Why am I writing about mixing alprazolam (Xanax) and melatonin? Because I’ve done it a few times – and did it last night. My aim was to research whether the combination is safe and/or more useful in certain ways than each substance used individually. Xanax (alprazolam) is a benzodiazepine anxiolytic most commonly used for the …
Earlier this year while listening to podcasts about sleep and insomnia, I stumbled upon the neuroscientist Andrew Huberman of the “Huberman Lab” podcast who discussed melatonin with Matthew Walker (sleep neuroscientist). While discussing melatonin, Huberman stated that he personally avoids it in part due to studies showing that melatonin significantly shrinks testicles and ovaries of …
According to a 2012 survey administered by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), around 1.3% of U.S. adults (3.065M) had taken melatonin within the past 30 days. (R) (This was more than a 2-fold increase from just 0.6% of U.S. adults who admitted to using melatonin within the past 30-days in a 2007 survey.) …
Melatonin is a hormone endogenously secreted by the pineal gland at night/evening and regulates one’s circadian rhythm (i.e. sleep-wake cycle) via interaction with melatonin receptors in the brain. Melatonin also: regulates blood pressure; interacts with the immune system; and acts as a potent antioxidant (scavenging free radicals). It has been thought that melatonin production decreases …
What is high-dose melatonin? There’s no objective scientific/medical consensus for what is “high-dose” melatonin. You might ask several people what they consider to be a high-dose of melatonin – and you might get entirely different answers. The body endogenously produces between 100 and 300 mcg (micrograms) of melatonin per night (according to a medical doctor …
What is low dose melatonin? 300 mcg (micrograms) or less – equivalent to 0.3 mg or less. This is my answer – so let me explain how I came up with this number. There’s no objective scientific/medical consensus for what is “low-dose” melatonin. You might ask several friends what they consider to be low-dose melatonin …