sleep disorders Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Does Your Child Snore? When to See a Doctor

The AHA! Team — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 05:16:12 +0000

Morgan deBlecourt via Duke Health – Childhood Snoring Can Signal Sleep-Disordered Breathing or Sleep Apnea Does Your Child Snore? If your child snores, don’t ignore it. Consistent snoring in children can be a sign that they’re not breathing well at night. This can reduce the quality of your child’s sleep and affect growth, development, behavior, and overall health. Here Duke Health pediatric ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor Janet Lee, MD, who specializes in treating pediatric sleep disorders, answers questions about when childhood snoring is concerning and whether your child should see a doctor. Is Snoring Normal in Kids? It is common for children to snore for a few days or weeks when they have a cold or another respiratory virus. It becomes concerning, Dr. Lee said, when snoring persists for three months or longer. It’s especially concerning if your child chokes, gasps, or stops breathing for short periods during sleep. These may be signs that your child is experiencing sleep-disordered breathing or obstructive sleep apnea. What Causes Snoring in Children? Snoring in children occurs when the upper airway narrows, making it difficult to breathe normally. This can be caused by: Enlarged tonsils and/or adenoids Obstructed nasal passages (for example, deviated septum, enlarged turbinates, etc.) Being overweight Environmental allergies or asthma Small or narrow palate, jaw, or voice box Poor muscle tone Other medical conditions like heart or lung disease, Down Syndrome, or Cerebral Palsy What Are Other Red Flags of a Sleep Disorder? Loud snoring, pauses in breathing at night, and gasping during sleep are the most obvious signs of breathing difficulty that affects sleep quality. Other signs include restless sleep, regular tiredness despite having enough sleep (9-14 hours, depending on age), mouth-breathing while sleeping, or bed-wetting after being previously being potty trained at night. What’s the Big Deal with Childhood Snoring? “Sleep affects a lot of different systems,” Dr. Lee said. “When it comes to children, you have to consider its effects on physical health, especially for kids who have other health issues. You also need to consider how poor sleep can affect development.” Ironically, children who don’t sleep well may experience hyperactivity. They may also struggle to stay awake or concentrate at school, feel irritable, or have behavior problems. What Should I Do About My Child’s Snoring? If you’re concerned about your child’s snoring and sleep quality, ask your pediatrician for a referral to or make an appointment with a pediatric ENT or a pediatric sleep specialist. “Our role is to identify whether your child has a breathing problem. Then we start looking for where that problem is,” Dr. Lee said. These specialists may recommend an overnight sleep study in a specialized pediatric sleep lab. You will accompany your child while sleep technologists monitor and observe your child sleeping. Your child may also benefit from an endoscopy — a doctor passes a flexible camera through your child’s nose or mouth to inspect their anatomy. This can be done while your child is awake or under general anesthesia. What Are the Potential Treatment Options? Based on your child’s test results, symptoms, and your family’s preferences, a doctor may recommend medication, surgery, lifestyle changes, or a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device to help your child breathe and rest better at night. For children older than three, the most common and effective treatment is surgically removing the tonsils and adenoids. Many children are able go home the same day. Why Choose Duke for My Child’s Care? Duke is one of a handful of centers in the North Carolina with a pediatric sleep lab, designed with your child’s comfort in mind and staffed by specially trained technicians. Duke offers the highest level of care for all kids with sleep-disordered breathing or obstructive sleep apnea, from the simplest cases to the most complex, including children who have other medical conditions. If you’re on the fence about seeking care for your child’s snoring, Dr. Lee said it’s worth seeing a doctor. “As parents, sometimes we’re so used to a symptom or behavior that we don’t see it anymore. Having another, expert pair of eyes can be helpful. Then we can make a decision about next steps together.” To read the original article click here.

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Eyelid Wearable Can Predict and Alert to Epileptic Seizure

The AHA! Team — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 09:00:10 +0000

