{"id":6025,"date":"2020-11-19T19:45:49","date_gmt":"2020-11-19T19:45:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.botanicchoice.com\/blog\/?p=6025"},"modified":"2023-09-14T19:31:15","modified_gmt":"2023-09-14T19:31:15","slug":"what-does-melatonin-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.botanicchoice.com\/blog\/health-and-wellness\/what-does-melatonin-do\/","title":{"rendered":"What Does Melatonin Do?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you find yourself experiencing occasional sleeplessness, you\u2019re far from alone. At least 1 in 3 Americans do, and many have turned to melatonin as a natural sleep aid.  It works by getting your sleep-wake cycles back in sync.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Can\u2019t sleep? Your sleep-wake cycle may be out of whack<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The sleep-wake cycle is a physical, mental and behavioral change that follows a 24-hour cycle, also called circadian rhythms. Your internal clock tells you when to sleep, rise, and eat. Circadian rhythms are affected by cues in the environment like temperature and especially the natural blue light that comes from the sun. As light disappears, your internal clock signals your body to sleep. When the sun comes up, it signals your body to rise, eat and start moving.  We now know that when circadian rhythms get disrupted, it affects cardiovascular health, immunity, energy<\/a>, memory, weight<\/a> gain, and mood. This is why millions have turned to sleep aids, especially natural sleep aids like melatonin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melatonin for sleep<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Melatonin<\/a> is a hormone produced naturally by the pineal gland in the brain. Melatonin levels rise during the night \u2013 typically around 9PM making you sleepy \u2013 and fall right before dawn. Taking melatonin supplements<\/a> is thought to support and help regulate the body\u2019s sleep-wake cycle, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep, so you wake refreshed. It\u2019s especially beneficial for shift workers and those experiencing jet lag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other melatonin benefits<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Melatonin is also an antioxidant<\/a> that may offer protection against free radical damage in the brain\u2019s cells, which is related to memory and cognitive issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why you can\u2019t sleep<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many of us stay up late, watch TV into the night, or sleep with our smartphones. Electronic devices emit large amounts of blue light \u2013 like sunlight \u2013 so your body\u2019s getting a signal it\u2019s time to wake up even though it\u2019s nighttime. It\u2019s not surprising then that the drastic changes in lifestyle and habits over the last 30 years have been linked to disturbances in the circadian rhythm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to sleep better<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Make sure you practice good sleep hygiene by following these guidelines:<\/p>\n\n\n\n