Melatonin and Sleep:
If your pineal gland does not produce adequate melatonin early enough in the evening, it is
difficult to go to sleep. If secretion does not continue, you may wake up too soon. If your pineal
gland secretes too much or for too long into the next day, you will have a tendency to be sleepy and
not rested the next morning. Continuing melatonin production into the day can also result in
depression and tiredness. If you do not get adequate sleep, mental acuity decreases too. Insomnia
exists when melatonin levels are low or when it is produced at the wrong time. Supplementing can
help reestablish balance and help you set your biological clock naturally.
Melatonin and the Immune System:
Low melatonin levels are associated with lessened thymus activity and depression.
Much of the activity of the immune system takes place at night and it is thought that melatonin
interacts with our immune system during sleep. Melatonin may be an anti-stress factor and its normal
rhythmic release is a buffering device, quenching the adverse effects of stress on the immune system.
Brain and Central Nervous System:
Melatonin stabilizes electrical activity of the central nervous system. The pineal, primarily through
melatonin, acts as a synchronizing and stabilizing organ. Nighttime melatonin levels are low in people
with major depressive and panic disorders. Individuals with noticeable mood swings or are
melancholy also have depressed melatonin levels. Both seasonal affective disorder and non-seasonal
cyclic depressions are related to the peaks and valleys of melatonin levels.
Melatonin and Aging:
Stress and/or dietary lack of tryptophan may make deficiencies of melatonin common. Older
individuals have a reduced ability to produce melatonin. The relationships of endocrine rhythms,
mood, sleep and the biological effects of light are complex. Since melatonin secretion declines with
age, many researchers believe that it may help prevent age-related and free radical mediated brain
damage. The melatonin corticoid relationship has significance since chronic hypercortisolemia has
been associated with age related deterioration of the brain (including Alzheimer's disease), glucose
intolerance, arteriosclerosis, impaired immune function and cancer. Melatonin appears to mediate the
entire aging process.
Dosage:
As a dietary supplement, take 1 capsule near bedtime with water.