Melatonin & Numbness

[Leah]

I recently started taking melatonin and I love it...I honestly have not slept this good in several years. It's also helped (I think) improve my mood and my appetite/cravings :shrug: I do NOT want to stop taking it.

However...I keep waking up w/ my arms completely numb...no blood circulation in there whatever :huh: As far as I know I'm not sleeping w/ my arms above my head...though I can't say for sure cause I crash hard...but either way...it's kinda concerning :unsure: ...has anyone else experienced this on melatonin? :oops:

[Gazelle]

Yep, usually because I'm sleeping so soundly I've got my arm bent under me and the circulation gets cut off. My whole body also feels weaker/more tired when I wake up.

Be careful with the Melatonin. I fell in love with it and took it every day for a few months. Then it stopped working. I'm now having serious insomnia problems and only take it when absoultely necessary.

[Strive2Define]

Mine is more like stiffness from sleeping so hard for so long in the same position.

[Cathou]

it every day for a few months. Then it stopped working. I'm now having serious insomnia problems and only take it when absoultely necessary.

What she said. I took it for a too long time, but now it doesn't work for me at all now. I think it's better to take it only when you are not able to sleep. I still have hope that one day I will be able to control my insomina. :shrug:

As far for the numbness, it does happen once in a while to my left hand, but I know it is not related to melatonin, because I used to have them before I started taking melatonin. Maybe changing the position or something like that may help getting some circulation.

[Strive2Define]

I had to up my dosage a bit after awhile

[Gazelle]

I had to up my dosage a bit after awhile

Really? What dosage did you start at? I was taking 3mg sustained release. How much do you take?

I wonder if you keep becoming habituated to it so you need a higher and higher dose. That is something I never want to go through.

[CraveMuscle]

not necessarily.

if you're having so much trouble sleeping that you need more and more melatonin, you may have other hormonal/chemical imbalances that need to be resolved.

3 mg really isn't that much at all.

[absolut_blonde]

Could you be sleeping ON your arms, somehow? I do that from time to time and it makes them totally numb (though it is usually just one arm at a time, and not both).

Melatonin in general should be pretty safe, it's just a hormone that is already found in the body and it has been fairly thoroughly tested (enough for my comfort, at any rate, and I am paranoid).

I just take it on an as-needed basis. The sublingual form rocks-- I find that stuff knocks me out!

[Erik]

3 mg really isn't that much at all.

But should be sufficient.

[freckles]

Leigh, I don't take melatonin and my arms are asleep every morning - my hubby says it is because I sleep like the dead and never move. Like the other's said, could just be you aren't moving around as much - thus less circulation. That said, if it persists or becomes a problem, you should seek professional advice :)

[CraveMuscle]

But should be sufficient.

unfortunately, it's not always - but this is probably more in the extreme / unusual cases.

for example, my dad with post tramautic war stress doesn't bat at an eye at 3 mg - he'd never sleep with that - not even 5-6 hours - and at that level of sleep - he's not making the hormones produces/synthesized during sleep, so he feels like utter crap.

and yes, I'm arguing for the sake of arguing, but will shut up about it now.

and yes, I agree, that for most people 3 mg is sufficient.

[blonde79]

Have any of you used this while working shiftwork? I've taken melatonin in the past when I was working a 'normal' schedule (i.e. work during the day, sleep at night). Right now I'm stuck on nights (12-15hrs) and my sleep schedule is horrendous. I tend to work my nights then flip back when I have days off b/c I dread maintaining a nocturnal schedule.

My concern is that if I take it to sleep during the day I'm going to get into a daysleeper rut. I love my days off and enjoy being outside, running errands, going to the gym, etc when the sun is out and the world is alive. Many of my coworkers stay on a night schedule all the time but I've never really been able to embrace it.

Thanks :)