If you’ve ever struggled with falling asleep, chances that you’ve heard of (or tried) Melatonin as a method to ease your insomnia. There are numerous methods to take the sleep aid ranging from pills to Gummies. However, melatonin diffusers commonly referred to as vape pens are among the latest products to join the list of products that promise better sleep.
The first melatonin-based vape was first introduced just 5 years ago. Because they’re new, there aren’t a lot of studies of the effects of vaporizing Melatonin. Like all supplements to diet diffusers, they aren’t controlled in any way by authorities like the Food and Drug Administration. This means that the products are available for sale without security, purity, or quality testing, which can be an issue for the safety of the consumers.
Although there’s no doubt that a peaceful night’s sleep is a heavenly experience, is the melatonin vape safe and efficient?
First, What’s Melatonin?
Melatonin is an hormone created from the pineal gland of your brain . It is involved with the regulation of your sleep-wake cycles. In essence, melatonin helps your body recognize when to sleep and when it’s time to wake up by regulating the amount of hormones the body produces. The body typically releases more melatonin once the sun sets , to signal that it is time to go to bed but less when the sun starts rising in the morning, waking you up.
This decrease and increase in the melatonin hormone occurs when your sleep-wake cycle also known by the name of your circadian rhythm is stable. If the cycle is disrupted due to an all-nighter or stress, or even a jet-lag, then you’re likely having difficulties getting to sleep or sleeping more peacefully. If this is the case it is recommended to take melatonin supplements. which is a synthetic form of the same substance the body naturally produces can be a fairly non-invasive way to restore your sleep pattern in order.
But What Are Melatonin Diffusers?
In recent times you might have noticed ads for melatonin-based vapes — or, in health terms such as”melatonin “diffusers” that have popped in your feed on Instagram. Social media influencers present these as a fun and fashionable way to enjoy an uninterrupted night of sleep. Along with a deeper night’s sleep they are said to induce sleep more quickly than a melatonin oral supplement.
The first diffuser containing melatonin was introduced in the year 2016, making them fairly new in the field of sleep supplements. There’s a wide range of brands for consumers to pick from. They all contain the melatonin molecule that the diffuser heats to create the form of vapor that people inhale and then exhale by the exact same method as an Juul or e-cigarette Juul Some have various essential oils or extracts.
For instance, the liquid contained in Cloudy’s diffuser has melatonin, lavender extract the extract of chamomile, grapes L-Theanine (said to reduce insomnia, stress, and anxiety) as well as propylene glycol (a thickening agent) as well as vegetable Glycerin (a sweet liquid). Although Cloudy claims the safety of its ingredients however, it’s difficult to justify swallowing all the additional ingredients when there are melatonin pills available.
“If you’re breathing in melatonin and an essential oil, and propylene glycol, is the trade-off worth gaining more melatonin-like effects?” says Marc Sala who is an medical assistant professor in Northwestern University specializing in pulmonology and critical care. “Especially when compared to taking the pill for 30 minutes prior to going to bed?”
Are people willing to compromise their lung health to sleep more quickly? It’s a tough question to answer. However, in October of this year, Google invited Cloudy to its Brand Accelerator program, created to offer support to brands they believe to are likely to grow rapidly. Cloudy’s most important selling point is the fact that once their product is inhaled Melatonin can immediately be absorbed into the bloodstream through the lungs, allowing you to “sleep on clouds.”
However, the liver needs to be able to metabolize or break down the pill of melatonin before it can begin to function — that takes a lot longer. Experts suggest taking melatonin for at minimum 30 minutes, and up two hours prior to going to bed.
If you fail to make sure to take it before bed and drink a glass of melatonin just before going to sleep it, you may disrupt your sleep cycle more since it takes a long time to process. When your liver is able to break this down, it could be able to increase the levels of melatonin while asleep, which makes it more difficult to get up and being groggy on the next day.
Cloudy advises against those issues by inhaling seven times a at night, for around 3.5 milligrams of melatonin which is approximately 0.5 milligrams of melatonin contained in every inhalation of Cloudy. The recommended dosage for an individual ranges between 0.5 -5 mg meaning it’s not over the limit recommended that is 5 mg. This is an approximationand certain people might require higher or lower amounts.
“When you are taking melatonin as the pill, it’s pretty exact to dosing,” says Sala. “Vaping is a much less exact method to dosing medication.”