ORLANDO, Fla. — Some doctors are warning that using too much melatonin to help you sleep could cause other health-related issues.
A recent report in the medical journal JAMA said that melatonin use more than doubled in 2018 from a decade earlier.
The National Institutes for Health said using melatonin occasionally is fine but high levels have been linked to dementia, early mortality and other health issues.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Melatonin is a hormone that your brain produces in response to darkness and it plays a role in sleep.
Melatonin production decreases with age.
According to the Mayo Clinic, melatonin can help with insomnia, jet lag, shift work disorder and some sleep disorders in children.
Read: Astra Space launch scrubbed after aborting first launch attempt
Click here for more information on melatonin from the Mayo Clinic.
Research suggests that melatonin might reduce evening confusion and restlessness in people with Alzheimer’s disease, but it doesn’t seem to improve cognition.
Read: Florida gas prices are the highest they’ve been in 8 years; how to save at the pump
Some side effects of taking melatonin can be headaches, dizziness and nausea, according to the Mayo Clinic.
According to the Mayo Clinic, you should treat melatonin as you would any sleeping pill and use it under your doctor’s supervision.
Read: FDA warns against E25Bio COVID-19 tests
Melatonin can be purchased over the counter and is not regulated by the FDA.
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2022 Cox Media Group
