First Time Melatonin User

**EW09** · 01-19-2011 04:19 AM

Hey everyone, I decided to go out and buy some melatonin earlier after reading a bit on it. I bought some 3mg tablets, and since it was buy1 get1 free I got some 1mg tablets also. I have been searching for a while on how much to take the first time... I have seen take only 1mg your first time, and I have seen that it doesn't matter if it's 1 or 20mg.

My question is, should I take the 1mg or the 3mg tonight? Should I just go from there to see what the effects are from a 1mg tablet, and then move onto two 1mg tablets, and then a 3mg tablet?

Thanks

**nina** · 01-19-2011 04:51 AM

3mg is typical dosage. I think the highest dosage available is 5mg, and I wouldn't recommend taking more than that or you might have a very slight hangover sort of feeling in the morning. I assume you're taking the melatonin to help get to sleep? You might want to start with 1mg since you have them, and if you aren't noticing any effect, take more.

Enjoy! Melatonin is extremely good for you. I'd recommend everyone start taking it. It's an amazing antioxidant amongst many other things. It's a better antioxidant even than Vitamin C. Not many people know this...but they should!

Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant and, unlike conventional antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and glutathione, it is both produced in the human body and is acquired in the diet (fruits, vegetables, cereals and herbs etc., contain melatonin).[61] Melatonin easily crosses cell membranes and the blood-brain barrier[62] Unlike other antioxidants, melatonin does not undergo redox cycling, which is the ability of a molecule to undergo repeated reduction and oxidation. Redox cycling may allow other antioxidants (such as vitamin C) to act as pro-oxidants and promote free radical formation. Melatonin, once oxidized, cannot be reduced to its former state because it forms several stable end-products upon reacting with free radicals. Therefore, it has been referred to as a terminal (or suicidal) antioxidant.

JP · 01-19-2011 04:55 AM

As Aquanina said, take it with caution. I took more than I was supposed to and ended up having a killer headache the next morning.

**Telemachus** · 01-19-2011 05:00 AM

I take 3mg daily without any noticeable adverse effects. However, I'd recommend starting at a low dosage and progressing upwards to find out what is most effective for you

**nina** · 01-19-2011 05:03 AM

Originally Posted by Telemachus

I take 3mg daily without any noticeable adverse effects. However, I'd recommend starting at a low dosage and progressing upwards to find out what is most effective for you

Exactly. I actually take 9mg every night with no problems. But I remember the first time I took it. I took 3mg and it knocked me the hell out! lol. I was so surprised, being someone who has lots of experience with various pharmaceuticals, I didn't expect it to be so effective.

**Weight** · 01-19-2011 05:35 AM

Haven't been LDing for long but I have used melatonin off and on for the past couple years; I too agree to start low. I've had nights where I'll take more than usual and get VERY restless sleep, often waking in the middle of the night and feeling super exhausted when I wake up. It's like my mind was in overdrive while I was asleep, but not in a good way. I usually take 3mg now but sometimes even that can be a bit much. Start small and find what works, you'll notice great effects on your dreaming even with under 1mg

**EW09** · 01-19-2011 05:42 AM

Thanks everyone, I think I'll try the 1mg definitely tonight instead of the 3mg right away. I'll post tomorrow after school on the effects for those interested (If any :p)

**Zera** · 01-20-2011 08:22 PM

I have recently bought a pack of 3mg Melatonin for the first time as well. Since I´ve read (cannot remember the source) that the brain normally produces about 0.1 mg. of melatonin, what I did was break the pill into four pieces, roughly .7 mg. each. Took that the first night, knocked me out cold. I normally wake feeling really tired and needing to sleep more, but I woke up really refreshed. I was dissapointed though, that I could not remember a dream. Not a single one. But I felt really refreshed, hadn´t had a good night`s sleep like that in a long time.

The second night I took a little more than the last time to see if it changed something. I took a fourth of the pill and a little more. Probably about 1 mg. Slept like a baby again, this time I did remember one dream, not a lot of it, but I remember that in the dream, everything seemed real and genuine, perhaps tonight I will remember more. I think it´s not a thing with melatonin itself, because it is documented to supress REM but then to cause a rebounding effect causing really long REM periods. I´m still waiting for those, might make a thread about it.

Remember that when you take it you have to make sure that you do not expose yourself to bright lights. So take it and keep yourself in a dark ambient. Also, I´ve heard that some psychiatrists´make their patients take it not an hour, or half an hour before they go to sleep, but right when the evening turns into night, which is when melatonin levels increase naturally. I haven't tried that, but I sure will at some point.

Hoping to hear more from you guys on this, cheers.

**Zera** · 01-24-2011 12:06 AM

Sorry for the double post, but I have to say, if you get used to taking 0.7 mg. you will be much better off. I have tried doubling it to 1.4 mg. without a problem, it seemed like the same dose. When I took the full 3mg. last night, I found that when I woke up I was really tired and needing to sleep more. So in this case, less is better. Of course, if you get used to taking 5mg a day, maybe you won't feel drowzy upon waking, but what's the use?