John Jeffay via Israel21c – Blink Energy’s tiny device, fitted to one eyelid, monitors and analyzes blink patterns to detect or diagnose a wealth of health conditions. A tiny patch is fixed to your eyelid. It monitors your blink pattern and sends a warning to your smartphone that you’re about to have an epileptic seizure. Or that you’re about to fall asleep at the wheel. Or else it measures your REM (rapid eye movement) to help diagnose sleep disorders or Parkinson’s disease or a range of neurological conditions. This isn’t science fiction. This is the next step forward in the world of wearable technology. And according to Yariv Bar-On, CEO at Israel-based Blink Energy, it’s a gamechanger. The wearables market has been dominated, so far, by smartwatches and fitness trackers. The first Apple Watch was launched in April 2015, and wearable technology now includes jewelry that tracks your steps and notifies you of an incoming call, VR headsets for gamers, earbuds, smart glasses with Internet access, smart clothing integrated with electronic devices and a range of health monitors. But the world’s first eyelid wearable device opens up a whole new world of opportunity. Blink patterns Blink Energy’s device weighs just 0.4 grams (0.014 ounces) — less than half the weight of a paperclip – and is fitted to one eyelid. You barely notice it, says Bar-On. “After two minutes you forget it’s there.” But it’s performing an important function by monitoring blink patterns, which provides AI with a wealth of data. “There is one type of muscle that closes the eye, and another that opens it,” says Bar-On, an optometrist and entrepreneur. “There’s a ratio between those two muscles when they are working, and we can, with AI machine learning, identify abnormalities in the patterns of blinks.” Smartwatches and other devices measure eye movement indirectly, by collecting related data. Bar-On says they are only 80 percent accurate. His blink patch provides, for the first time, a way of readily measuring eye movement directly. He says he hopes to launch the company’s first product commercially within two years, at what he describes as an “affordable” price. Starting with epilepsy The possibilities for such technology, developed with his small team of engineers in Haifa, northern Israel, are many. The patch, held onto the eyelid with a disposable adhesive strip that lasts for 10 or 20 uses, can provide data about eye health or eye strain during the course of everyday activities. It can detect drowsiness at the wheel and has other possible uses in health and wellbeing. But the company had to start somewhere. And that somewhere is epilepsy. Bar-On wants to lessen the anxiety that people with epilepsy suffer. “My goal would be to bring epileptic patients more confidence in their daily life,” he tells ISRAEL21c. “You just wear it outside the house, knowing you don’t have to think about when the next seizure might be. The Blink device will indicate a few seconds before a seizure. But it’s not so much the detection as the fact that the wearer doesn’t have to worry about when the next seizure will be,” he says. “Knowing that the device will do that, instead of you having to, makes a big difference. Epileptic patients feel when the seizure is coming, but we can dramatically reduce the anxiety levels, which in themselves contribute to a seizure.” Blink Energy has yet to test its device on epileptic patients. The patch exists as a prototype, but there are still refinements needed before it’s ready for market. Eye mavens Bar-On cofounded Blink Energy four years ago with Nadav Cohen, a specialist in optics and vibrations, and Ziv Rotfogel, an ophthalmologist at Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot, central Israel. “We wanted to see how we can look at the eye movement or the physiological signals that can be detected from the eye and develop a product that is beyond what it is on the market today,” he says. At first their focus was on using the blink movement to power the patch – which is why they chose the name Blink Energy. “We made a pivot almost two years ago and we developed our own sensor biomarker [which measures biological activity] with communication capabilities but without generating its own power,” he says. The product will recharge inside its own box, just like a pair of earbuds. “It’s not a me-too technology. It’s more like a really game-changing technology. I believe that in the next five to 10 years to come you’ll see many people walking down the street wearing an eyelid patch,” Bar-On predicts. “The adoption rate of wearable tech or smart wearables is already immense. This is just the start.” Blink Energy has received funding from the Israel Innovation Authority and by Israel-based MindUP, which invests in healthcare innovation. For more information, click here. To read the original article click here.

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Sleep Better and Reduce Stress with THIS Ayurvedic Herb

