Melatonin's Potential for Producing Strange Dreams and Sinister Nightmares Examined
Rewritten Article:
Sleeping soundly with the help of melatonin might have you prepared for a peaceful slumber, but find yourself battling zombies or showing up naked to work in your dreams? You might be wondering if your trusty sleep aid is responsible for your strange nightmares.
Is there a connection between melatonin and nightmares or odd dreams?
questions
Does melatonin cause nightmares and weird dreams?
The evidence doesn't conclusively prove that melatonin supplements lead to particularly strange or disturbing dreams. However, taking melatonin may help you sleep longer, providing more opportunities to dream or have nightmares.
Taking excessive melatonin has been associated with side effects like nightmares and vivid dreams, but the exact cause remains unclear.
How does melatonin guide you to Dream Land?
Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by your body to help you feel sleepy at night. Along with cortisol, it plays a crucial role in your body's internal clock, which essentially governs your sleep-wake cycles, temperature regulation, and metabolism.
Your melatonin levels are influenced by light exposure, and your brain produces more melatonin as it grows dark to help you unwind for a good night's sleep.
Taking a melatonin supplement close to bedtime seems to kickstart sleepy vibes when your own melatonin production is off. This might be the case if you're jet-lagged, work night shifts, or don't experience normal levels of light and darkness throughout the day.
Why does melatonin result in weird, vivid dreams?
Why do we dream in the first place? Some believe dreams function like a mental housekeeper, sorting and connecting real-life images, solving problems, packing things away for long-term storage, and disposing of unnecessary information.
The truth is, no one truly understands the purpose of dreams, much less why we sometimes have completely bizarre, vivid dreams even when taking melatonin.
If you notice you're having weird, vivid dreams while taking melatonin, here are some possible explanations.
Melatonin enhances sleep quality
It's likely you're taking melatonin supplements because you struggle to sleep well. If melatonin helps improve your sleep, getting better sleep means you have more chances to dream.
A 2013 review of 19 studies involving 1,683 people found that melatonin especially improves sleep quality, total sleep time, and the time it takes to fall asleep for people with insomnia. So, your wild nighttime escapades could simply be a side effect of achieving more sleep.
Melatonin boosts memory processing
When your brain enters the REM stage of sleep, melatonin naturally helps release vasotocin. This substance helps your brain erase memories while you're dreaming (essentially discarding hard-to-forget dreams from your memory bank).
REM sleep is also when you have the most vivid dreams. And if you take a melatonin supplement, there's a chance it could increase the amount of melatonin in your system, leading to longer stretches of REM sleep and more vivid dreams.
You might be taking too much melatonin
While there's no harmful "overdose" amount of melatonin, it's possible to take too much and experience unwanted side effects. One such side effect linked to taking too much melatonin is nightmares or vivid dreams, although the exact reason remains unknown.
So how can you tell if you're taking too much? Research on the ideal melatonin dosage varies. Some studies advise a dosage of 0.1 to 10 milligrams (mg) per dose, others suggest between 1 and 5 mg.
As a supplement, melatonin isn't regulated and tested in the same way as medications. So it's possible the melatonin supplement you're using doesn't contain the ingredients listed or the claimed amount of melatonin on the label.
In a 2017 assessment of 30 commercially available melatonin supplements, the amount of melatonin ranged from a tiny fraction of what was claimed on the label to over four times the claimed amount—ouch!
Why does melatonin cause nightmares?
Nightmares are essentially frightening or upsetting dreams that leave you feeling frightened, angry, ashamed, or sad. While there's no research proving that melatonin causes nightmares, there may be some connections.
A 2019 review hypothesizes that nightmares are the result of a combination of hyperarousal and the brain's inability to remove or process fearful thoughts. You're more likely to have nightmares if you're dealing with stress, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obstructive sleep apnea, or insomnia.
All of these conditions can also cause trouble sleeping, which might compel you to reach for a sleep aid like melatonin. Consequently, taking a melatonin supplement may unintentionally bring suppressed thoughts to the surface during REM sleep, increasing the risk of nightmares.
Other side effects of taking melatonin
Taking melatonin is generally safe, but extended-release capsules or higher dosages may induce side effects like:
- headaches
- sleepiness
- dizziness
- frequent urination
- stomach discomfort
- nausea
Less common side effects include:
- cramps
- irritability
- low blood pressure
- confusion
- depression
- anxiety
If you experience any side effects, stop taking melatonin and consult your doctor.
Other risks of melatonin
- Melatonin supplements can interact with various medications. Inform your doctor if you're thinking about starting to take melatonin.
- Avoid mixing melatonin with alcohol.
- Melatonin may cause problems for people with epilepsy, liver disease, kidney disease, autoimmune conditions, depression, seizure disorders, dementia, and pregnant or breastfeeding individuals.
- There's a risk of allergic reaction.
Suggestions to stop those vivid, bad dreams
If you think melatonin is causing your vivid dreams or nightmares, but you don't want to give it up entirely, follow these tips:
- Take melatonin 1 hour before bed. This may help you relax and wind down better before drifting off. Just consult your doctor first.
- Unwind before bedtime. Meditate, do some yoga, journal, or read a book—anything that helps your body and mind relax.
- Keep a dream journal. Write down your dreams and track the nights when you took melatonin. This can help you identify patterns and assess any connections between your dreams and melatonin.
- Try therapy if you're battling anxiety or trauma. Consulting with a therapist might help you confront your feelings and issues that follow you during your sleep.
Conclusion
Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate your sleep patterns. Taking melatonin supplements in moderation can help improve sleep in the short term for most adults.
If you experience vivid or disturbing dreams while taking melatonin, it may simply be because you're sleeping better and dreaming more. However, it's essential to be aware of the potential side effects and interact with healthcare professionals to ensure safe usage.
- While melatonin supplements might not directly cause particular strange or disturbing dreams, taking excessive amounts of it has been associated with nightmares and vivid dreams, although the exact cause remains unclear.
- If you're taking melatonin and experiencing vivid, bizarre dreams, it could be due to improved sleep quality as melatonin especially improves sleep quality, total sleep time, and the time it takes to fall asleep for people with insomnia, leading to more dreams.
- It's also possible that taking too much melatonin could unintentionally bring suppressed thoughts to the surface during REM sleep, increasing the risk of nightmares, especially if you're dealing with stress, anxiety, or other conditions that could lead to troubled sleep.
