The Health Benefits of Melatonin

Melatonin, helps you sleep better, strengthens your immune system, slows down the aging process of the brain, reduces migraines, protects against bone mass loss and helps to prevent cancer.

The lack of sun exposure during the day combined with artificial lighting late at night, can disrupt your biological clock and your melatonin production. This disruption can trigger a number of adverse health effects.

Your master biological clock is in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of your brain (SCN), which is part of your hypothalamus. Based on signals of light and darkness, your SCN tells your pineal gland when it's time to secrete melatonin and when to turn melatonin production off.

Melatonin supplementation has been shown to help people fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer, experience less restlessness and prevent daytime fatigue.

A minimal dose is usually very beneficial. Starting off with a dose of 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg is a good starting point. You can then adjust your dose upwards. Beware that taking higher doses, such as 3 mg, can sometimes make you sleep less and not more, having the opposite as the intended result.

You should consult your physician prior to starting any melatonin supplementation program.

The Importance of Light and Dark for the Synchronization of Your Body Clock:

Melatonin production is stimulated by darkness and suppressed by light, which is why your levels should be highest just prior to bedtime.

If you're having trouble sleeping, try to sleep in total darkness and to turn lights down at least an hour or so before bedtime. Also, avoid watching television and using computers and other electronic gadgets at least an hour prior to bedtime. All of these devices emit blue light, which will decrease your melatonin if you work past dark. If you have to use these devices, you can wear yellow glasses that filter the blue wavelengths out.

To light rooms at night, use "low blue" light bulbs that emit an amber light instead of blue light. Blue light can suppresses melatonin production.

Try to also be exposed to more sunshine during the day. Without sufficient sunlight during the day, your circadian clock may fall out of sync.

Most incandescent and fluorescent lights emit very poor-quality light. What your body can greatly benefit by, besides sunshine, is the daylight or full-spectrum light bulbs.

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