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Sleepless nights can happen to the best of us. In fact, 25% of Canadians have trouble falling or staying asleep most or all of the time.1 And if you’ve ever struggled - tossing, turning, and feeling the minutes crawl by – you’re probably no stranger to the many kinds of sleep aids and tactics.  From counting sheep, meditating, reading, warm showers, and electronic bans to taking supplements, there is no shortage of solutions in hopes of a restful slumber. Melatonin, the hormone that helps us fall asleep and stay asleep, is naturally produced by the brain. It is also available as a supplement. Though it is a widely accepted sleep solution found at many bedsides, beneath the surface swirl many myths and misconceptions about this natural sleep enhancer. Let’s dive into the world of sleep and science, and dispel the most common myths about melatonin supplements. Myth #1: Melatonin is a sedative Many people believe that a melatonin supplement will immediately induce sleep, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that’s produced in the brain to help regulate your sleep-wake cycle. It signals tiredness to the body and helps it prepare for sleep, rather than directly putting you to sleep like an actual sedative would.   Myth #2: More is better The truth is, there is a unique dose for each person, ranging from 1 mg to even 10 mg. Many variables can determine what dose of melatonin will help you sleep better, like weight and age. Research in older adults found that the optimal dose for melatonin could be anywhere from 1 mg to 6 mg.2 So, how can you find your dose? You can find your individualized dose with the help of Jamieson’s Sleep Spray, which provides 1 mg of melatonin per spray. By experimenting and trialing different doses, it can help you find the exact dose you need for more restful sleep!   Myth #3: You will become dependent Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone, released by the brain every night, making it difficult for the body to become dependent on it.  Current research also backs this u p.3 Taking a melatonin supplement doesn’t cause you to need more and more as time goes on, which is a hallmark of dependence.3 Also, there are no cravings or withdrawal symptoms if you were to stop taking it.3 Myth #4: Supplementation stops natural production Research on this topic proves otherwise. One study gave participants a melatonin supplement for 7 nights and measured natural melatonin production on the 8th night, which proved to be unchanged.4 Another trial used melatonin supplementation for 37 days and saw no change in the brain’s natural melatonin production.4 Myth #5: It's only for sleep  Increasingly, scientists are exploring the diverse health benefits of melatonin beyond its well-known role in sleep regulation. has found to play a role in female reproduction, specifically in having a positive impact on egg quality.5 Melatonin is becoming a well-known, potent antioxidant.6 Antioxidants combat oxidative stress and prevent free radicals from damaging cells. Researchers are applying this knowledge in areas of high antioxidant needs. For instance, scientists found melatonin supplementation in athletes to be effective in preventing excessive muscle damage. Melatonin is also becoming well-known for its anti-aging properties. Topically, studies have found melatonin-based creams to help improve skin tone, hydration and roughness in aging skin.8 References: Clayborne ZM, Dopko RL, Wang C, Betancourt MT, Roberts KC, Capaldi CA. Associations of sleep duration and sleep quality with indicators of mental health among youth and adults: findings from the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey. Health Promot Chronic Dis Prev Can. 2023;43(5):243-59. https://doi.org/10.24095/hpcdp.43.5.04 Pierce, M., Linnebur, S. A., Pearson, S. M., & Fixen, D. R. (2019). Optimal Melatonin Dose in Older Adults: A Clinical Review of the Literature. The Senior care pharmacist, 34(7), 419–431. Herndon, J. (2018a, July 20). Is melatonin addictive: Side effects, dosage, benefits, and depression. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/is-melatonin-addictive#dosage Matsumoto, M., Sack, R. L., Blood, M. L., & Lewy, A. J. (1997). The amplitude of endogenous melatonin production is not affected by melatonin treatment in humans. Journal of pineal research, 22(1), 42–44. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-079x.1997.tb00301.x Espino, J., Macedo, M., Lozano, G., Ortiz, Á., Rodríguez, C., Rodríguez, A. B., & Bejarano, I. (2019). Impact of Melatonin Supplementation in Women with Unexplained Infertility Undergoing Fertility Treatment. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 8(9), 338. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox8090338 Reiter, R. J., Mayo, J. C., Tan, D. X., Sainz, R. M., Alatorre-Jimenez, M., & Qin, L. (2016). Melatonin as an antioxidant: under promises but over delivers. Journal of pineal research, 61(3), 253–278. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpi.12360 Roberto C. Leonardo-Mendonça, Javier Ocaña-Wilhelmi, Tomás de Haro, Carlos de Teresa-Galván, Eduardo Guerra-Hernández, Iryna Rusanova, Marisol Fernández-Ortiz, Ramy K.A. Sayed, Germaine Escames, and Darío Acuña-Castroviejo. The benefit of a supplement with the antioxidant melatonin on redox status and muscle damage in resistance-trained athletes. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. 42(7): 700-707. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2016-0677 Milani, M., & Sparavigna, A. (2018). Antiaging efficacy of melatonin-based day and night creams: a randomized, split-face, assessor-blinded proof-of-concept trial. Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology, 11, 51–57. https://doi.org/10.2147/CCID.S153905  

