My experience with Melatonin has been good. It does make me sleepy, and I take it about one a week, as needed. I take it usually about 30 minutes before I want to be in bed. I have tried different doses, and generally, I think dosage probably has more to do with age than anything else. Older adults need more than young children. I have a friend who takes 6 Milligram tablets. I prefer 2 1 milligram dissolving tablets (cherry flavored from GNC). At 3 milligrams I tend to have heightened visualizations when I close my eyes. I also have more vivid dreams (at any dose) than without. I usually feel more refreshed in the morning that without it.
Other effects are if I do not go to sleep, it can have the opposite effect, similar to the 3:00 o'clock in the morning creative periods (I know there is a name for it, but I can't recall what it is). During the winter, I can get more depressed than normal when taking it. I suspect that it is related to vitamin D deficiency that occur during winter which can cause depression. The melatonin can suppress Vitamin D's effects. I seem to suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) - doesn't help to be in the Pacific Northwest with long periods without seeing sunlight. My children were night owls, staying up to midnight was not difficult for them. My wife and I talked with a pediatric neurologist during a checkup on one of the children. The doctor told me my daughter was suffering from sleep deprivation and suggested Melatonin. We gave them each 1 milligram each night, and it worked really well (tastes like candy). Because of that, I was able to get more sleep. Some effects to them are more vivid dreams, and higher incidence of nightmares - not much, we never really tracked it. These symptoms decrease over time. Well that's it. I have had great results with it and do suggest it, especially over the OTC sleep aids. I buy the GNC brand 1 Milligram dissolving tablets (Cherry flavored) - about 4 bucks for 100 tablets. Chad _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l