116: Why You Shouldn’t Take Melatonin Too Often

I used to be addicted to melatonin. I couldn’t sleep without taking a time-release melatonin every night.

Well, it wasn’t really an addiction. It was that my sleep just sucked, so I was stuck using melatonin because my body wasn’t working right. 

I haven’t needed melatonin to sleep for *years.* I regard it as a sign of the success of what I’ve done to fix my sleep that I don’t need it anymore.

Do you take melatonin? 

I’m not against it. I think everyone should have some melatonin on hand in their bedroom and their travel bag. But taking it every night cannot replicate the natural rhythm inside your body. Taking a dual action immediate- and time-release can get close, but it just ain’t the same thing. So, use the melatonin when needed, but consider it part of the journey and not the destination. Until you’re off the melatonin, you still have fixing to do.

Tune in for the details!

For more detail on the underlying science behind this episode, see part 4 of my Nutrition in Neuroscience series.

Here’s a good dual-action melatonin you could take when needed. Purchasing it with my link will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you:

https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/amazon/dualactionmelatonin