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As you grow older, your body needs fewer and fewer hours of sleep to function regularly. However, for many adults, even getting the few hours of sleep they need is problematic. They try to sleep at night, but for whatever reason they cannot seem to fall or stay asleep. This can be due to a variety of reasons like body aches and pains, illness or other stressors like money or family concerns. One thing is for certain: when you cannot sleep, the body and mind cannot function properly.

So, you might be thinking about taking the treatment for your insomnia into your own hands. If you do your research, you will see that taking melatonin pills is a popular way to treat insomnia. However, just because it's popular doesn*t mean it's a cure-all treatment for your insomnia.

You may like that melatonin pill bottles say *natural* on the front. *Natural* has become a sought after term in today's organic and health-minded society. People prefer to put something in their bodies that will work with the body, instead of against it (like some medications can.) It is true: a treatment that is natural will have fewer side effects. Melatonin side effects are few and far-between, making it an even more popular sleep treatment.

Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone in the body. It is known as a growth hormone that comes from the pineal gland in the brain. It wears a lot of different hats in our bodies: from regulating height to strengthening the immune system. However, the forms that people take are synthetic forms of melatonin, but the effects are the same.

Melatonin side effects are generally milder than chemically produced sleeping aids like Ambien. The most commonly talked about of the melatonin side effects is severe drowsiness and vivid nightmares after taking it. If you have trouble sleeping, severe drowsiness might seem like a welcome problem. However, be cautious before taking it during the day or while operating heavy machinery or driving.

Other melatonin side effects are reduced sex drive with prolonged use, depression, headaches, irritability and stomachaches. These melatonin side effects are usually reported to be mild and go away once you stop using melatonin. One of the melatonin side effects that are actually helpful to some people is that it can help lower your blood pressure!

As you can see, its benefits clearly outshine the melatonin side effects. However, before beginning a regimen of melatonin, visit with your doctor. You doctor will be able to diagnose your insomnia and give you an idea of what types of treatments are likely to work well for you. Your doctor will also want to monitor your progress while taking melatonin to see if it is working for you. If it doesn*t work, he may suggest another type of insomnia treatment.

Melatonin can be a great treatment for your sleeping troubles. Make an appointment with your doctor today to see if it will work for you. Who knows, you may be sleeping like a baby tonight!