wrkbot

Melatonin is a natural hormone secreted by your pineal gland, and there is some controversy as to whether or not it effectively enters your system from the outside. It should be safer than practically anything else available, though. I have tried it, and I can't say it hit me as hard as 20mg of Ambien or even a healthy dose of Kava, but I certainly experienced no ill effects, at least. The best way to get the best effective dose of melatonin - and this has been borne out by exhaustive lab research - is to get consistent daily exposure to bright sunlight, sun lamp or lightbox, as may be available. Melatonin secretion is regulated ny the suprachiasmatic nuleus, a bundle of nerves that sits on top of the crossover point of your optic nerves (as the name implies). When light exposure stimulates optic nerve activity, the SCN is activated and limits melatonin release. When the light exposure is removed, the SCN allows melatonin to be released. In our primitive state, day length was the main regulator of human activity and inactivity (sleep). With the introduction of electric light, we became able to artificially extend the day, and in doing so interefere with our circadian rhythm. If you spend long hours either in dim light (as in front of the TV), or in a windowless area, lit by fluroescents, you may be under-regulated, with a "slow trickle" of melatonin in your system, which may keep you less than bushy-tailed, and may mean a depletion of melatonin by bedtime. Adding a bright incandescent lamp to your work area may help you hold melatonin (and possibly some attendant daytime sleepiness) at bay until you're really ready for it at night.

Long story short, IMHO, it's better to get as much natural sunlight as your skin can handle (maybe just taking a short walk on your lunch break)than it is to dump excess hormone into your system, which will more than likely metabolize away unused, or simply provoke your body to adjust it's melatonin production to return to it's previous overall level. It's the timing of ebb and flow, as opposed to raw amount of melatonin in your system that'll get you the best result.

good luck

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3 right opens /into 150 over jump maybe /into 6 left line.

[This message has been edited by werkbot (edited 10-30-2003).]