Prescription Health: Benefits and drawbacks of sleep supplements
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With sleep disorders on the rise, many people often turn to sleep supplements.
"Sleep is like a medicine, that's your time when you rejuvenate,” Dr. Jagdish Khubchadani, a public health professor at New Mexico State University, said. “You grow again, you feel relaxed, fulfilled."
Research at Johns Hopkins University suggests that melatonin may help reduce the time it takes to fall asleep and improve overall sleep quality, particularly for those with insomnia or jet lag.
That's important because “this pattern of restless sleep affects the daytime functioning,” according to Lourdes Delrosso with the University of California, San Francisco.
However, melatonin is not without its drawbacks. Some people may experience side effects such as daytime drowsiness, headaches, or dizziness. Also, melatonin is not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and some doctors prefer self-care.
“Maintaining a schedule, keeping technology away in the bedroom, not drinking coffee and alcohol before you sleep, those are three basic things that you can do to ensure that you're getting a good quality sleep, and are at lower risk for health problems,” Khubchadani said.
The other commonly used sleep supplement is magnesium, which helps with muscle relaxation, lowers cortisol levels, and increases the hormone melatonin.
The only downside is that it takes longer to work.
Ultimately, doctors say magnesium is better for long-term use. Not only does it improve sleep quality, but it also lowers blood pressure and lowers the risk of type two diabetes and osteoporosis.
The bottom line, according to Khubchadani, “Sleep is the best medicine available for free and maintaining it should be a number one priority."
Another sleep supplement to look into is valerian root, which has been used for centuries as a natural remedy for insomnia and anxiety, and some studies suggest that it may help improve sleep quality and duration of sleep.
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