Many people experience insomnia for the first few weeks while following a ketogenic diet. Not surprising as your body will take time to adapt to the changes that keto brings with it. Some people feel the urge to take melatonin as a supplement, but will it be possible to take a melatonin supplement with a keto diet? Read on to know more about melatonin and keto.
Melatonin and Keto
Can I Take Melatonin on Keto
Melatonin is the hormone produced by the human brain as a form of response to darkness.
Insomnia can be one of the temporary side effects of transitioning onto a keto diet before you enter ketosis and become fat adapted.
The lack of sleep may make some feel like taking sleeping aids such as melatonin. But, can you take melatonin on keto?
So, what do you think? Is it safe to take melatonin while following a ketogenic diet? Yes, it is! It causes no harm, and neither affects ketosis.
Also, melatonin is a thing that is produced naturally by our bodies.
If you are willing to take a supplement, ensure it does not contain any form of carbs, as the goal of ketosis is to cut carbs off your diet.
Why May You Need Supplements when Eating a Keto Diet?
If you’re new to keto and want a bit more information, check out our keto beginners guide.
As a quick summary, if you need it, the keto (also known as the ketogenic diet) is a low-carb, high-fat diet (LCHF).
The whole concept of the keto diet is that your body transitions from burning glucose, in simple terms, sugars or carbohydrates, to burning fat as its primary fuel source.
For a keto diet, people will restrict their macros to eating;
- 70% of their calories are from fat
- 25% from protein
- 5% from carbohydrates
Sticking to these macros for a period of time will put your body into a state of ketosis. Ketosis is when your body has transitioned from burning carbohydrates as its primary fuel source to burning fat for fuel. It is at this point that you will start to see and feel the benefits of the keto diet.
It is the role of the liver to convert amino acids into small amounts of glucose. This process is called glucogenesis. This is when ketone bodies (ketones) are created.
Eventually, your body will become what is known as ‘fat adapted‘. In simple terms, this means that your body is accustomed to burning fat as its primary fuel source and it will function this way as its default setting.
There are a lot of new terms and abbreviations that you may come across, sometimes it can feel like a new language that you need to learn. In order to help you out and keep you on the right track, we have created a keto terms and keto abbreviations guide, bookmark these to make your keto journey easier.
Some people can be put off the keto diet because of the side effects, however, these are only short-lived and the health benefits of keto far outweigh the side effects.
There is no doubt that the process of getting into ketosis and remaining there is a massive change to the way your body is used to functioning.
Supplements may be able to assist your body with this transition and speed up your journey to your health and keto goals.
Why Do We Need Melatonin on Keto?
As I said, beginners can have sleeping issues following a keto diet. In short-term cases, the keto diet can result in sleeplessness which can mess with your sleep cycle.
This is caused because the keto diet is attributed to low melatonin and low serotonin levels. This is coupled with the energy that comes with the diet.
So you may find yourself with mental energy, a clear mind, but no sleep, this can be a frustrating predicament.
If you follow this diet for the short term, you can use melatonin supplements to get a deep and sound sleep.
It is a fact that keto diets lead to deeper sleep. But in order to reach this state, you need to give it time.
You can get a night of good sleep by taking melatonin with your keto, do not worry; melatonin will not kick you out of ketosis.
Now that you have decided to take melatonin supplements, you need to check if the supplement is You need to pick a supplement that is free of carbs, as carbohydrate-free supplements are considered keto-friendly and safe.
How Much Melatonin Should I Be Getting on Keto?
Before you decide to take melatonin as a supplement to your keto diet, you need to determine its formulation.
Now, depending on the formulation, you need to take 1mg to 5 mg of melatonin, and it would be enough to boost your melatonin.
It is safe to use it, but try not to overdose, as it can show minor symptoms of headache, nausea, and ironically sleepiness if you do.
Symptoms of Too Little Melatonin on a Keto Diet
As you have started your keto diet, being concerned about optimum nutrition is pretty normal. If you think you are running low on your melatonin, do not worry; you can determine it with the help of these mentioned points.
Some of the symptoms that people experience they lack melatonin are sleeplessness, but also, restless legs, and changes in mood, amongst other things.
If you think you are lacking melatonin, look out for these symptoms.
Symptoms of Too Much Melatonin on a Keto Diet
You should take supplements as your doctor or dietitian has prescribed. If you have not used melatonin before, you should begin by taking 1 to 2mg of melatonin.
Just because you know that melatonin is safe does not mean that it cannot have side effects or cannot trigger troubling symptoms.
But have you been taking too much melatonin? Here is how you can find out.
Here are some symptoms that show up when you have a melatonin overdose –
- Headache
- Low blood pressure or hypotension
- High blood pressure or hypertension
- Vomiting
- Drowsiness
- Can cause alopecia areata, i.e., an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss
Are Melatonin Supplements Safe?
When it comes to melatonin, there is no such prescription that determines the dosages, but depending on its formulation, 1mg to 10mg is considered safe!
Again, I would also like to tell you that if you have to use melatonins, do consider a short-term usage only. Once you are settled into ketosis, you are not likely to need any assistance sleeping at all.
