10. Tired of Wondering Whether to Take Melatonin?

One in four Americans think it’s a vital part of their daily routine but what does the science have to say about the use of melatonin supplements? Our WTYT crew discuss the positives, negatives and downright terrifying backstory to the nation’s yearly spend of over $1 billion on these sweet, innocent-looking little gummies!

EPISODE SHOW NOTES

With more than 1 in 4 American adults regularly using melatonin, it seems long overdue that our team take a look at the pros and cons of this supplement.

the role of melatonin as the “sleep gate”, adenosine as the “sleep pressure” and why caffeine is such an effective sleep disrupter are explored. Our duo take us through the research, revealing that the sleep-related effects of melatonin appear to be real but small, whilst other physiological systems, notably reproduction, could be very negatively affected by regular melatonin use.

Our science lovers discuss the consequence for Americans of the over the counter availability of melatonin, including the large discrepancies between the stated and actual amount of melatonin in each capsule or gummy as well as the rise in pediatric melatonin poisoning over the last decade.

our mother and daughter team encourage everyone to explore the subject of sleep in a little more depth and suggest Matthew Walker’s wonderul book “Why We sleep” as a great place to start.

And finally, as mentioned by Tess during the episode, if you want to know more about the different rules governing the cosmetics industry vs. the rest of the world, check out this resource :)