What is Melatonin?
Melatonin is a hormone found naturally in the body. Melatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland. That's a pea-sized gland found just above the middle of your brain. It helps your body know when it's time to sleep and wake up. Normally, your body makes more melatonin at night. Is often known as the "sleep hormone" or the "darkness hormone" also.
Melatonin was discovered in 1958. It is sold over the counter in Canada
and the United States. In the United Kingdom, it is a prescription-only
medication. Research suggests that melatonin plays other important roles in the
body beyond sleep.
How Does Melatonin Work?
Melatonin's main job in the body is to regulate night and day cycles or sleep-wake cycles. Darkness causes the body to produce more melatonin, which signals the body to prepare for sleep. Melatonin is a hormone that your brain produces in response to darkness. It helps with the timing of your circadian rhythms (24-hour internal clock) and with sleep. Being exposed to light at night can block melatonin production. Melatonin also helps to fights diseases, including breast and prostate cancer.
Why We Need Melatonin?
Some people take melatonin by mouth to adjust the body's internal clock.
Melatonin is most commonly used for Insomnia and improving sleep in different
conditions:
- Delayed sleep
- Circadian rhythm sleep disorders in blind
- Jet lag
- Shift work
- As a dietary supplement
Side Effects Of Melatonin
Melatonin is generally safe for short-term use. But also there are lots of
side effects of this, the most common melatonin side effects include:
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Reduce Alertness
- Drowsiness
- Short-term feelings of depression
- Mild tremor
- Mild anxiety