AHA Publisher — Mon, 20 Sep 2021 07:00:17 +0000

Karen Sanders via NaturalHealth365 – Given the relentless pace and pressures of modern life, it’s not surprising that conditions such as anxiety and insomnia are at near epidemic levels. In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that between 50 and 70 million American adults currently suffer from sleep disorders. In addition to causing impaired concentration and daytime fatigue, sleep disorders exact a grim toll in increased automobile and industrial accidents, as well as raising your risk for dangerous conditions such as high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, depression, and cancer. Ashwagandha Improves Sleep and Fights Stress, According to Studies Integrative healthcare providers and Ayurvedic healers have long known the calming effects of the root of the ashwagandha shrub – a member of the nightshade family also referred to as winter cherry and Indian ginseng. Ashwagandha is revered in Ayurveda as a “rasayana,” or a “royal herb” – that can boost the immune system, help the body adapt to stress, and prolong life. For centuries, ashwagandha has been suggested not only to treat infectious diseases, fevers, and inflammatory conditions but also to elevate mood, fight panic attacks, reduce anxiety and depression and alleviate insomnia. In fact, a clue to the calming effect of ashwagandha can be found in the second part of its scientific name, Withania somnifera; the word arises from the Latin word “somnus,” or sleep. Of course, Western medicine has been slow to acknowledge the therapeutic potential of ashwagandha – with, quite frankly, many doctors unaware of the herb’s effects. But recent scientific studies have caused medical researchers to join natural healers in recognizing the healing power of ashwagandha. Animal and human studies have demonstrated that ashwagandha has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, adaptogenic, antipyretic, and antimicrobial (germ-fighting) benefits as well as anti-anxiety and mood-elevating capabilities. How Does Ashwagandha Relax the Body and Mind? According to medical researchers, ashwagandha owes its relaxant properties to a group of alkaloids called withanolides. Other constituents – including other alkaloids called sitoindosides, along with saponins and assorted minerals – may also play a role in producing a state of relaxation. Ashwagandha works as a calming agent on the central nervous system, causing sensations of tranquility and relaxation – making sleep easier to achieve. What Does Scientific Research Tell Us? In one well-designed clinical study published in 2009 in the peer-reviewed journal PLoS One, 300 milligrams of ashwagandha root were given – twice daily – to subjects who had been diagnosed with moderate to severe anxiety; a control group received standard psychotherapy aimed at reducing anxiety. Evidence about the properties of ashwagandha came when results were compared – using the Beck Anxiety Inventory as a diagnostic tool – researchers found that the group treated with ashwagandha received a much greater clinical benefit with anxiety reduction of up to 50 percent more than the group that had received psychotherapy. In a recent study published in the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 64 subjects with a history of chronic stress took either placebo or 300 milligrams of ashwagandha extract – once a day. After 60 days, the ashwagandha subjects reported up to 44 percent lower scores on the ‘Perceived Stress Scale’ compared to the placebo group. They also had substantial reductions in serum levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. The team concluded that ashwagandha is a safe and well-tolerated treatment for reducing stress and improving quality of life. Ashwagandha Proven to Be Just as Good as Anti-Anxiety Drugs In a 2000 study published in Phytomedicine, the calming effect of ashwagandha on animals was equal to that produced by the prescription anti-anxiety medicine lorazepam – sold under the trade name Ativan. The team concluded that the use of ashwagandha was supported for the treatment of clinical anxiety and depression. In contrast to Ativan — which can cause side effects such as nightmares, headaches, and depression, plus it can be physically addictive – ashwagandha features no reported adverse effects in studies. What Is the Best Way to Take Ashwagandha? Powdered ashwagandha root is available at health food stores and online – the serving size for most studies has been 300 milligrams per day. Many natural health experts suggest making a tea by boiling about 1 teaspoon of the powdered root for 15 minutes; drink up to 3 cups a day. You can also take ½ – ¾ of a teaspoon of ashwagandha tincture daily; some people may do well with more. Naturally, you should consult a trusted medical health professional before using ashwagandha to help improve anxiety or insomnia. There are no serious adverse effects reported with ashwagandha, but – as with any substance – allergic reactions are possible. So, don’t use ashwagandha if you are allergic to potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, or other members of the nightshade family. For sleeplessness stemming from anxiety and depression, ashwagandha may well be the remedy of the future, bringing gentle, natural, drug-free relaxation without negative side effects. Sources for this article include: NIH.gov NIH.gov NIH.gov NIH.gov To read the original article click here.

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Scientists Believe Constipation Can Be An Early Sign of Parkinson’s Disease

AHA Publisher — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 07:00:05 +0000

