Mood Change Medicine
INSOMNIA
Tryptophan and Its Alternatives for Depression, Anxiety & Sleep
Tryptophan plays a pivotal role in the gut-brain axis, a two-way biochemical conversation between our brains and bellies that helps determine the production of melatonin and serotonin, key brain chemicals that affect sleep and mood. Optimizing the biology of mood and sleep includes optimizing factors that impact tryptophan nutrition. Continue reading
Are cannabinoids effective for sleep?
Certain cannabinoids might help people with sleep problems, but the question is do the possible benefits outweigh the known risks? Continue reading
Nutrition for Making the Most of Natural Melatonin
The most potent way to get the sleep-promoting benefits of melatonin is to not to buy it off a store shelf. Natural melatonin is made in the body from food. All melatonin production is driven by key dietary nutrients, especially tryptophan found in foods like turkey, eggs and bananas. Continue reading
Some Side Effects & Adverse Effects of Melatonin
Incorrect use of melatonin can cause irregular sleep-wake cycles. Melatonin has been linked to increased risk of fractures. It can impair balance, increasing risk of falls. No difference was found in the incidence of long-term side effects between melatonin and inert placebo, studies showed. High doses might worsen depression. Continue reading
Risks Associated with Purity & Potency of Melatonin Supplements
Some studies have found lot-to-lot variability of 465%, with some supplements containing five to six times more melatonin than that listed on the label. Some supplements contained no melatonin and others were contaminated with the dangerous melatonin precursor, serotonin. Rarely, melatonin in supplements comes from the brains of animals. Continue reading
Melatonin: Some Drug interactions & Precautions
Here’s a list of some of the drugs and supplements with which melatonin may interact. It is not an exhaustive list. There are also precautions including not taking melatonin before driving. Continue reading
Short-term Melatonin Supplements Seem Safer than Pharmaceuticals
Unlike some of the pharmaceutical sleep meds, melatonin has no black-box warnings about serious side-effects such as sleep driving or an association with an increase in all-cause-mortality. And melatonin does not cause withdrawal symptoms like rebound insomnia, a common characteristic of the most frequently prescribed sleep drugs. Continue reading
INSOMNIA’S UNBIDDEN BEDFELLOWS: Anxiety & Depression
Insomnia, depression and anxiety share common causes and often occur together. All 3 feed a vicious cycle worsening each condition. Stress is the common thread tying insomnia, circadian disruption, anxiety and depression together. Stress ignites a firestorm of inflammation suppressing levels of the sleep-hormone melatonin and elevating the stress-hormone cortisol.
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My Thoughts on Supplements for Anxiety, Depression and Insomnia
Mood Change Medicine’s website offers information, without a paywall, about some of the most popular supplements for anxiety, depression and insomnia. This article has links to two other articles, each of which provide links to articles on specific supplements for each of these conditions. Continue reading
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