr. Thomas Siler at SSM Health St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Charles says melatonin supplements are best used to reset your biological clock, not as an everyday sleep aid, "When your clock is already set, taking more melatonin doesn't really do much, because your pineal gland is already secreting the hormone. Basically, what you do by taking the melatonin is just suppress that natural amount of melatonin the gland is already secreting."
Dr. Siler says it's best used to help us occasionally readjust our body clock, like dealing with jet lag, "You can take melatonin when you go to bed at your new location, and try to help shift your biological clock quickly. Another thing you can use is light. For example, if you travel to Europe, when you get up in the morning, try to get sunlight to help reset your clock."
Other sleep tips include having dim lighting, no screen time while in bed, and no pets in bed either.
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