MELATONIN GUMMY SELF-MEDICATION AMONG INDIAN YOUTH: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY OF SLEEP QUALITY, LIFESTYLE FACTORS, AND THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

Background: Sleep disturbances have become increasingly common among young people, especially after the COVID 19 pandemic, and the use of over-the-counter sleep aids has increased, especially melatonin. The palatable nature of melatonin gummies and their convenient accessibility have increased their popularity among the young, where the use of these substances is not regulated by a doctor. Aim: The aim of the current research is to determine the rates and trends of self-medication using melatonin gummies among Indian youth and to determine the relationship between these factors and their sleep quality, lifestyle habits, and influencing factors of COVID-19. Methods: An online Google Form using social media platforms administered a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study to 1450 participants aged 18 years to 30 years. Sleep quality was assessed using a self-developed structured sleep assessment questionnaire including subjective sleep quality, sleep duration, sleep latency, sleep disturbances, and daytime dysfunction. Melatonin use, self-medication habits, lifestyle, and adverse effects were gathered. Statistical procedures were done by the use of SPSS where descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were applied with p < 0.05 taken to be significant. Results: The prevalence of melatonin gummy use was 54.4%. Almost half (49.6%) of the respondents had mild sleep disturbance with 34.2% having poor sleep quality. There was a significant association between poor sleep quality and melatonin gummy use (p <0.001). Most users started taking melatonin during (42.0%), or following (38.0%), the COVID 19 pandemic. It was found that moderate to high levels of self-medication were used by 73% of the participants, with 48.5% saying that they experienced adverse effects. The most prevalent reasons of use were sleep disturbance (65.9%), stress (57.7%), and irregular schedules (50.9%) reasons. Stress and screen time were found to be significantly associated with poor sleep quality. Conclusion: Melatonin gummy use was highly prevalent among Indian youth and was significantly associated with poor sleep quality, lifestyle factors, and post-pandemic behavioral changes. The high prevalence of self-medication and adverse effects highlights the need for greater awareness, regulation, and emphasis on non-pharmacological management of sleep disturbances.