Melatonin?

[barefoot]

I’ve experienced night terrors and night time hallucinations since I was a teenager.

I finally saw a sleep doctor at a sleep clinic a year ago. I went in for an overnight sleep study and got diagnosed with moderate (the lower end of that bracket) sleep apnoea as a result, so then that became the focus for a while. Still haven’t resolved that issue but...

We’re refocusing on the parasomnias now. I’m starting a “CBT For Parasomnias” group course in a few weeks time and have also just been prescribed melatonin, which the sleep doctor said should help me to get to sleep, stay asleep and potentially reduce the parasomnias.

I need to take 2mg an hour or two before bed.

I’ve seen that potential side effects include some sleep-related stuff including insomnia and nightmares.
Not sure how common they are though - and if, even if that happens, it maybe settles down after some time?

Keen to hear about others’ experiences with melatonin.
In particular:
- does it help you get to sleep and stay asleep?
- have you noticed any decrease in parasomnias (night terrors, hallucinations, sleep walking, shouting out etc) while taking it?
- has it adversely affected your sleep in any way eg caused insomnia, increased nightmares etc. And, if so, how severe was the impact?

I have an appointment with the sleep clinic’s pharmacist in a couple of months to review how I’m getting on. I’ve just taken my first tablet tonight so will see how it goes.

Will post how I get on here in case it’s helpful to anyone else.

And, yeah...just keen to hear about others’ experience. I’m interested in trying it and seeing if it will help. I just hadn’t expected to see insomnia and nightmares listed as possible side effects!

Thanks very much in advance.

 

[EveHarrington]

It helps me get to sleep, yes, but stay asleep, no.

I can’t answer the other questions.

It gave me less issues than other sleep meds. But, it’s not meant to be taken every night.

 

[barefoot]

Thanks, @EveHarrington.

Do you know why it’s not supposed to be taken every night?
Is that just for long term use?

I’ve been told to take it every night and have two months supply at the moment.

 

[ILoveLife]

does it help you get to sleep and stay asleep?

Get to sleep, not stay asleep.

have you noticed any decrease in parasomnias

No, increase.

as it adversely affected your sleep in any way eg caused insomnia, increased nightmares etc. And, if so, how severe was the impact?

After I stopped it my sleep was normal for about a month. During the treatment I had horrible nightmares that ruined my mental health for months after.
Oh, and sleepwalked a lot during it too.

 

[barefoot]

Thanks @Sietz Wow - that doesn’t sound good!

It seems that quite a few meds - including sleep-related meds - have a flip side of potentially causing sleep disturbances. Which makes things a bit of a minefield when you have sleep disturbances in the first place!

 

[ILoveLife]

Melatonin is the safest med for sleep though, I only shared my experience with it, doens't mean it would be the same for you.

And if you decide to try it, at least just for one night to see how you feel with it, it probably won't give you any complications.

 

[barefoot]

I appreciate you sharing @Sietz - I realise my experience may be different but I do find it helpful to hear from others. Hopefully my experience will differ from yours on this! ?

I took one last night and slept pretty well. I had some quite intense dreams but they weren’t horrible. In fact, I had a few sex dreams (sorry if that’s TMI!) They weren’t bad dreams at all. They were quite fun! But it may prove exhausting if this ends up being a new Melatonin-induced pattern! Ha! ?

 

[ILoveLife]

Ahaha! Awesome! Sex dreams, I want those too. Give me some of your melatonin :roflmao:

 

[barefoot]

Ha! Going to go and set up an eBay shop to sell my Sexy Melatonin! ?

 

[Abstract]

Its the only thing I trust as am phobic about sleep meds unfortunately. Then become even more hypervilient if take them. The subtly help me fall asleep more easily. And I think I have significant issues regulating my body clock and meletonin does that. Hope it helps!

 

[barefoot]

Thanks @Abstract - I hope so too!

Are you taking them every day and on a long term basis?

Both nights taking it I’ve got to sleep pretty quickly and easily but have woken up a lot. Have got back to sleep easily though. We’ll see...

 

[Nessa7]

I've taken it every night for a few years at various doses and with different other medications.

It does help me fall asleep. It has not made too much of a difference in staying asleep.

It didn't do anything to help with parasomnias until I started taking 10mg, but I was always taking it pramarily to fall asleep quicker and anything else would just be a bonus.

It has mostly helped me keep still while sleeping. I haven't punched myself or fallen out of bed since my dosage was increased, and I've noticed that I generally move around less. I'm still about as likely to make scary noises. It's difficult for me to judge hallucinations, because those are really tightly linked to stress for me. I've had more of those since the increase, but I think that would be more likely explained by having more stress instead of the melatonin.

Melatonin is the one thing that I've taken for sleep that hasn't led to a significant increase in the amount of dreaming that I do. It increases the amount of dreams that I have and remember a little bit, and nightmares increase with that. It isn't enough to make it not worth taking, though. Everything else I've tried has been worse.

I would recommend being cautious the first time that you take it with anything else that increases sleep. The first time I took it with an antihistamine I slept for about fifteen hours and would not wake up. I had very ordinary but vivid dreams for what felt like even longer than fifteen hours, too.