Can Melatonin Cause Constipation? Understand Usage, Benefits, And Side Effects

Sleep is extremely important for most of us. And why shouldn’t it? It helps us wade through the various impediments in the day and keep a healthy mind. You might have seen a couple of people who have difficulty sleeping on their own. And no we aren’t talking about the endless time you spend scrolling Instagram.

Unlike that, this is involuntary and can be quite a task to deal with. However, there are supplements one could take to get sleep in order and one such substance is melatonin. But before you start using it, several questions beg to be answered including the usage, benefits, and side effects.

What Is Melatonin? Can Melatonin Cause Constipation?

Unlike most medications for sleep, Melatonin is not a foreign body. It is usually produced in abundance inside the body. The hormone is triggered by the brain to release it into the bloodstream and help you attain the peaceful slumber you are so fond of.

However, as you age, it could diminish and that is when we might need to fulfill the ends of the body using melatonin supplements. But using a substance like that cannot come naturally to us in any sense. It is bound to bring lots of doubts in our mind and that is exactly what we aim to address.

To answer the question at hand, Melatonin is known to cause constipation in some individuals. However, several doctors refute this claim as they believe that Melatonin can help treat gastro intestinal tract diseases and not be a reason for it.

In some individuals, the working is different. It leads to constipation as the supplement contents could irritate the inner lining of the stomach. This could completely turn the functions of the GI tract upside down. Now when this happens, it is usually seen that the food you eat doesn’t process the way you should.

In fact, it can lead to multiple problems that stay for a long time. Therefore, it can be safely assumed that constipation is a person-person side effect, not a blanket one.

Usage And Benefits Of Melatonin

Using any medication or supplements for that matter should be done carefully and not unscrupulously like most people do. This means looking into some tips before beginning the consumption and that could be the following-

1. Consulting a doctor- Firstly, you could consult a doctor to explain your disorders in detail.
2. The right dosage- It is one of the most important aspects of medication. It is available in various dosages spanning from 0.5 to 10 mg. The doses are quite powerful as the number increases. So it is important to always look at the low dose before going into the high one. This way you can manage the symptoms if any.
3. Timing- Another thing that requires our attention when it comes to the consumption of Melatonin is its timing. It is advised to take 30 minutes before sleep and that is essential to get enough sleep. Taking it more than an hour before you lay down to sleep could be of no use.
4. Consistency- In no way should you skip the medication as consistency is key to its effectiveness.
5. Create a bedtime routine- Complement the consumption of tablets with a healthy bedtime routine that includes dim lights, minimal sounds, and so on.

When coming to its benefits, there is more than one anyone can count. Firstly it is known to cure any sleep disorders. This means regulating your sleep in a way that goes in tandem with your circadian rhythm.

Circadian rhythm is what helps us work during the day and sleep during the night. It is often reversed when you constantly sacrifice sleep at night. So with Melatonin, you could treat disorders like shift work sleep disorders, and jet lag management.

Secondly, the way it handles circadian rhythm disorders is actually commendable. It usually happens when the sleep cycle is affected and therefore, melatonin can bring it back to the line.

Thirdly, it has some anti-oxidant properties. Anti oxidants properties prevent it from allowing free radicals to roam around and neutralize it in a way preventing a plethora of diseases.

Additionally, the mood enhancement techniques it has is also admirable as getting enough sleep could trigger healthy moods. Lastly, it can manage our insomnia which could be due to extreme pain age, or any other difficulty.

Side Effects Of Melatonin

We did praise Melatonin a lot for its positive effects so it is only normal that we consider its negative effects as well before we begin we would like to say that these could vary from person to person depending on how their body processes it. Additionally, the effect of it on our body is not negligible either and that is when you need to be careful. The primary side effects of the supplement include-

1. Daytime drowsiness- This could be experienced by many in the initial days.
2. Headache- It could be either on both sides or unilaterally.
3. Dizziness- Some people feel light-headed and could feel a loss of balance at most times.
4. Nausea- Poele often complains of feeling nauseated while consuming the supplement regularly. A change in one’s excretion habits could also be quite obvious.
5. Interference- There is no proper study to shadow if Melatonin doesn’t interfere with your normal medications and therefore you should be cautious.

Conclusion

Melatonin is beneficial for anyone who is affected by the irregular sleep cycles. Sleep is crucial for your cognitive alertness and can affect many processes in the body more than you think.

Additionally, it is also known to relieve various problems in the body including Insomnia and jet lag. This is commendable by all means and should be one of the reasons you might want to take some.

Nevertheless. Its side effects should also be taken into consideration. Continuous patterns of side effects are warning signals and could be harmful to your body. In this case, you should regulate your consumption of the medicine carefully. Also try to go for a lower dosage that suits your use.