Melatonin: its importance in the sleep-wake cycle

It regulates the circadian rhythm and is useful against sleep disorders or to regain balance in case of jet lag.

Life is all about balance. Particularly when it comes to the circadian rhythm, or how our body alternates sleep and wakefulness.

To regulate it is a hormone that the body is able to produce independently, melatonin, known today above all as a remedy against insomnia and jet lag.

What is melatonin?

It is a hormone produced by the epiphysis, a small organ located within the brain: because of its pine cone shape, it is also known by the name of pineal gland.

Melatonin, however, is not only produced in the brain. In fact, there are many other bodies involved in its synthesis, including:

  • skin
  • retina
  • bone marrow
  • mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract.

Its secretion varies depending on the time of day and in particular according to the level of light: during the day, when the brightness is high, the epiphysis is put “at rest”, while it is activated in the evening, with the arrival of darkness.

When the pineal gland is active it produces melatonin, which is in turn able to interact with other organs, to produce its effects.

What is it for?

The main function of melatonin is to regulate the sleep-wake rhythm. It is a series of activities and functions of our body that vary following the alternation of light and dark, and in particular sleep and wakefulness.

When melatonin is not produced in the right amounts, various discomforts can occur, including in particular:

Age also counts

The production of melatonin, in addition to changing with the alternation of day and night, also varies according to the age of the individual.

In newborns, in fact, the levels of this substance are very variable and usually regularize around the third month of life, with peaks between midnight and eight in the morning.

During adolescence, however, a particular situation occurs: the nocturnal release of melatonin tends to delay. That’s why teenagers prefer to stay up late and tend to sleep longer in the morning.

With aging, the epiphysis undergoes calcifications, and its function decreases. As a result, melatonin levels are reduced. This could be one of the reasons why insomnia is a rather widespread phenomenon among the elderly.

Sleep disorders and melatonin

Insomnia is one of the main consequences of an imbalance in melatonin production.

When sleep quality fails, this can in turn lead to:

  • tiredness or daytime sleepiness
  • anxiety
  • mood disorders and irritability.

In some cases, a good solution to combat insomnia is to take melatonin in the form of dietary supplements. Different formulations are available on the market:

  • Tablets
  • Bags
  • Drops
  • Syrups
  • herbal teas.

Often these are compounds in which melatonin is associated with other substances, such as:

The intake of melatonin is usually recommended:

  • when you have trouble sleeping
  • in case of irregular sleep, for example if frequent nocturnal awakenings occur
  • for those suffering from delayed falling asleep, or for the so-called “owls” who struggle to fall asleep before a rather late hour.

Before taking melatonin-based supplements, however, it is good to talk about it with your doctor, in order to exclude that insomnia is due to other causes, such as thyroid diseases, or to let you indicate which is the best formulation and the most suitable dosage for your problem. In fact, there are slow-release or immediate release formulations, which can have different effects.

Immediate-release supplements, which are usually in tablet form, should be taken in the evening, about half an hour before bedtime. Generally, a dosage of 1 or 2 mg is enough to determine the relaxation that our body needs to be induced to sleep.

But be careful: products with a melatonin concentration greater than 1 mg are usually real drugs, which can only be purchased with a regular prescription.

Melatonin and “winter blues”

An imbalance in melatonin production can also be caused by other factors, such as the environment in which we live.

During the winter, especially in the Nordic countries, many people experience the so-called seasonal depression. It is a malaise that has its origin in the scarcity of light during the cold months, a fact that is reflected in an altered production of melatonin.

Travel and melatonin

Sometimes the alteration in melatonin production derives from causes that have little to do with age or the changing seasons. Let’s talk, for example, about jet lag, or the time zone.

When making long journeys, in distant parts of the globe, we often have to move the hands of the clock to adapt to the time zone of the place where we are. But this is not enough: to readjust must be above all our internal biological clock which, as we have seen, is regulated thanks to the production of melatonin.

Following the change of time zone, however, our body is unable to adapt immediately to the different alternation of light and dark. In fact, it takes a certain amount of time to allow the body to understand when it is time to sleep and when we must be awake, according to the new time. That’s why you often find yourself waking up in the middle of the night, unable to get back to sleep, or feeling tired and drowsy during the day.

To facilitate and accelerate this natural phenomenon of synchronization of our internal biological clock with that of the new time zone, a help comes from melatonin-based supplements.

Also in this case, as for insomnia, they must be taken shortly before going to sleep, to mimic the peak of this substance that usually occurs during the evening hours, prior to the time when you dedicate yourself to sleep.

Does melatonin have any side effects?

When used for short times, melatonin has no negative effects on the body. Unlike other sleep drugs, in fact, it does not cause addiction, and its action maintains the same intensity, even if taken for a certain period of time.

For this reason, its use is often recommended even for the elderly and adolescents with disturbed sleep.

However, in some cases more or less rare disorders may occur.

Infrequent side effects Rare side effects
Headache Transient mild depression
Nausea Reduced blood pressure (hypotension)
Sleepiness Allergies to melatonin.
Dizziness

But be careful if you are on other drugs; This substance could interact with:

It is therefore a good rule to always seek advice from your doctor or pharmacist before taking any therapeutic substance.

Melatonin at the table

The supply of melatonin can also be guaranteed through food. This substance, in fact, is naturally present in different foods, such as:

  • wine
  • beer
  • cherries
  • strawberries
  • tomatoes
  • bananas
  • grape
  • Plums
  • rice
  • cereals
  • olive oil.

These foods, if introduced into your diet, can represent real natural remedies in case of insufficient melatonin production.

Support for the immune system

Among the actions carried out by this hormone there also seems to be that of support for the immune system. In fact, melatonin stimulates the production of interleukins by white blood cells, modulating the function of the immune response in a positive sense.

Starting from this observation, some studies have been conducted to evaluate the function of melatonin as an antitumor.

Anti-aging melatonin

This multifaceted hormone also seems to play a role in fighting cellular aging. Thanks to its antioxidant action, the administration of melatonin, evaluated in animal studies, led to a delay in the progression of alterations typical of old age.

A natural painkiller

Some studies on melatonin suggest that this substance has a pain-relieving action. In particular, its effect could help in case of chronic pain situations, including headaches or fibromyalgia. However, the studies carried out so far have not yet led to definitive conclusions in this regard.

Melatonin and inflammation: a hypothesis

Melatonin seems to have antioxidant capacity because it is able to act as a scavenger molecule, helping the elimination of free radicals, molecules that stimulate inflammatory phenomena.

Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.

The blog covers a wide range of topics related to health and wellness, with articles organized into several categories.

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