Melatonin and Sleep

[mjb34]

I am on Ambien for insomnia but I still wake up at 3 or 4 in the morning and can't get back to sleep - so often I will take 3 mg of sublingual Melatonin.  It puts me back to sleep, but I have vivid dreams, and it almost feels like I am even more exhausted when I wake up from them.  Does melatonin give you all three stages of REM or is it mostly to help with the most superficial phase, the dream phase?  I understand that melatonin is a hormone secreted at night, and how it is not a drug, but I am just wondering if there is a link between dreams and melatonin.
Thank you

[hyeyung]

Melatonin isn't going to hurt you, so there's no problem in taking it as an extra precaution.  I would definitely let your physician know that you're doing that.  Perhaps he can give you a good answer.  REM can occur in different people.  I don't experience REM and I've even tried taking Melatonin on top of my Seroquel XR, Ambien CR, Amitriptyline HCl, Clonazepam and something else I can't remember (I take so many pills).  

I would consult your doccotor or perhaps google melatonin.

[allmymarbles]

I can't answer the question about melatonin, but I question why you can't sleep naturally. There could be a physical reason. For instance, you could be lacking in iodine (I was), or you could have high cortisol. For a natural sleep aid try ashwagandha (Indian genseng). It is an herb that serves to relax you and help you sleep. Also, if the problem be high cortisol, it will help normalize it.