Is melatonin addiction really a thing?

As we become a society that lives under the constant dopamine hits from social media living under blue light all day, addictions in general are on the rise.

People can become addicted to almost anything these days.  First we must define our terms to make sure we’re talking about the same concepts. Addiction isn’t just a craving or a dependency based on a chronic usage of a substance. It’s much more than that.

According to Wikipedia…

“Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to use a drug or engage in a behavior that produces natural reward”

So yes addictions can be habit forming and cause you to feel withdrawal symptoms. If you’re a habitual drinker for example, you might feel detox symptoms or delirium tremens (DTs) as a result of stopping cold turkey.

Let’s take a look at melatonin addiction for a minute and see if any of these reactions apply when somebody stops taking melatonin.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine there’s something called a tonic vs a draining herb or a reducing herb. Essentially a reducing herb is something you take in an acute situation for a specific reason (to reduce pain for example) for a finite amount of time.

A tonic on the other hand is an herb you can take daily, for the rest of your life.

Melatonin is a tonic.

The reason is because it’s a hormone your body already makes (or at least knows how to make) endogenously.

You make melatonin by being exposed to UVA and UVB light. Then your body produces it in your pineal gland and even more so in your mitochondria via respiration.

Generally it looks like this:

Tryptophan → 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) → Serotonin → N-Acetylserotonin → Melatonin.

Something else to consider is that many people think that melatonin is a soporific which means it induces sleep or causes somebody to become more drowsy, like most sleep pills. Melatonin is primarily an antioxidant and circadian rhythm regulator.

It’s not a sleep medication.

If you’ve ever take a sleeping pill like Tylenol PM, Nyquil or even Ambien, you’ll notice a huge difference. Those substances are things you can become overly reliant on and even have cravings for them.

Can Your Body Stop Producing It?

It appears as though the answer is a resounding no. There’s a study in which a blind man was given exogenous melatonin and it did not alter his body’s ability to make it endogenously.

There’s a really great video on melatonin by Dr. Frank Shallenberger that I’ll post below. It’s well worth watching because not only will you learn that melatonin addiction isn’t something to be concerned about but it’s also one of the most healthy supplements you could ever take.

Is It Bad To Take Melatonin Every Night?

I cannot give medical advice here and would not want to. I can only share with you my research into melatonin and what I do. I make sure to watch the sunrise every day and block blue light with yellow glasses during the day, orange blue blocking glasses after sunset and red glasses 2 hours before bed.

I also block blue light on my computer, on my cell phone and in my home and when nighttime comes I take 50mg of melatonin each night and plan to go higher and higher as I continue to age.

Why don t doctors recommend melatonin?

Some medical doctors have noticed that there could be a connection between melatonin usage and depression or anxiety. I don’t agree with that because of my research which shows the exact opposite.

It’s my opinion that conventional medical doctors are not keeping up with the science. Obviously Dr. Russel Reiter above is a doctor who recommends melatonin as is Dr. Doris Loh.

Is There a Downside To Melatonin?

Some people might experience a melatonin hang over if they take too much too quickly without easing in. If that’s the case all you have to do is take activated vitamin B6 (P5P) and get morning sunlight to suppress melatonin and metabolize it. Sunlight also helps to activate cortisol and wakes you up.

Some people take melatonin incorrectly and say things like “why doesn’t melatonin work on me“? It has to be taken right in order for it to help sleep.

Conclusion

I’ve gone quite high on my melatonin dosing. Actually it’s not that high but compared to the average person it is. I’ve gone from 50mg a night to zero. The last time we went to lake Tahoe on vacation I forgot to take it. I slept great all week and had no withdrawals or other symptoms.

I’m going to post a video below of people taking 1,000 mg of melatonin per night with no issues at all. In fact Dr. Doris Loh takes much more than that. This isn’t medical advice but just sharing my research and what I’ve found about melatonin.

I feel completely safe taking as much melatonin as I do with zero melatonin addiction whatsoever.

It’s my contention that if word got out that melatonin has the potential to prevent cancer and even reduce your chances of getting a chronic disease it would be banned. The powers that be do not want you to be a great sleeper, full of energy and vibrantly healthy.

Instead they want you sick, tired and dependent on them.

Melatonin addiction does not exist but its ability to turn your sleep around and improve your overall health and vitality certainly does.

Questions:

1. Have you ever experienced melatonin addiction?
2. Did you have detox reactions?
3. How much did you take?
4. When did you take it?
5. How often did you take it?

Comment below!