What is melatonin?
Melatonin is a hormone that is produced by the pineal gland in the brain. Melatonin levels vary in 24-hour cycles and are controlled by our body clock. Normally, its production is reduced by being in bright light. Levels increase at night. This is why it is often called ‘the hormone of darkness’. But in fact, the word melatonin itself means ‘skin whitening’. This is due to how it affects the skin in some animals. But it does not change the skin color of humans. Some plants have small amounts of melatonin as well. These include plants we use as food. Recently, a synthetic form of melatonin has also been developed to treat depression.
Melatonin supplements are used to treat insomnia. But there are two ways that you can use it. The first is as a sedative, to make you feel sleepy. This is the most common use. The second is to help reset your internal body clock to a different time in conditions where it is out of synchrony with the time of days, such as with jet lag or advanced or delayed sleep phase syndrome. In these cases, melatonin therapy at night is often combined with Bright Light Therapy, applied in the morning (usually using outdoor light) in the case of jet lag or delayed sleep phase syndrome or in the evening (using special lights) in the case of advanced sleep phase syndrome.
Daily doses of 0.5mg to 5 mg appear similarly effective, although sleep onset may be quicker at the higher dose. There does not appear to be an advantage in taking more than this. The most commonly available preparation contains 2 mg and varying concentrations in melatonin gummies. It is in a slow-release form to last throughout the night, much like the naturally-occurring melatonin. However, the slow-release formulation does not allow a short high peak level which some argue helps with sleep onset.
What is constipation?
Constipation is a condition in which a person has uncomfortable or infrequent bowel movements. Generally, a person is considered to be constipated when bowel movements result in the passage of small amounts of hard, dry stool, usually fewer than three times a week. However, normal stool elimination may consist of having a bowel movement three times a day or three times a week; it depends on the person.
About 4 million people in the United States have frequent constipation. Constipation is the most common gastrointestinal complaint, resulting in 2.5 million doctor visits annually.
Hard, dry stools are the result of the colon absorbing too much water. Normally, as food moves through the colon (also known as the large intestine) the colon absorbs water while forming stool (waste products). Muscle contractions then push the stool toward the rectum, and, by the time the stool reaches the rectum, most of the water has been absorbed, making the stool solid.
When the colon’s muscle contractions are slow or sluggish, the stool moves through the colon too slowly, resulting in too much water being absorbed.
Does melatonin cause constipation?
No, melatonin does not cause constipation or slow down your bowels. In fact, 50% of women with Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) taking melatonin often see improvement of constipation while taking the drug, thus making it a promising therapeutic agent for IBS.
Sleep quality can have a huge impact on constipation. A May 2020 study, featured in the Digestive Disease Week 2020 lineup, looked at the relationship between constipation and sleep duration as reported by 14,500 adults who participated in the National Health & Nutrition Examination survey. In the survey, long sleep duration was defined as greater than 8 hours, normal sleep duration between 7 and 8 hours, and short sleep duration less than 7 hours. Bowel regularity was based on the number of bowel movements per week (constipation is defined as fewer than 3 bowel movements within a week), as well as stool form (lumpy, hard, soft, etc.) and were categorized as normal, constipation, or diarrhea.
After adjusting for confounding factors, such as demographics, comorbid diseases, lifestyle, medication, and diet, those with short sleep durations possessed a 38% increased risk in suffering from constipation. While one could say that lack of sleep plays a large role in constipation causality, it’s really a “chicken or the egg” situation.
Sleep is an important part of a person’s overall health and wellness. Unfortunately, 40% of people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) report having sleep problems. IBS symptoms, such as abdominal pain and diarrhea, can interrupt sleep patterns and consequently cause issues sleeping.
