Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland or epiphysis , a gland the size of a walnut and found in the back end of the brain. The pineal gland has the important task of regulating the body’s biorhythms such as the sleep-wake rhythm.
Why you don’t sleep well at night
Various causes can contribute to insomnia. The main one is psychological and physical: situations of particular emotional and physical stress risk negatively contributing to the quality of our night’s rest. In addition, bad habits and inadequate evening nutrition can cause insomnia andpoor sleep quality .
Especially smoking and drinking alcohol , both practices that stimulate synaptic activity, are habits that negatively affect sleep quality. As for nutrition, it is better to avoid foods that are difficult to digest, such as complex sugars and proteins that are difficult to assimilate (such as meat).
Melatonin for sleep
Melatonin is naturally secreted during the evening hours, when light does not stimulate nerve cells through the retina. Shortly after the onset of darkness, its concentrations in the blood rapidly increase and peak between 2 and 4 am, then gradually decrease towards the early hours of the morning.
In some subjects, for endogenous or exogenous causes, the pineal gland is unable to produce a sufficient quantity of melatonin to promote restful sleep. In these cases, it is useful to supply the same substance from the outside, through specific supplements. Melatonin taken through a food supplement is also useful for resuming the daily rhythms after the holidays and for those who have altered the natural sleep cycles due to the jet leg or those who travel a lot for work and change several countries within a few days.
The properties of melatonin for sleep
. The properties of melatoninthey are not reduced solely to modulating sleep rhythms, but protect the pineal gland from aging. When melatonin is administered from the outside, the pineal gland ages less rapidly, slowing down the body’s general aging process.
Melatonin is also effective against free radicals and is a more powerful antioxidant than vitamin E, vitamin C and glutathione. Furthermore, being soluble in both water and fats, it can fight free radicals in any environment.
How to take Melatonin for sleep
Melatonin should be taken one hour before sleeping: it acts in a gentle way, inducing a natural sleep, without leaving any state of drowsiness in the following morning, because it is metabolized in a few hours.
There are various types of melatonin supplements on the market, most are in tablet form and contain 1 mg. In fact, 1 milligram of melatonin is enough to already have a sufficient amount in the blood to stimulate sleep .
Other solutions for better sleep
To be able to sleep at night and eliminate mental stress, you need to practice relaxing activities. Try reading a book or practicing meditation. To relax the body, drinks with natural extracts can be used to promote relaxation of the nerves and muscles.
If you are particularly stressed, let off steam with physical activity: sport releases anxiety and stimulates the production of serotonin, the happiness hormone.
Curiosity:
The typical symptoms of melatonin deficiency are more marked if you travel from west to east: in this case, in fact, the circadian cycle is altered by excessive exposure to light and the lack of night hours.