Brian Blum via Israel21c – If you suffer from constipation, it might be a sign of early Parkinson’s disease. Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany, have hypothesized that constipation – a common although not usually discussed non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s – could predate diagnosis of the neurological disease by up to 20 years. That’s important because there are currently no therapies capable of stopping the progression of the Parkinson’s. However, if it is diagnosed early enough, scientists hope that certain therapies that have proved unsuccessful later on in the disease might work to at earlier stages. Parkinson’s involves the buildup of tiny deposits of protein waste within brain cells called Lewy bodies (named after Dr. Friedrich Lewy who first discovered them in 1912). Lewy body buildup appears to be linked with specific non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s including anxiety, sleep disorders and the loss of the sense of smell. Scientists have proposed that Lewy bodies kill some of the brain cells that control the healthy functioning of different parts of the body, including the gastrointestinal tract. Because Lewy bodies are clinically inaccessible and can’t be studied directly in the brain, scientists have had to look for related symptoms – like constipation. Lewy bodies may lurk in the brain for many years before diagnosis. The Hebrew University team, led by Prof. Joshua Goldberg of the Department of Medical Neurobiology, over-expressed a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain cells of laboratory mice. Alpha-synuclein controls gastrointestinal motility; it is also the main constituent of Lewy bodies. The result was that the over-expression of the protein caused the mice brain cells to shrink and their electrical activity to slow down, directly affecting the physiological properties that lead to constipation. The researchers concluded that it is likely that this is also the process that occurs in humans in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease. “As far as we know, this is the first time that anyone has described a causal chain of events connecting between how alpha-synuclein protein impacts brain cells and the early symptoms that we have long known predate this disease,” Goldberg says. While the research is still hypothetical for humans, Goldberg is enthusiastic. “Consider a 55-to 60-year-old patient suffering from constipation,” he notes. “We may someday design a test based on the neural changes we discovered to determine whether there is a neural factor at play which could hint to Parkinson’s… one day in the future we are confident that we will be able to identify a variety of biomarkers – including physiological ones, like the one we propose – that will allow us to definitively diagnose the disease far earlier than we are currently able.” Goldberg worked with a team of researchers at the Hebrew University including Dr. Wei-Hua Chiu, Prof. Menachem Hanani, Prof. Rami Yaka, Dr. Danny Ben Zvi and Dr. Hadar Arien-Zakay. The results were published last week in the journal Science Advances. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Israel21c click here.

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Ancient Herbal Remedy Designed to Block the Harmful Negative Effects of Stress and Anxiety

AHA Publisher — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 08:00:16 +0000

