1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,520 Speaker 1: Another of these common sense moves yesterday from the government. 2 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:04,400 Speaker 1: Along with the dumping of the census and getting monthly 3 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 1: inflation numbers, were also decided. You can buy melotonin over 4 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: the counter, sort of like you can all over the 5 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 1: rest of the world. Doctor Alex Bartels with the Sleep 6 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: Well Clinic, and as with us, Alex morning. 7 00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 2: Good morning. 8 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 1: How widely used as melotonin versus anything else? Do you know? 9 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 2: It is pretty widely used now, partly because it's perceived 10 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 2: to be a pretty safe product. Long term studies haven't 11 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:30,120 Speaker 2: really been done a lot. It's certainly over the country 12 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:34,040 Speaker 2: in America. There are other countries where it's only on prescription, 13 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 2: so we're not alone in that as to date. But 14 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:39,839 Speaker 2: of course, and even now, there's going to be some 15 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:42,959 Speaker 2: restrictions on it. I think not for young teenagers or youngsters. 16 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, if I come to you and I go Alex, 17 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: are not sleeping, well, how long before you hit the 18 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 1: old melotonin with me? 19 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:53,280 Speaker 2: I don't prescribe melatonin at all. I'm very keen on 20 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 2: making sure that patients, clients can actually start to learn 21 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 2: to sleep themselves without any adjective. 22 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:04,480 Speaker 1: So do you have do you see now? Sort of 23 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:07,200 Speaker 1: a more competition in the field. In other words, you go, look, 24 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 1: here's what I can do for you, versus I go, well, look, 25 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 1: I'm just going down to get a pill. 26 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 2: Well, it's different. So if you go to a GP, 27 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:15,559 Speaker 2: they can give you pills, of course, and I'm a GP, 28 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:19,119 Speaker 2: so I could be doing that, but in the end 29 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:22,960 Speaker 2: I always prefer And the studies are very clear that 30 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 2: behavioral study behavioral treatments are much more effective than anything 31 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 2: like melotonin. Melotonin, you know study in two thousand and seventeen, 32 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 2: for example, show there was a six minute increase in 33 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 2: sleep time and time to go to sleep, but the 34 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 2: total sleep time was not improved, so it's not really 35 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:42,039 Speaker 2: that valuable. 36 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 1: Does it vary widely within the product of the melotonins 37 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 1: and melotonins or not. 38 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 2: It's a very good point because a bit like the 39 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 2: recent vaping, you know, the melotonin actually in these tablets, 40 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 2: it can be quite variable, especially if it becomes a 41 00:01:56,920 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 2: dietary supplement, which of course is what it will become 42 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 2: if anyone that not really well, only if people feel 43 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 2: it gives them a bit of sleep and they will 44 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 2: want to use it rather than looking for other ways 45 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:11,400 Speaker 2: of doing it. Behavioral ways of doing it right. I 46 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:14,800 Speaker 2: might add that the one that is more secure is 47 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 2: the two mdigram's slow release product, which is we know 48 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 2: is exactly two mini grams. It's half officially made and 49 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 2: it's shown to be regionally effective for elderly population. So 50 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 2: over fifty five. 51 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 1: OK, good on you, Elex nice and so I appreciate 52 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:30,519 Speaker 1: it very much. Doctor Alex Bartell. Remember going to Singapore. 53 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,359 Speaker 1: Can't remember of Singapore or Hong Kong, probably both. We're 54 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 1: in the pharmacy. We always go to the pharmacy first 55 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 1: in Cadises. When we land at the airports, it let's 56 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 1: head to the pharmacy. And I don't I've never worked 57 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 1: out why that is, but anyway, we get lots of 58 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:42,800 Speaker 1: bags of stuff. Anyway, So she goes, look at the 59 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:45,640 Speaker 1: look at the melotone incredible the meloton And I said, well, 60 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:47,360 Speaker 1: dold you only get one packet of day. She goes, oh, no, 61 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 1: we fifty peckets. I mean she didn't really, well she 62 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 1: might have, I don't know. 63 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 2: For more from the mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 64 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 2: news talks it'd be from six am weekdays, or follow 65 00:02:57,639 --> 00:02:59,160 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio