Can Melatonin Supplements Help with Insomnia? | Incheon Insomnia

“I take melatonin, but I still can’t sleep”—Misconceptions and Truths about the Sleep Hormone

Have you ever tried melatonin? It's a sleep aid that always comes up when you search for solutions to insomnia, and everyone has probably heard at some point, "If you take this, you'll sleep well." But here's the thing. Have you ever experienced taking melatonin and still thinking, "Why am I tossing and turning even more?" or "I feel even groggier the next day?"

Today, we'll delve into what this hormone, melatonin, actually does, why many people don't experience the effects they expect, focusing on the perspectives of insomnia specialists.

1. Melatonin: Merely the Starting Signal for Sleep

Melatonin is a hormone produced in the pineal gland of the brain. As light stimulation decreases at night, melatonin is secreted, signaling our body, "It's almost time to sleep." Dr. Ashley Mason, an American sleep expert, compares melatonin to a "starter pistol shooter," in other words, someone who gives the starting signal. In contrast, the actual mechanisms that produce sleep—the brain and body's sleep mechanisms—are the "runners in the race." In other words, melatonin is a 'traffic light' in the system that helps us fall asleep, not a drug that inherently creates deep and stable sleep.

2. Why Did So Many People Start Taking It?

Melatonin's emergence as a supplement is relatively recent. In the late 1990s, with some demonstrated efficacy as a sleep aid for jet lag, night shift workers, or children with autism spectrum disorder or ADHD, it became widely popular as an 'over-the-counter sleep aid.' It then gained word-of-mouth popularity with an image of being 'natural,' 'side-effect-free,' and a 'non-habit-forming sleep aid.' But the problem starts here. It began to be used indiscriminately for chronic insomnia without a clear understanding of its exact mechanism of action.

3. Expectations vs. Reality: Weak Efficacy, Surprisingly Many Side Effects

Experts like Dr. Mason point out that in many adults, melatonin actually disrupts sleep rhythms. She even expresses it as, "It's really messing people up." Actual studies show that while melatonin offers limited help for certain circadian rhythm sleep disorders or children's sleep problems, it has little to no effect in cases with complex causes like insomnia. Moreover, surprisingly many people experience side effects after taking it, such as headaches, lethargy, early morning awakening, and reduced concentration the next day.

4. The Bigger Problem is 'Quality'

Melatonin is not a drug; it's a health supplement. This means that ingredient regulations are weak, and the actual content can vary wildly. According to research in the US and Canada, the melatonin content stated on labels differed from the actual amount present by as much as 5-400%, and some products didn't even contain detectable melatonin. In other words, what you're taking might not even be melatonin. Given this, wondering 'Why can't I sleep?' becomes an almost inevitable outcome.

5. What is the Therapeutic Perspective?

In clinics specializing in CBT-I, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, if a patient is already taking melatonin or other sleep aids, they are advised to discontinue them at the start of treatment. The reason is simple: what we truly want to know is whether "your brain and body can fall asleep on their own, without any external stimuli." Only in that state can CBT-I, a learning-based therapy, intervene to properly modify the conditioning of the nervous system. Experts believe that melatonin can send confusing signals during this training and can itself cause disruption.

6. Melatonin Can Be Used, But Don't Misunderstand Its Role

Melatonin is not entirely useless. It certainly has a role in cases of jet lag, night shift work, and certain pediatric neurological disorders. However, for general adult insomnia, especially when sleep habits are entrenched, melatonin can exacerbate the dilemma rather than provide a solution. Insomnia is a complex disorder involving neurological, behavioral, and cognitive factors. To restore the physiological process of sleep, it requires accurate cause analysis, deconditioning of learned responses, and the restructuring of environment and lifestyle habits. So, take a moment to consider: Is this 'sleep-inducing pill' I'm taking truly the right approach for me?

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