Will Taking Melatonin Supplements Help you Sleep Well Through Menopause and Perimenopause?

We all want a good nights sleep!

In menopause, that seems to be a tough thing to get. Night sweats and anxiety can keep us awake. Insomnia is also a big complaint durning perimenopause, through the menopause transition and beyond. There are decreased levels of estrogen and possibly melatonin. (1)

There are many suggestions for getting a good nights sleep, including shutting down your computer before 8 pm, and trying a melatonin supplement.

This blog post will cover:

• What is melatonin?

• Is a melatonin supplement right for you in menopause?

• What are the side effects of melatonin?

• What decreases your natural melatonin?

Posts like these are for education and information and should not be considered medical advice. Always check with your licensed care physician when thinking about supplements, especially if you are on medications or have a health condition.

What is melatonin?

Melatonin is a hormone. It is made mostly by the pineal gland in the brain. It is made by the amino acid tryptophan. It is also made in the gut, and possibly in the mitochondria of our cells. (1)

Melatonin may also protect our cells. It may act on the mitochondria, the organelles inside our cells that make cellular energy. Your heart muscle cells have the most mitochondria.

Melatonin is regulated by light and dark. When the sun sets, our melatonin should rise to promote sleep. When the sun rises, our melatonin should decrease. Scrolling social media, staying up watching Netflix and too much caffeine can rob your body of melatonin.

Optimizing your sleep environment and practicing good sleep hygiene is important.

Is a melatonin supplement right for you in menopause?

If you are wondering if it is safe to take melatonin in menopause, you are asking a good question! Every person is different. Many women are on medications that may have possible drug interactions with melatonin.

Shift workers, travellers and those with occasional trouble sleeping may benefit from melatonin. Menopausal women may have disturbed sleep from hot flashes, restless leg syndrome, and sleep apnea. (2)

Conditions like sleep apnea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and certain types of depression may influence melatonin levels. (1)

What are the side effects of melatonin?

Some women have told me they are nervous of the side effects of melatonin. These include nightmares, nausea, dizziness, and some morning grogginess. If you think melatonin is right for you, start off with a very small amount. You can always build up to more.

What decreases your natural melatonin?

• Artificial light

• Alcohol

• Caffeine (it’s always alcohol and caffeine isn’t it?)

• Smoking

• Chocolate

• Some medications like antidepressants acetaminophen or ibuprofen (this does not mean you should stop your medication)

• B Vitamins near bedtime

• Possibly electric appliances (3)

According to the Mayo Clinic, seems to be no safety issues in taking melatonin on the short term.

It can be something to help support you while you look for other ways to support your sleep, clean up your bedtime routine, or find the root cause of your sleep issue!

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5611767/

2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5187924/

3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31561815/

4. The Mood Cure, Julia Ross, 2002