Lori Alton via NaturalHealth365 – According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, over 40 million adults in the United States currently suffer from anxiety and sleep disorders. These problems can accelerate aging and even shorten life, with experts listing heart disease, immune deficiencies, digestive diseases, diabetes, and obesity as among the conditions that can be caused or contributed to by stress. In fact, stress is so widespread – and so damaging – that experts estimate that the condition plays a role in 75 to 90 percent of all primary care visits! The good news is that an ancient Ayurvedic herb, ashwagandha, can block the harmful effects of stress – while balancing levels of calming chemical messengers known as neurotransmitters. Let’s take a look at some of the most promising benefits of ashwagandha. Thanks to Its Unique Compounds, Ashwagandha Offers Multiple Remarkable Health Benefits Ashwagandha, botanically known as Withania somnifera and sometimes referred to as winter cherry or Indian ginseng, is classified by researchers as an adaptogen: a substance that promotes health and helps the body deal with the effects of stress. Ayurvedic medicine holds ashwagandha in high regard as well, giving the herb the important designation of “rasayana,” a remedy so beneficial that it is believed to slow aging and even prolong life. Scientists say that ashwagandha owes its therapeutic properties to its high content of withanolides, a group of naturally occurring steroids with disease-fighting capabilities. Among its other properties, ashwagandha is neuroprotective, anti-anxiety, antidepressant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity. And, there is a scientific basis for ashwagandha’s soothing effects. Research shows that it activates nerve-cell receptors for GABA, a neurotransmitter needed for a calm mood and restful sleep. One of the most significant benefits of ashwagandha is its ability to protect against the breakdown of acetylcholine – a neurotransmitter vital for learning and memory – in a way similar to Aricept, a pharmaceutical medication intended to treat Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Break Out of the Cycle of Chronic Stress by Supplementing with This Ayurvedic Herb Anxiety and obesity – which often involve stress-based eating and food cravings – are linked. However, peer-reviewed research suggests that ashwagandha can help. In a double-blind study published in Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 52 subjects under chronic stress were given either 600 mg a day of ashwagandha extract or a placebo for eight weeks. The team found that the subjects receiving ashwagandha extract displayed lowered levels of cortisol, the “stress hormone,” along with a reduction in food cravings. The participants also reported better quality of life and improved well-being, leading the team to recommend that ashwagandha be used for weight management in individuals under chronic stress. In a separate study published in the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, patients with chronic stress were given 300 mg of ashwagandha twice a day for 60 days. Like the participants in the first study, the patients had reduced blood levels of cortisol and lower scores on stress assessment scales. The researchers concluded that ashwagandha “safely and effectively improved resistance towards stress” and improved quality of life as well. According to Preliminary Research, This Medicinal Herb May Help Improve Cognition Alzheimer’s disease, which currently affects over 5 million Americans, involves disruptions in the communication between neurons – the brain cells that send and receive chemical messages. Loss of memory, language, and reasoning skills are the tragic result. Encouragingly, preliminary studies support the ability of withanolides in ashwagandha to reconstruct damaged neurons and regenerate neurites, the structures that promote communication between nerve cells. In other words, withanolides may be able to perform a sort of “repair job” at the cellular level. This ability was supported by an animal study, “Neuritic regeneration and synaptic reconstruction induced by withanolide A,” published in British Journal of Pharmacology. The research, performed on mice with laboratory-induced memory deficiencies, showed that withanolide A caused significant regeneration of axons and dendrites in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, thereby helping to repair the all-important synapses. And, the regeneration was accompanied by at least partial recovery of memory. Of course, human studies are needed to determine if ashwagandha can perform the same feats in human brains. If so, it could play a key role in helping to protect against neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Some research has already been performed on the benefits of ashwagandha for human cognition, and have yielded encouraging results. In one promising study, ashwagandha extracts were found to improve mental function in people suffering from mild cognitive impairment. Is Ashwagandha Better Than Psychotherapy? Study Draws Unexpected Conclusions A separate double-blind study published in PLOS One involved 75 participants with moderate to severe anxiety. The volunteers received either a naturopathic course of therapy – involving dietary counseling, deep breathing exercises, daily dosages of ashwagandha and a multivitamin – or a protocol consisting of conventional psychotherapy, deep breathing exercises and placebo pills. The team used the Beck Anxiety Inventory and other psychological tests to evaluate anxiety levels, mental health and quality of life. The results were clear-cut – and impressive. The ashwagandha group decreased their anxiety scores by 55 percent, while those who had received psychotherapy only decreased their anxiety by 35 percent. The ashwagandha group also saw more improvement in the areas of concentration, social function, and vitality. The takeaway: While both methods significantly helped reduce anxiety (with no adverse effects), ashwagandha outperformed psychotherapy – one of the most respected techniques in psychiatric treatment. If you would like to try ashwagandha to ease anxiety and stress, experts advise choosing an organic extract standardized to contain 1 to 10 percent withanolides. Natural healers typically recommend amounts of 300 to 600 mg a day – but, as always, check first with your integrative doctor before supplementing. While no one can avoid all stressful situations at all times, ashwagandha can help neutralize the harmful effects on the body. As an added bonus, this versatile herb is free of the toxic side effects and potential for addiction that accompany pharmaceutical anti-anxiety drugs – making it an effective solution for anxiety -and a definite “win/win.” Sources for this article include: LifeExtension.com NIH.gov NIH.gov NIH.gov Journals.plos.org To read the original article click here. For more articles from NaturalHealth365 click here.

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How Melatonin Can Benefit Sleep and Other Health Issues

