Mayo Clinic Minute: Sleeping with melatonin: The benefits and risks [zN5Y3DLWpj7]

Mayo Clinic Minute: Sleeping with melatonin: The benefits and risks [zN5Y3DLWpj7]

| 1h 28m 28s | Video has closed captioning.

Getting a good night's sleep can often seem like a luxury for some people. Many sleep-deprived people use melatonin supplements to help them catch some z's. Dr. Erik St. Louis says melatonin is a hormone that is naturally produced in the brain and helps to regulate the body's sleep rhythm. Melatonin signals to the brain and body that it's time to sleep and helps to set the daily circadian rhythm. However, there are some mild risks to using melatonin supplements. Many people rely on melatonin gummies to help them get a good night's sleep. But a recent study finds that these over-the-counter supplements may not reliably contain the advertised amount of melatonin. Dr. Erik St. Louis, A Mayo Clinic neurologist, discusses the pros and cons of taking melatonin supplements for sleep enhancement. ____________________________________________ FOR THE PUBLIC: More health and medical news on the Mayo Clinic News Network. FOR THE MEDIA ONLY: Register at to access clean and nat sound versions of this video on the Mayo Clinic News Network. Mayo Clinic Follow Mayo Clinic on Instagram: Like Mayo Clinic on Facebook: Follow Mayo Clinic on Twitter: