By Dr. Abdul Razak Shaikh,
Melatonin is a hormone that’s naturally made by the pineal gland, but it’s also found in other areas, such as the eyes, bone marrow, and gut. It helps you fall asleep by calming the body before bed. It’s often called the “sleep hormone,” as high levels can help you fall asleep.
Melatonin works together with your body’s circadian rhythm. In simple terms, the circadian rhythm is your body’s internal clock. It lets you know when it’s time to sleep, wake and eat. Melatonin also helps regulate your body temperature, your blood pressure, and the levels of some hormones.
Melatonin levels start to rise in your body when it’s dark outside, signaling to your body that it’s time to sleep. It also binds to receptors in the body and can help you relax.
It can reduce levels of dopamine, a hormone that helps you stay awake. It’s also involved in some aspects of the day-night cycle of your eyes.
Although the exact way melatonin helps you fall asleep is unclear, research suggests these processes can help you fall asleep.
Conversely, light suppresses melatonin production. This is one way that your body knows it’s time to wake up.
As melatonin helps your body prepare for sleep, people who don’t make enough of it at night can have trouble falling asleep.
There are many factors that may cause low melatonin levels at night.
Stress, smoking, exposure to too much light at night, not getting enough natural light during the day, shift work, and aging all effect melatonin production.
Roughly 50–70 million Americans are affected by poor sleep. In fact, according to some studies, up to 30% of adults in the United States report that they sleep for less than 6 hours each night.
Although it’s a common problem, poor sleep can have severe consequences. Poor sleep can deplete your energy, lower your productivity, and increase the risk of diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
This article explains how melatonin works as well as its safety and how much to take.
Melatonin supplements are popular among people with insomnia and jet lag. You can get melatonin in many countries without a prescription.
Melatonin is also a powerful antioxidant, which may provide a variety of other benefits.
In fact, it may help, support eye health, treat stomach ulcers and heartburn ease tinnitus symptoms and raise growth hormone levels in men
Taking a melatonin supplement may help counter low levels and normalize your internal clock.
In many of these studies, people also reported significantly better quality of sleep.
A study with 21 participants found that taking melatonin and tryptophan along with omeprazole helped stomach ulcers caused by the bacteria H. pylori heal faster.
Omeprazole is a common medication for acid reflux and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
In another study, 36 people with GERD were given either melatonin, omeprazole, or a combination of both to treat GERD and its symptoms.
Tinnitus is a condition characterized by a constant ringing in the ears. It’s often worse when there’s less background noise, such as when you’re trying to fall asleep.
Interestingly, taking melatonin may help reduce symptoms of tinnitus and help you get to sleep.
One study in 29 young adults found that alcohol consumption 1 an hour before bed could reduce melatonin levels by up to 19%.
Low levels of melatonin have also been detected in individuals with alcohol use disorder.
Further, melatonin levels rise more slowly in individuals with an alcohol dependency, meaning it can be harder to get to sleep.
It’s been proposed that the antioxidant effects of melatonin may help to prevent or treat alcohol-related illnesses. However, additional research is needed to test this claim.
Your natural melatonin levels are important during pregnancy. In fact, melatonin levels fluctuate throughout pregnancy.
During the first and second trimesters, the nighttime peak of melatonin decreases.
However, as the due date approaches, melatonin levels begin to rise. At term, melatonin levels reach a maximum. They’ll return to pre-pregnancy levels after delivery.
Melatonin secretion decreases as you age. These natural declines may potentially lead to poor sleep in older adults.
As with other age groups, the use of melatonin supplementation in older adults is still being investigated. Studies indicate that melatonin supplementation may improve sleep onset and duration in older adults.
One literature review found that there’s some evidence for using low-dose melatonin for older people who are having trouble sleeping. However, more research is needed.
While melatonin is well tolerated in older adults, there are concerns about increased daytime drowsiness. Additionally, the effects of melatonin may be prolonged in older individuals.
The most effective dose of melatonin for older adults hasn’t been determined.A recent recommendation suggests that a maximum of 1 to 2 mg be taken 1 hour prior to bedtime. It’s also recommended that immediate-release tablets are used to prevent prolonged levels of melatonin in the body.