Do you find yourself struggling to keep your eyes open during the day because you’re so tired? Or do you lie awake at night staring at the ceiling wondering when you will finally fall asleep? Struggling with sleep is incredibly common and sleep issues are on the rise. It’s estimated that 1 in 3 Canadians don’t get enough sleep and almost 50% of Canadians don’t wake up feeling refreshed.1 Our understanding of sleep is still growing, as sleep is a very complex and somewhat mysterious process in our bodies. Scientists are continuing to learn more about it and how it impacts our brain and body both when we sleep and while we are awake. What we do understand and can see a clear connection between is the relationship our stress hormone, cortisol, and our sleep hormone, melatonin, have to each other. These hormones work opposite of each other to promote alertness starting in the morning with cortisol, or to promote sleepiness in the evening with melatonin.2 The two, when working in perfect harmony regulate our sleep wake cycle, but in reality we often end up with higher amounts of our stress hormone, which throws off the balance of the two. The result is higher cortisol levels into the evening time, causing melatonin release to be delayed, and then delaying sleep.2 So, if you feel like you are always chasing after sleep, or it seems like you are never able to get enough or catch up on it, consider these tips to help your brain and your body get the rest it needs and to feel your best when you’re awake: Routine – Our bodies crave routine and run on an internal clock, known as our circadian rhythm, which controls our sleep-wake cycle.3 By keeping yourself in a regular routine, you allow your body to work its best. This includes waking up and going to sleep at the same time every day, even on weekends and having a sleep routine each night (think wind down time, quiet, cool bedroom, dim lighting) Daylight versus blue light exposure – Getting natural daylight exposure every day, preferably in the morning, can help to send the correct signals to the brain for regulating our sleep wake cycle.4 We need the full spectrum of light during the daytime but in the evening, when we are exposed to too much bluelight from electronic devices, it keeps our brain too awake and can prevent us from falling asleep.5,6 Physical activity – The benefits of exercise are vast, and when it comes to sleep it’s important for helping our bodies to feel tired at the end of the day AND as a way of helping to manage stress, which will also help to promote a good night’s rest. Nutrition – What we eat and when we eat can also impact our sleep! Eating too close to bedtime can cause digestive problems and disrupt our sleep.7 There are many foods that have sleep supporting benefits like protein and healthy complex carbohydrates which contain tryptophan and promote serotonin and melatonin production.8 Having these at dinner time or a few hours before bed as a small snack can help support your slumber. Supplementation – there are MANY supplements out there that can help support better sleep, but one of the main ones to consider is Melatonin. Since it’s an integral part of our sleep process and it can easily become out of balance this is the best place to start in terms of supplement support for sleep. Jamieson has many different formats and strengths (doses) of melatonin to choose from to meet your individual sleep needs. For mild sleep disturbances, try Jamieson’s sleep spray with a low 1 mg dose, but if you are having more chronic sleep issues consider working up to the higher dose of Jamieson’s maximum strength 10 mg melatonin.     References: Stats Canada (2017). Accessed Sept 19, 2021 at: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-003-x/2017009/article/54857-eng.htm Camila Hirotsu,Sergio Tufik, Monica Levy Andersen. Interactions between sleep, stress, and metabolism: From physiological to pathological conditions. Sleep Sci. 2015 Nov; 8(3): 143–152. doi: 10.1016/j.slsci.2015.09.002 McKenna, H. T., Reiss, I. K., & Martin, D. S. (2017). The significance of circadian rhythms and dysrhythmias in critical illness. Journal of the Intensive Care Society, 18(2), 121–129. doi:10.1177/1751143717692603 National Institute of Neurological disorders and stroke. Brain basics: Understanding sleep. Accessed August 30, 2021 at: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Understanding-Sleep Grivas, T.B., Savvidou, O.D. Melatonin the "light of night" in human biology and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Scoliosis2, 6 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-7161-2-6 Harvard Health. Blue light has a dark side. Accessed Sept 19, 2021 at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side Kinsey, A. W., & Ormsbee, M. J. (2015). The health impact of nighttime eating: old and new perspectives. Nutrients, 7(4), 2648–2662. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu7042648 Friedman M. (2018). Analysis, Nutrition, and Health Benefits of Tryptophan. International journal of tryptophan research : IJTR, 11, 1178646918802282. https://doi.org/10.1177/1178646918802282