AHA Publisher — Wed, 29 Jul 2020 07:00:22 +0000

Annie Price, CHHC via Dr. Axe – According to a 2016 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, one out of three American adults does not get enough sleep on a regular basis. For millions of people, melatonin might be the answer to preventing another terrible night’s sleep. We know that avoiding sleep deprivation is highly important for maintaining overall health, in part because it helps ward off both acute and chronic health problems. Not only can melatonin be used to help treat sleep problems like insomnia and jet lag, but research also suggests that at it may benefit cancer patients, specifically those diagnosed with breast or prostate cancer. While melatonin is naturally produced by our bodies, caffeine, alcohol and tobacco use can all lower levels in the body. So can working the night shift or having poor vision, since both disrupt the amount of natural light reaching the eyes. For some people, supplementing can help get their inherent rhythms get back on track. Below we’ll talk more about which conditions melatonin can help manage, how much is safe to take and the amount that is recommended for particular health concerns, including sleep disorders. What Is Melatonin? Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain, which is located just above the “middle brain” and is about the size of a pea. This hormone is responsible for setting your “sleep-wake cycle” and for maintaining your body’s circadian rhythm, so long as you take the proper melatonin dosage. Its synthesis and release are stimulated by darkness and suppressed by light. Your circadian rhythm is the fancier term for your own person internal clock, which runs on a 24-hour schedule, just like the day. This internal clock plays a critical role in when you fall asleep and wake up, so regulating it is critical for dealing with sleep disorders. When it’s dark, your body produces more melatonin, but when it’s light, the production of melatonin goes down. This is why people who are blind or work night hours can have problems with maintaining normal levels. For anyone, a lack of light exposure during the day, or exposure to bright lights in the evening, can disrupt the body’s normal melatonin cycles. Melatonin is also crucial to female reproductive health as it plays a role in controlling the timing and release of female reproductive hormones. It helps decide when a woman starts to menstruate, the frequency and length of menstrual cycles, as well as when a woman stops menstruating completely (menopause). Researchers believe that melatonin decreases as we age and that young children have the highest levels (particularly at night, which is why they typically sleep longer and more deeply than adults). If this is true, then it can help explain why older people don’t tend to sleep as well as they did when they were younger. When you’re exposed to light, it stimulates a nerve pathway from the retina in the eye to an area in the brain called the hypothalamus. This is where the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is located, and the SCN initiates the turning on of the pineal gland. Once the SCN turns on the pineal gland, it starts making melatonin, which is then released into your bloodstream. The precursor to melatonin is serotonin, a neurotransmitter that’s derived from the amino acid tryptophan. A naturally occurring chemical called acetylserotonin acts as the intermediary. Serotonin produces acetylserotonin, which is then converted into melatonin. Besides its role as a precursor in the synthesis of melatonin, acetylserotonin is also known to have antidepressant, anti-aging and cognitive-enhancing benefits. Many of the health benefits that are thought to be due to increasing serotonin levels may actually come from serotonin’s ability to make melatonin production possible. In most adults, the body starts producing melatonin around 9 p.m. Levels then increase sharply, and you begin to feel more sleepy. If your body is running as it should, your level remains elevated while you sleep, for a total of approximately 12 hours. It then drops, and by around 9 a.m., the level is back to a barely detectable level, where it remains during the day. Benefits/Uses What is melatonin used for when taken as a supplement? By far, its best known usage is as a natural sleep aid. But did you know that it also serves many other functions too, such as supporting your immune system, cardiovascular function and reproductive health? Recent studies indicate that some of the many uses/functions of melatonin include: Fighting free radicals and having antioxidant actions Facilitating bone formation and protection Assisting in reproduction Supporting detoxification Regulating body mass Providing gastrointestinal protection Protecting against psychiatric disorders, mood disorders and cardiovascular diseases and more Below is more about the top melatonin benefits and uses: 1. Natural Sleep Aid Research suggests that supplementing with melatonin may help people with disrupted circadian rhythms, such as people who work the night shift and people who have jet lag. Supplementation may also help individuals sleep better who have chronically low levels, like people with schizophrenia, who have poor sleep quality.One randomized, double-blind trial found that two milligrams of melatonin prolonged release (PR) given one to two hours before bedtime was associated with significant improvements compared to a placebo in sleep quality and length, morning alertness, and health-related quality of life. The study also found that whether the melatonin dosage (two milligrams PR) was short- or long-term, there was no dependence, tolerance, rebound insomnia or withdrawal symptoms. Studies have uncovered evidence that melatonin is effective in advancing sleep-wake rhythms in people with delayed sleep phase disorder. Delayed sleep phases are experienced by those who struggle with waking up later in the morning than is considered normal/socially acceptable. Taking melatonin can help people with this sleep problem fall asleep a bit sooner, although it can take some trial and error to determine the best timing and dose. Recent research indicates that to be most effective in treating delayed sleep, it’s best to take small doses four to eight hours before desired sleep time. In some cases, it may make only a small difference in terms of time to fall asleep, such as by helping people drift off about 10 minutes earlier. 