Melatonin for a good night's sleep
Melatonin supplementation can come in handy with the use of several substances as well. Cannabis, for example, causes the body to produce extreme amounts of melatonin. After smoking a joint the melatonin levels in the blood can be 40 times higher than under normal conditions. It’s therefore not strange that smoking a joint makes you sleepy. At the same time it becomes clear why some fanatic potheads are confronted with sleep problems when they stop smoking.
At the moment cannabis intake is discarded, the body has to re-balance its own melatonin system. It might take a couple of days to several weeks before the body will produce melatonin on its own accord again. To quit smoking marihuana often becomes more difficult due to sleeping problems, which are caused by this melatonin deficiency.
Fortunately the solution for this problem is the same as for depressive people with sleeping difficulties: take melatonin from the first day you stop and you will easily fall asleep. In this way terminating your cannabis consumption becomes a lot easier.
Melatonin can also support those who regularly skip a night. The bodily melatonin production sharply increases when it becomes dark. From around 10 pm the melatonin levels start to rise, with a peak around 3 am. Afterwards the production stops and the melatonin levels steadily decrease.
This explains why - after partying through the night - it’s very difficult to fall asleep around 6 am, compared to an evening when you come home around 2 am. Do you combine partying with taking stimulants? Then falling asleep becomes even more tricky, because stimulants generate the production of adrenalin. This hormone has the opposite effect of melatonin: it makes you more alert and awake instead of sleepy.
Next to that stimulants cause serotonin release: this makes you extra happy when using them, but afterwards you might experience a dip. As melatonin is made out of serotonin, the serotonin shortage after using stimulants will likely cause a melatonin shortage, which makes it extra difficult to fall asleep. Also in this case melatonin supplementation is the solution. By taking melatonin after a night of partying, you will notice that you fall asleep easily.
On top of that melatonin has another beneficial effect on the brain. Next to being a sleep regulator, it is a strong antioxidant as well, with a brain-protecting mechanism. When you use lots of stimulants combined with intense physical action, oxidative stress increases, which impairs the brain tissue. Melatonin effectively counteracts this impairment. Shortly said: melatonin not only gives you a good night’s sleep, but also protects the brain from the negative effects of taking stimulants. Because of its multiple favourable effects in combination with substance use, melatonin is available as a supplement at Azarius.
Besides contributing to responsible substance use, melatonin has another special characteristic: like DMT melatonin is a tryptamine, which means it has a consciousness changing effect. Although the effect is mild, you will definitely notice it during your dreams as they will become more vivid and intense. Equally likely your dreams will develop into disjointed stories with bizarre features. Are you interested in lucid dreaming? Then melatonin is definitely recommended. Try combining it with one of the Azarius dream herbs, and you will experience your dreams becoming more bright and intense.
Are you interested in melatonin and would you like to try it out? Then also read the new chapter on ‘melatonin’ in the Azarius encyclopaedia. There you will find much more background information about possible side-effects, contraindications and dosage.
