Sleep update: Something that works!

I have previously written about my struggle to easily and readily fall asleep. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Whilst I almost always get a good night’s sleep - eventually, it can be a bit anxiety inducing to know that no matter how late I go to bed, I would usually spend at least an hour tossing and turning.

When I was on exchange to the US, I discovered a readily available over-the-counter ‘medicine’ called melatonin. Melatonin is the naturally produced sleep hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle in humans. In the form of a dietary supplement, it is used as a safe, non-addictive and comparatively minor sleep aide.

While available over-the-counter in the US, a prescription is required in Australia. This prevented me from using it for the last year or so, as I didn’t think my sleep difficulties warranted a doctor’s visit and prescription. However, when visiting my GP recently for a routine visit, I mentioned I had always had trouble getting to sleep and that I had found some relief from melatonin when in the US. My doctor promptly wrote me a script and assured me that while there isn’t clear evidence that melatonin works uniformly, there are really no major downsides to trying it.

Since that day around a month ago, I have taken one melatonin tablet each night about half an hour before I want to fall asleep, and it has not failed me once. I am fully prepared to accept that it may be a placebo effect, giving me just enough peace of mind and confidence to allow me to drift to sleep more quickly. Either way, I am very happy to be able to finally have some control over my sleep patterns, meaning, for example, I can now guarantee getting an early night before an early morning.

As always, be sure to check with your doctor first if you are having any issues with sleep.

Note: You may also like to check out the sleep tips as suggested by the Counselling team here.