2. Potentially Helps Treat Cancer Several studies suggest that low melatonin levels may be associated with risk for certain types of cancers. A 2017 study published in Oncotarget states, “Melatonin could be an excellent candidate for the prevention and treatment of several cancers, such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, gastric cancer and colorectal cancer.” To determine this hormone’s effectiveness at stopping tumor growth, in 2014 one group of researchers evaluated its actions on the growth of breast tumors in vitro (using human cancer cells) and in vivo (using mice). The researchers found that melatonin may inhibit tumor growth and cell production, as well as block the formation of new blood vessels in estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer models. Another study looked at women who were taking the chemotherapy drug tamoxifen for breast cancer but not seeing any improvement. With the addition of melatonin to their treatment regimens, researchers found that tumors “modestly” shrank in more than 28 percent of the women. Studies also show that men with prostate cancer have lower melatonin levels than men without the disease. One study published in Oncology Reports aimed to verify whether melatonin might modulate the growth of androgen-dependent prostate cancer cells. The results demonstrated that it can significantly inhibit the proliferation of prostate cancer cells. Combined, these studies and others show melatonin’s great promise as a potential natural treatment for cancer. However, if you have cancer, you should always speak with your doctor before taking any supplements/over-the-counter treatments. 3. Decreases Negative Menopause Symptoms Melatonin supplements have been shown to improve sleep problems experienced during menopause. In a study of perimenopausal and menopausal women ages 42 to 62, within six months of daily supplementation, most of the women reported a general improvement of mood and a significant mitigation of depression. The findings of this study appear to demonstrate that supplementation among perimenopausal and menopausal women can lead to recovery of pituitary and thyroid functions that is more in the direction of a youthful pattern of regulation. This is great news because it shows that this hormone can help to decrease common negative perimenopause symptomsand menopause symptoms, like sleeping problems. 4. Heart Disease Helper Multiple studies suggest that melatonin has heart-protective properties. Specifically, research shows that when it comes to cardiovascular health, it has certain anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. It also may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Its cardioprotective properties seem to come from its “direct free radical scavenger activity,” according to studies. 5. Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Relief Fibromyalgia symptoms include long-term and widespread pain in muscles and connective tissues, without any specific cause. A randomized, placebo-controlled study of 101 patients with fibromyalgia syndrome evaluated melatonin’s effectiveness at reducing symptoms. The study found that patients experienced a significant reduction in their fibromyalgia symptoms when they supplemented either alone or in conjunction with the antidepressant fluoxetine (Prozac). The group who took only melatonin was given a daily dosage of five milligrams while the other group took three milligrams and 2o milligrams of the antidepressant. Other studies suggest that melatonin might be able to help with other chronic painful conditions, like migraine headaches. A 2019 systematic review found that in a number of studies, melatonin reduced headache frequency (attack frequency or number of headache days), duration and intensity significantly. Headache frequency decreased by 33 percent to 83 percent, averaging 51 percent. The reduction of headache duration was 32 percent to 56 percent (average 46 percent), and headache intensity was 33 percent to 78 percent (average 53 percent) among adults involved in the studies that were reviewed. 6. Immune System Strengthener Research shows that melatonin has strong antioxidant effects and may help strengthen the immune system. A 2013 scientific review called melatonin an “immune buffer” because it appears to act as a stimulant in an immunosuppressive condition — plus it also behaves as an anti-inflammatory compound when there’s an intensified immune response, like in the case of acute inflammation. 7. Eases Jet Lag Supplementing with melatonin may be able to help “reset” your sleep and wake cycle when you experience dreaded jet lag. A scientific review of a large number of trials and studies all involving melatonin and treatment of jet lag found evidence that melatonin is “remarkably effective in preventing or reducing jet-lag, and occasional short-term use appears to be safe.” The researchers found that in nine out of 10 trials, when it was taken close to the target bedtime at the destination (10 p.m. to 12 a.m.), there was a decrease in jet lag from crossing five or more time zones. The researchers also observed that daily doses between 0.5 and five milligrams worked similarly well, but subjects did fall asleep faster and sleep better after taking five milligrams compared to 0.5 milligrams. When a dosage above five milligrams was given, it did not produce any better results. Another key conclusion is that the timing is key because if it’s taken too early then it can delay adaptation to the new time zone. The incidence of other side effects from melatonin dosage was found to be low. 8. Better Outcomes for Autism in Children Research has shown that melatonin can help children with developmental issues like autism. A 2011 scientific review published in Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology evaluated 35 studies that had melatonin-related findings involving autism spectrum disorders, including autistic disorder, Asperger’s syndrome, Rett syndrome and other common developmental disorders. After reviewing the numerous studies, researchers concludedthat melatonin supplementation in autism spectrum disorders is linked to better sleep parameters, improved daytime behavior and minimal side effects. 9. May Ease Tinnitus Research suggests that melatonin may serve as a natural tinnitus treatment. Tinnitus is a condition that causes noise or ringing in the ears. The antioxidant properties of melatonin may contribute to its ability to alleviate tinnitus. Researchers at the Ohio State University...

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