Melatonin on Call?

Started by Lurch
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Lurch

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Does anybody take melatonin on a call night to help sleep? Our calls are fairly busy but I find that when I actually do get the chance to sleep, I end up lying awake for at least an hour waiting for the next call. It's been this way for me throughout my career. We have good call room amenities- sleep number bed, dark room, quiet location, fan for white noise, thick blanket, climate control for room, etc. I was wondering if people found melatonin useful in this situation. I do not want to be groggy on awakening of course and I understand this is one benefit of the supplement. Thanks
 
I probably wouldn’t take a sleep aide when the probability of me being woken up is >1%. I just wouldn’t want anything making me tired/drowsy when I’m already up at night and higher risk of making mistakes when taking care of patients.

Maybe melatonin won’t make you drowsy but if it doesn’t, then how is it a sleep aide?
 
Lurch said:
Does anybody take melatonin on a call night to help sleep? Our calls are fairly busy but I find that when I actually do get the chance to sleep, I end up lying awake for at least an hour waiting for the next call. It's been this way for me throughout my career. We have good call room amenities- sleep number bed, dark room, quiet location, fan for white noise, thick blanket, climate control for room, etc. I was wondering if people found melatonin useful in this situation. I do not want to be groggy on awakening of course and I understand this is one benefit of the supplement. Thanks
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I've thought about doing this because I have the same issue. I personally feel like I'd do fine with it. Melatonin helps me fall asleep, but the activity of having to get ready for a case or go do an epidural quickly wakes me up. As long as I know there's a reasonable lull in the OR, I'll try it.
 
MirrorTodd said:
Melatonin would **** me up if I got woken up in the middle of the night. It's an extremely effective sleep aid, but I need at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep to not be super groggy otherwise. OP just rope one out (or vibe one out if you're female). Guaranteed out in 5 minutes after you O.
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As someone who shares the OP’s call room, I must protest.
 
I think it took me all of 2 weeks of taking call as a resident to get used to sleeping in the hospital. Slept like a baby since. Have to take full advantage of any opportunity.

I wouldn’t take melatonin, fwiw.
 
Man I'm already in zombie mode if I'm woken from sleep, takes me a few minutes of drudging to where I'm needed to wake up again, wouldn't want to take anything that would further compromise my waking up ability.
 
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