The Melatonin Truth We Need to Know

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Hey beautiful,

I got a reminder from the Seed Oil Scout app (my go-to for avoiding inflammatory oils when eating out) about melatonin regulation, and it got me thinking about how differently we approach "wellness" here versus other places that prioritize long-term health.

Traveling & Sleep

Since I've traveled to Mexico and will soon be heading to Europe to meet incredible humans I've been working with (some for years, others for months), I am excited but also... SLEEP IS TOP OF MIND!

Travel disrupts our circadian rhythms, yet...

"Natural" Doesn't Mean Harmless

In the U.S., you can walk into any store and grab 10mg melatonin gummies like they're candy.

In Europe? Those same doses require a prescription.

This isn't because Europeans don't value sleep, it's because melatonin isn't a vitamin, it's a hormone.

And hormones affect WAY more than just making you sleepy.

What Body Really Experiences

When we're talking holistic health, we can't ignore how melatonin impacts your entire system:

In children:

Long-term use can mess with the timing of puberty by disrupting the hormone cycles that trigger development.

Metabolically:

​A clinical trial showed healthy adults taking just 5mg had impaired glucose tolerance, their insulin secretion dropped in the morning, and their sensitivity decreased at night.

Hormonally:

Higher doses can influence reproductive hormones and thyroid function.

Indigenous Wisdom & Modern Science

Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman explains it perfectly - melatonin influences sleep, puberty timing, reproductive organs, and bone mass.

The ayurvedic perspective?

Your body has natural circadian rhythms that want to work WITH the sun and seasons, not against synthetic mega-doses of hormones.

What Works (Without Messing With Your Hormones)

If you're going to use melatonin, here's what the research shows:

• Tiny doses: 0.3-1mg (not 5-10mg) work as well or better with fewer side effects
• Short-term only: For jet lag or circadian shifts, not nightly routine
• Third-party tested companies: To avoid dose inconsistencies

What I recommend instead:

1. Magnesium threonate, glycinate, or bisglycinate
2. Theanine (or green, white, or oolong tea in the AM after water + 1hr after waking up)
3. Apigenin (or chamomile at night)
4. Freshly triple-boiled, diluted, and lightly spiced whole milk
5. Tart cherry juice before bed (avoid if you do the whole milk)

Most importantly:

Rising and setting rituals that honor your natural rhythms

The Bigger Picture

This is why I'm always talking about getting back to basics. Your body has incredible wisdom when we stop overriding it with synthetic solutions.

Europe restricts melatonin for the same reasons they restrict artificial dyes and seed oils in baby food: it is unclear long-term safety, and unnecessary exposure in vulnerable populations.

Ayurvedic Sciences, on the other hand, share practices that HAVE been time-tested and that have shown results for thousands of years.

Trust Your Body's Intelligence

Your circadian rhythm wants to work for you, not against you.

When we honor natural sleep patterns with proper light exposure, seasonal eating, and nervous system regulation, we often don't need to hijack our hormone production with constant, expensive, short-term symptom suppression modalities.

But don't take it from me!

For real, for real, try it yourself and let me know how YOU feel.

Sweet dreams, naturally ;)

xxo Veronica 💫

P.S. If you're struggling with sleep and want to explore root causes through an ayurvedic lens (think nervous system regulation, seasonal living, and digestive health), I have a few spots opening for 1:1 work starting in September. Schedule a drop-in to see if now is the time.​

Sometimes our sleep issues are telling us something deeper about our overall balance.