No significant adverse effects of synthetic melatonin supplements have been reported. Animal experiments, however, indicated a somewhat shortened life span if regular supplementation is begun when the animals are too young. This suggests it may be unwise for persons under about age 35 to use melatonin every night. There seems to be no problem with occasional use, though, by adults of any age.
Thanks, Peter. I'm not trying to say there is something wrong with melatonin, only that MY system is fucked up and I respond differently to certain things.
In my late thirties, I went through quite a bit of manipulation, trying to solve the lack of sleep thing at the insistence of my live-in girlfriend at the time. I was still diagnosed with a food allergy during all that and changed dietery dynamics under a nutritionist's care over a period of months and I wore sleep monitors, under a neurologist's care, for weeks at a time. It was all a waste of time, because I ended up eating bland crap I could not even taste and got even less and less sleep the more sleep drugs I took. Melatonin was not tried, even once as a supplement or a manipulation.
I was not the one concerned about a lack of sleep, because I had
always gotten half the normal amount of sleep compared to everyone else, and yet, I had more stamina and energy, and better immune responses, than anyone I knew. I was trying mainly to find out why I spend about three or four days every month or so with no sense of feeling and still trusting that the allergy diagnosis was accurate. I was not concerned about the hyperactivity, either. I was used to "living wth a buzz" all the time. Some of the doctor's theories made sense and I gave the diet manipulation a good, honest try, with no effects to speak of.
I no longer believe that there is a dietery component to the deadwaves, I get, because I have changed my diet so many times and in drastic ways, too, but the waves keep on coming. My experiments with melatonin are mainly done in an effort to get to a more normal routine, which will become necessary with my wife's upcoming job change. At this point, I am convinced that there is a beneficial effect to melatonin, because of the fact that I actually get more sleep. The fact that I awaken superhyper and cannot return to sleep is fairly normal to me, too, but I was hoping for more relief from that. It really annoys my wife for me to be so fucking hyper, that I bound out of bed, after three or four hours, and go stimmimng around like an insane person, when she still wants to sleep. A good strong cup of coffee or two or three will usually take the edge off and I can settle down, enough to stop walking on my toes, again. Being that hyper is not welcomed, however. I just not sure what to blame that on, but with melatonin, it's back.
I wonder if it is sleep itself that is the evil culprit, sometimes.
