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Originally Posted On: https://hibernationlab.com/blogs/sleep-and-recovery-hacks/microdosing-melatonin-the-key-things-to-know

 

Everybody’s heard of melatonin, right? Over the last decade, this incredible hormone has rapidly grown in popularity thanks to its reputation as a sleep aid. But is that reputation deserved?

Maybe you’ve taken these OTC products and gotten unsatisfactory results — grogginess, or bouts of wild dreams. Or, maybe they simply didn’t work at all. In either case, the problem is probably the same: you’ve almost certainly taken too much.

Microdosing melatonin is the ideal way to use this supplement. With a proper tiny dose, you’ll receive all the benefits melatonin has to offer without feeling hungover in the morning or yawning through the next afternoon.

Read on to learn everything you need to know before you start your first melatonin regimen.

IMPORTANCE OF MELATONIN

Are you skeptical that sleep aids don’t quite jive with your healthy lifestyle? You should be. A lot of them are filled with unnatural drugs that have strong side effects.

Melatonin — in the right dose — is different. It’s a completely natural substance. Everyone’s brain makes it daily. Used properly, it allows you to get the sleep you need (real, natural sleep) without having to overload your body with “hypnotic agents” and other artificial junk.

At the molecular level, melatonin is made of an amino acid called tryptophan. It’s the catatonia-inducing chemical that takes hold after you indulge in a heaping portion of turkey on Thanksgiving.

Getting good sleep, however, is a team effort. Melatonin doesn’t act alone.

It all starts with your brain’s pineal gland, which acts like NBA coach Steve Kerr coordinating the attack. This special gland is responsible for governing your body’s sleep/wake cycles. A pinecone-shaped nugget located near the brain stem, the pineal gland monitors light levels. When it senses oncoming darkness, it sends a signal to the rest of your body that it’s time to sleep.

Melatonin is like Steph Curry, the unassuming superstar in the process. It’s the hormone responsible for triggering this signal, and everything else takes action depending on what it’s doing and saying.

Enzymes and tryptophan are the team’s world-class role players. Much like Draymond Green creates space and funnels the ball to Curry, enzymes turn tryptophan into melatonin to get the offense started…or, so you can get ready for bed.

The key takeaway here is that melatonin doesn’t force you to go to sleep and needs a bit of help along the way. It simply lets your body know that it’s time to rest, but is unquestionably the most important player on the team.

However, you can accidentally disrupt your body’s melatonin cycle. Exposure to light will cause a delay in melatonin production. (Like putting Steph Curry on the bench.) Blue light emitted by TVs and smartphones is typically the main culprit. Trust us: if you want natural, healthy sleep, you have to avoid the temptation to mindlessly scroll while you wind down before bed.

Even so, the most successful championship teams know that father time is undefeated. Certain individuals also produce less melatonin as they age.

If you’re wondering why you struggle to get to sleep at night, it’s likely an age-related issue with your melatonin levels. You can be an otherwise active and healthy individual, but you can’t overcome the science behind a good night’s rest.

The good news is that a microdose of melatonin can totally solve these problems. It’s like a perfect trade deadline acquisition that makes your sleep-cycle team a true championship contender.

IDEAL TIME TO TAKE MELATONIN

Melatonin supplements can encourage your body’s natural melatonin production, and ensure proper sleep hygiene by helping you fall asleep at just the right time.

To get the perfect balance of natural melatonin levels, you should take your supplement 1-2 hours before you aim to be lights-out asleep. This essentially gives your body a headstart on melatonin production, so when you finally lay your head on the pillow, your brain will be 100% ready for a snooze.

Are you taking melatonin to help re-establish a healthy sleep schedule? Try to take it around an hour before bed. At this stage, it reaches the peak amount in your bloodstream.

THE PERFECT DOSE

Take a trip to any drug store and you’ll see plenty of melatonin sleep aid products. These over-the-counter supplements come in all sorts of different dosages ranging from 1mg to 10mg.

How do you know which one is right for you?

The answer is simple: none of them.

Even 1mg pills contain WAY more melatonin than your brain actually needs to coordinate the process we like to call the “hormonal sleep cascade.” It’s like having 5 Steph Curries on the court, all with a ball in their hands.

The perfect dose of melatonin is surprisingly small. Most healthy men only need a microdose of around 0.3 mg. Any more than that, and you risk overwhelming your brain.

Less really is more when it comes to this supplement.

WHY SUCH A SMALL AMOUNT?

Remember that melatonin is only part of the signal that it’s time to sleep. These supplements are not like other sleeping pills that use drugs to short-circuit your brain, knock you out, and actually prevent natural sleep.

You only need a microdose to light the signal. When that flare goes up, your body’s other sleep processes then spring into action. If you take the right dose of melatonin, you’ll start to feel drowsy naturally. Eventually, you’ll fall asleep and move through the different phases of slumber.

