In fairy tales, Snow White bit into a poisoned apple given to her by her Evil Stepmother while Princess Aurora pricked her finger in a spinning wheel. In modern times, for us to sleep, we can actually take melatonin.

Melatonin can be found in any living creature that breathe and eat. It is a hormone excreted by the brain’s pineal gland. The melatonin is the one that tells us when it is time to hit the sack and also the one that tells us to get up.

Nowadays, there are pills called melatonin that can be taken. There is the natural melatonin which is made from animals’ pineal glands. It is dangerous and not recommended because since it came from animals, It could be contaminated.

Whereas with the synthetic melatonin, you can easily buy this in your local drug stores. Your pharmacist does not need a prescription from your doctor for him to hand you a bottle. But, the downside to this is that this drug has not been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. If there are side effects that caused the individual to be in danger, the US FDA will not be held responsible. This is all to the person’s discretion whether he will intake the drug.

To people who suffer from insomnia or the inability/difficulty in falling asleep and who keep on waking up from time-to-time in the middle of their slumber, melatonin is often prescribed.

Aside from prescription for insomnia, melatonin has no more function in other health-related issues. However, recent studies show that melatonin is also a powerful anti-oxidant. Anti-oxidants can transfer from one cell membrane by passing through the blood-brain barrier. The advantage of melatonin to the other anti-oxidants is that it does not have to go through redox cycling. That’s why unlike Vitamin C, melatonin is considered to be a suicidal anti-oxidant. Once it is reduced to an end product of being a pill, it can no longer be reversed to its original state.

However melatonin’s anti-oxidant activity reduces the damages caused by the critical disease Parkinson’s disease. It also prevents cardiac arrhythmia. Intake of melatonin also increases longevity in life, as proven by the mice it was tested on. These mice actually increased their life span by 20%.

Once a person has taken in melatonin, the side effects are sleepiness. One feels pooped, tired and fatigued. But sometimes, they have headache or discomfort to their stomach. At the moment, research is still being conducted on why these are the other side effects to some people.

For constant travelers like businessman and actors, they resort to melatonin to help them fall asleep. By constantly crossing time zones, their biological clocks are affected. Sometimes their body wants to sleep but the state where they’re at is not yet bedtime. For them to function well, melatonin helps in regulating their body to the schedule most appropriate.

Research conducted on a flight crew showed that the efficient time after taking oral melatonin is that 5 mgs of the drug helped in alleviating jet-lag and sleepiness. They were more alert and focused on what they were doing.

The study was also conducted to shift workers. 5 mgs was also given to them before they hit the sack. When they were up, they were more awake and focused on their work.

If you have decided to purchase melatonin to assist you in your sleeping troubles, then these are the products we recommend:

1. Life Extension – 1 Mg.
It contains 60 capsules. Take 1 to 2 capsules before sleeping. The price is $3.75.

2. Life Extension – 10 Mg
It contains 60 capsules. Take 1 to 2 capsules before sleeping. The price is $21.00

3. Life Extension - 3 Mg
It contains 60 capsules. Take 1 to 2 capsules before sleeping. The price is $6.00.

4. Life Extension – 3 Mg
It contains 60 dissolve in mouth tablets. Dissolve one to two tablets under the tongue 15 to 60 minutes before bedtime. The price is $6.00.

5. Life Extension – 300 mcg
It contains 100 dissolve in mouth tablets. Dissolve one to two tablets under the tongue 15 to 60 minutes before bedtime. The price is $4.31.

6. Life Extension – 500 mcg
It contains 200 dissolve in mouth tablets. Dissolve one to two tablets under the tongue 15 to 60 minutes before bedtime. The price is $12.00

Patients who have lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and leukemia are not advised to take melatonin since there is no assurance of the positive side-effect for them.