PICTURE: PEXELS/ SLEEP
Do you reach for melatonin every night to help you fall asleep? Even while it might seem like the ideal remedy for a restless night, you should think about why you might feel like you cannot sleep without it.
Can you actually be addicted to melatonin? The below publications clear the air with possible reasons why you might feel this way:
Marri Horvat, a sleep specialist claims, “Melatonin is a hormone that is naturally made by your brain in response to darkness. When someone takes melatonin, they are either trying to increase the amount of this hormone overall or increase the amount they have in their body at a certain time to help them fall asleep.”
Supplemental melatonin is not known to be addictive. In most cases, patients who are concerned about adverse effects can stop taking the drug entirely. You are not required to wean yourself off of it. Your insomnia will usually return to how it was before taking it, though, according to the above specialist.
Healthline, a health-focused publication claims that your body naturally produces the hormone melatonin, which aids in promoting sleep. It is sometimes referred to as the “sleep hormone” due to its sedative and relaxing properties.
“Melatonin doesn’t cause withdrawal or symptoms of dependence, unlike other sleep medications. It also doesn’t cause a sleep “hangover,” and you don’t build up a tolerance to it,” according to the health publication.
To put it another way, it doesn’t lead to persistent cravings, which is a defining feature of addiction. Given these characteristics mentioned above, melatonin is unlikely to be addictive, the health hub further explains.
Also see: Are you a night owl and aren’t enjoying it? Here are hacks to help you sleep early