There are four parts to the sleep cycle.

Phase one is the shortest and only lasts for around 10 minutes. This is when you transition from wakefulness to sleep.

Phase two sees a drop in heart rate and body temperature. It lasts for about 20 minutes.

Phase three is characterized by a drop in blood pressure and breathing rate. It’s also when your muscles relax. At this stage, you’re in the deepest sleep, and it’s when all the magic happens. Your immune system recharges. Muscle recovery takes place. This is the sweet spot — the truly regenerative part of sleep.

Phase four is called REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. Your brain is active, but your body is totally relaxed. This is also when you dream, as you cycle back into Phase one and start the process over again.

You need to transition through all four phases of sleep to get a good night’s rest. Melatonin microdosing keeps that process running smoothly without overwhelming it and starting the process all over again from scratch.

TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING

Taking melatonin in an appropriately small dose — 0.2-0.3mg — kicks off the sleep cycle. Then, it leaves your bloodstream in short order.

If you take more melatonin than you need, it hangs around in your bloodstream. Then, when that excess melatonin finally attaches to a receptor, it fires off a signal flare again…and the whole process starts over.

It doesn’t matter if you’re already sleeping. You’ve just tricked your brain. You’re knocked back into that first phase of sleep. Now, you might never reach the phases of deep sleep that allow you to rejuvenate fully, and you’ll wake up feeling like you spent the night boozing.

Large doses of melatonin also tend to have diminishing effects. Doses larger than 3mg can quickly render the body’s melatonin receptors completely unresponsive.

If you overload your melatonin receptors, the hormone stops being effective — even the small amount your brain produces naturally. It’ll take days before your brain goes back to normal. A microdose, however, keeps your receptors working like a well-oiled Ferrari.

OTHER BENEFITS OF MICRODOSING MELATONIN

Melatonin is an amazing hormone. While many look to it to help solve their sleep issues, it can offer plenty of other benefits.

ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES

Antioxidants are enzymes that help your body clean and repair its cells. Melatonin has been shown to increase the amount of these powerful enzymes in your body.

It fights what are known as “free radicals” in your body. While these sound like hippie jam-band groupies, they’re actually substances created during normal cellular functions. Unfortunately, they can cause significant damage if they flow un-checked. Free radicals can threaten healthy fat tissue, protein, and even your DNA.

The damage caused by free radicals can lead to many different diseases and health ailments, including cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

Fortunately, melatonin can obliterate free radicals.

SUPPORT IMMUNE HEALTH

Melatonin also plays an important role in the health of your immune system. Your white blood cells, your body’s ever-vigilant guardians against infection and disease, actually have melatonin receptors and the enzymes needed to create melatonin out of tryptophan.

Melatonin has also been shown to increase the levels of T-cells in your body. These cells are essentially super-soldiers that can eradicate host cells that carry many different kinds of disease.

FIGHT INFLAMMATION

Melatonin is also a powerful anti-inflammatory. It can help fight chronic inflammation and supports the inflammatory cells your body sends out to help repair damaged tissue or fight bacteria.

Joints aching after a tough workout? Melatonin keeps those tweaks and niggling pains from getting worse.

GOOD FOR THE HEAD

Melatonin can help support the health of your brain. It does this by strengthening your blood-brain barrier.

This barrier’s chief responsibility is to prevent things like bacteria and viruses — which are always present in your bloodstream in tiny amounts — from entering your brain.

A weakened blood-brain barrier can result in brain fog and eventually lead to neurological disorders like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Melatonin has also been shown to help limit cell death and brain damage caused by a leaky blood-brain barrier.

CELLULAR SUPPORT

Mitochondria, the part of the cell that produces energy, relies on melatonin to help it do its job. This is especially important in cells found in your heart, liver, and kidneys.

Melatonin in these cells can help improve your blood pressure, blood circulation, and electrolyte levels.

Melatonin also helps protect the cells in other parts of your body. This leads to improved resistance to diseases like diabetes. With improved levels of melatonin, your body can better regulate its insulin levels.

This is similar to the way melatonin helps regulate sleeping patterns. During the day, you’ll have higher insulin sensitivity. At night, you’ll have increased resistance.

THE MELATONIN SUPPLEMENT YOU NEED

Melatonin is a common sleep aid, but many people take way too much. It’s most effective in small microdoses of 0.3 mg or less.

Microdosing melatonin kickstarts your body’s natural sleep process. When it enters your bloodstream, your body naturally prepares for sleep.

Ready to get started with a properly dosed melatonin supplement and finally get the restful sleep your body needs? Hibernate has just what you need.

Our Hibernate Sleep Formula is the ultimate in sleep aids for men who demand healthy, natural sleep…and days full of life and energy. Head to our shop and place your order today.