Posted by michael on January 18, 2001, at 22:53:25
In reply to Re: Melatonin - How much ?, posted by SLS on January 18, 2001, at 18:53:17
Scott -
The site I mentioned in my previous post to this thread - I think it suggested taking it an hour or two before going to bed, but that may have been oral vs. sub-lingual... take a look to be certain. michael
> > Dove,
> >
> > In your post you state:
> >
> > "I always recommend either regular Melatonin in 1.5 mg increments, and never taking additional *regular* Melatonin after 3:00am."
> >
> > Is your 3:00am recommendation applicable to sublingual melatonin as well as *regular* melatonin? Before answering, please go to a prior post of mine (link provided below). My prior post puts my current question into context. Thank you soooo much for your time!
>
>
> I don't know if the following represents the reason for the 3:00am limit. Melatonin is secreted by a small structure within the brain called the pineal gland. Melatonin is manufactured from serotonin. Like so many other endocrine functions, melatonin secretion follows a daily or "circadian" rhythm. Melatonin levels begin to rise during the evening and continue to rise after going to sleep. During the night, melatonin reaches its peak levels at around 2:00am. Thereafter, secretion drops off quickly and reaches a minimum by morning. To add melatonin to the system after the circadian scheduled 2:00am peak would disturb the system of. When the peak melatonin concentration is artificially moved to a time that is later than scheduled, the circadian clock may become "delayed".
>
> A circadian rhythm delay is sometimes known as "jet lag". It is also capable of eliciting or making worse a depressive state. By contrast, a rhythm advance can have antidepressant effects. This is how sleep deprivation works in some people to produce a transient antidepressant response. It has been discovered that it is not necessary to undergo a total night's deprivation to accomplish this. The effect can be produced by going to bed the normal time and waking up between 2:00am and 3:00am and remaining awake until the following evening.
>
> For oral preparations of melatonin, I can't see taking it after 1:00am so as to not produce a phase delay. I don't know the exact amount of time it takes for oral administration to produce a peak concentration in the target tissues. If necessary, however, I should think that sublingual administration would be alright to take up until 2:00am. I have no idea when is the optimal time to take melatonin. I have seen recommendations to take it 20 minutes before going to bed.
>
> Dove was kind enough to tell me that melatonin can produce depression. I didn't know that.
>
>
> - Scott
poster:michael
thread:51473
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010111/msgs/51991.html