Your usual mix of sound logic and precision Sierra. Thank you. :)
The link you posted was interesting in that it tried to define just what Melatonin might be doing in the equation.
"In studies, melatonin reduced muscle tone during REM sleep (people moved less during this stage of sleep) which means a decreases ability to enact dreams."
That implies that the goal might not be to prevent events but simply to restrain the events. I might have to think that one through a bit more but my new toenail reckons it's a step in the right direction.
My doctor prescribed 2 mg but I doubt that she knew much about treating RBD. Nobody I have met so far has much knowledge of the subject and certainly no prior experience.
I took 2.5 mg for a few nights then reduced it to 1.25 for a number of weeks but the side effects were not survivable and there was no purpose in continuing at that dosage. (I have no problems getting to sleep)
It's doubtful that I will have the courage to give it more than one more try so when I'm in the right place I will take 10 mg per night for a couple of nights and then halve it to 5 mg and continue on that dosage for as long as I can to see what happens.
I figure that gives me the best shot at reducing the side effects and still having an effective dosage.
What I don't understand is what I should be looking for. What outcomes? How to quantify any changes.
I had originally presumed the goal was less events but if it's just events that are less violent that will be a lot harder to evaluate.
The following article was interesting but unfortunately my experiences so far seem to have been the same as the "one patient for whom melatonin increased both the frequency and severity of RBD episodes."
Mayo Clinic Study Shows Melatonin Helps Alleviate Violent Sleep Disorder Symptoms
