Trouble Falling Asleep? Melatonin Might Not Be The Culprit.
By Natalia Menéndez
For many of us, nights consist of a solid routine including but not limited to brushing our teeth, putting on comfortable pajamas, maybe watching some Netflix, and finishing off with a 5 mg dose of melatonin.
With the rise of modern technology and blue light electronics, we have seen a steady increase in cases of sleep deprivation. According to the American Sleep Association, around 50–70 million US adults experience a sleep disorder with 40% of Americans reporting insomnia.
So what happens in your body before you go to bed?
Responsible for the regulation of our sleep wake cycle is something known as the circadian rhythm. During the day, the“circadian clock” in the Suprachiasmatic nucleus nucleus (SCN) reacts to light, keeping us awake by sending alertness signals to the body.
At night, the opposite process happens. In normal conditions, the lack of light at night indicates the clock to block this alertness signal, instead releasing melatonin into the body and promoting sleep.
As such, melatonin, a hormone that promotes relaxation and restful sleep, is often associated with sleep disorders. However, there are alternative factors that also play a role when you’re having trouble falling asleep like stress, anxiety, lifestyle, genetics, amongst others.
One of these is a neuropeptide known as orexin. Although it is responsible for the stimulation of various bodily functions, it also plays a role in sleep. During the day, orexin neuropeptides stimulate other neurons to release alertness neurotransmitters. Sometimes, when it comes to falling asleep. if your body is continuing to produce orexin you might be too alert to rest.
On the other hand, people who do not produce enough orexin are also susceptible to something called narcolepsy. Their body has trouble staying awake and alert so they constantly are falling asleep.
But why is this relevant?
In recent years, scientists have been researching orexin and different drugs that could help regulate the body depending on wether you produce too little or too much orexin.
Of these are dual orexin receptor antagonists (DORAs), which aid sleep by blocking the production of orexin and thus reducing alertness and the need to stay awake.
It might be that you consistently have trouble falling asleep, you have adjusted different aspects of your lifestyle and maybe even tried melatonin — but it is not working. Well, it might be time to consider that orexin could be the culprit.
References:
ASA Authors & ReviewersSleep Physician at American Sleep Association Reviewers and WritersBoard-certified sleep M.D. physicians. (n.d.). Sleep Statistics — Data About Sleep and Sleep Disorders. American Sleep Association. https://www.sleepassociation.org/about-sleep/sleep-statistics/.
Martinez, R. (n.d.). Melatonin. Melatonin | Hormone Health Network. https://www.hormone.org/your-health-and-hormones/glands-and-hormones-a-to-z/hormones/melatonin.
Newsom, R. (2020, December 11). Orexins: Understanding Its Role in Sleep. Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-medications/orexins.
Suni, E. (2020, September 25). What is Circadian Rhythm? Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/circadian-rhythm.
