Melatonin for day sleep

elkpark · Dec 10, 2010

I used to work full-time nights (years ago) and my boyfriend at the time also worked nights in healthcare. He felt he got great results with melatonin for helping with daytime sleep. I tried it (same brand -- we were living together) and didn't notice that it helped me at all. Unless you have some specific contraindication, it couldn't hurt to try it ...

caliotter3 · Dec 10, 2010

I didn't find it to be particularly helpful and had some sort of negative reaction, I don't remember much about it, that caused me to abandon trying to use melatonin to help with sleep. I guess different results for different people.

TNgirl2010 · Dec 10, 2010

I used melatonin for a while to adjust to working nights. I found that it made me go to sleep fast (within 30 minutes) and I wasn't hung-over from it when I woke up, but I had to quit taking it because it was causing me to have crazy vivid nightmares! I now take Benadryl and it works pretty well. Good luck to you!

Forever Sunshine, ASN, RN · Dec 12, 2010

I used melatonin for a while to adjust to working nights. I found that it made me go to sleep fast (within 30 minutes) and I wasn't hung-over from it when I woke up, but I had to quit taking it because it was causing me to have crazy vivid nightmares! I now take Benadryl and it works pretty well. Good luck to you!

Benedryl gives me crazy dreams.. not nightmares but just weird dreams lol

I use melatonin to help me sleep at night. I work 3-11 and I get home in the wee hours of the morning and I'm still a big ball of energy. A glass of wine and a half of a tablet of melatonin helps me get into the head "its time to go to sleep"

Jtkknj · Dec 12, 2010

I just dont want to get into the alcohol and pills mindset just yet. Haha. J/k.

tachybradyRN · Jan 10, 2011

melatonin works differently for different people. 3-6 mg always does the trick for me; and quickly, within 30-60 minutes with no hangover when i wake.

lad120 · Jan 15, 2011

The one thing that is hard about meletonin is that it is naturally made by the body with darkness. So for me it just wasn't enough to get me to sleep. I started taking Valerian Root, which is a natural sedative. You can get it at walmart and it really helped me get some sleep!

JoMark06 · Jan 16, 2011

I don't like the way OTC sleep meds make me feel so I have avoided taking them. I have wanted to try melatonin or valerian root but haven't gotten up the nerve yet. One thing that does help me sleep is making my room as dark as possible. I have room darkening curtains that block out about 95% of the light that comes into my room. The other thing that helped was putting a note on my front door for the mail person that said not to ring the bell unless something needed to be signed for (we get mail several times a wk that won't fit into the mailbox).

msjellybean · Jan 17, 2011

I typically have no problems sleeping after work. I encounter issues on my day offs. When I wake up at 3pm, stay up until 7am the next day and then I'm in a vicious cycle. I used benadryl for a while, but I got to the point where it stopped working.

I started with 3mg of melatonin for a couple nights and for the next week, I was in such a fog. I honestly thought I was having some real neuro issues. Headaches that were atypical, inability to focus, and a general goofy feeling. I back off to 0.75mg and it's quite effective. Fall asleep as soon as 30 minutes later and stay asleep for a good 6-7 hours. I find I have the best results when I am ready for bed. As in, I turn the lights down, climb into bed with a book and take my melatonin. If I take it and then putter around getting ready for bed, it's not nearly as effective.

I've read several places that it shouldn't be used during the daylight hours, as it can start to wreak havoc on the natural melatonin that your body produces.