Melatonin: What It Is, What It Does – Weston Today

Content sponsored by Dr. Brijesh Chandwani, DMD

The pandemic left many people tossing and turning at bedtime because of an increase in anxiety as well as screen time. It also sparked an interest in melatonin as a sleep aid. So what is this hormone of darkness?

Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland, located in the center of the brain, which regulates the bodys sleep cycles or what is also called the circadian rhythm (body clock).

During the day, light switches off the production of melatonin (reference: http://www.natap.org). When the sun sets, production of this hormone is ramped up, giving the brain a signal that its time to sleep. It also plays other important roles in the body such as improving muscle recovery and inhibiting cancer.

However, certain lifestyle and other factors can impact the bodys natural melatonin generation (estimated to be between 10-80 micrograms per night). One is exposure to artificial light such as the increased use of devices long past the bodys normal bedtime or regular night shifts. Other factors that reduce melatonin production are age and obesity.

Melatonin supplements are now commonly used to treat sleep disorders, mainly circadian rhythm sleep disorders and sleep disorders experienced by shift workers. Some use it to reduce symptoms of jet lag. But it is also emerging as a beneficial therapy for certain people with migraines.

Migraines are a neurophysiological disorder within the trigeminal nerve (a major nerve for face, jaw and brain meninges) and other structures of the body. Quite debilitating, they can be triggered by poor sleep, stress, bright lights, loud noises, certain medications, altered sleep-wake cycles, etc. Melatonin supplementation can reduce migraines by improving sleep quality. Melatonin may also deactivate the hypothalamus which is implicated in the mechanism of migraine.

Melatonin can replace traditional medications if the major factor is sleep (think migraines in the middle of the night or morning or someone who has a circadian rhythm disorder). Additionally, melatonin supplementation could increase the efficacy of migraine medications.1

But its important to know when to take it because that can affect the outcome. For migraine and TMJ disorders, melatonin should be started at the dose of 3 mg two hours prior to bedtime and it can be increased up to 10 mg.2

Risk factors to consider

Mild side effects from melatonin include headaches, dizziness, nausea and daytime sleepiness.

About Dr. Chandwani

Dr. Chandwani is a board certified specialist in Orofacial pain (TMJ specialist) in Fairfield County. With his background in acupuncture and alternative medicine, he integrates western and eastern medicine in his practice.

Dr. Chandwani has offices in New York City and in Norwalk. He can be reached at (203) 842-8658 or (347) 494-4618.

For more information, visit tmdtmj.comInstagram: nyctmj.com

1Kurdi MS, Patel T. The role of melatonin in anesthesia and critical care. Indian J Anaesth. 2013;57(2):137-144. doi:10.4103/0019-5049.111837.

2Gelfand, A. A., & Goadsby, P. J. (2016). The Role of Melatonin in the Treatment of Primary Headache Disorders. Headache, 56(8), 12571266. https://doi.org/10.1111/head.12862.

3Grigg-Damberger MM, Ianakieva D. Poor Quality Control of Over-the-Counter Melatonin: What They Say Is Often Not What You Get. J Clin Sleep Med. 2017 Feb 15;13(2):163-165. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.6434. PMID: 28095978; PMCID: PMC5263069. Copy Download .nbib

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Melatonin: What It Is, What It Does - Weston Today