>>7861574>>7861583Melatonin is a hormone. It is not an herb, a vitamin, or a mineral. Hormones are naturally produced by your body as you need them. Which means it is very unlikely that someone has a melatonin deficiency. While melatonin could be considered natural, in most cases it doesn’t come from the earth. Natural melatonin is made from the pineal gland of animals. There are exceptions of foods that contain melatonin in them, but this is a different type of melatonin than what is produced in your brain.
Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland and sends a signal to regulate the sleep-wake cycle in the sleep center of the brain. Melatonin is a sleep and body clock regulator NOT a sleep initiator. Melatonin works with your biological clock by telling your brain when it is time to sleep. Melatonin does not increase your sleep drive or need for sleep.
Melatonin is called the “Vampire Hormone” because it is produced primarily in darkness and inhibited by light. The levels of your melatonin increase in the middle of the night and gradually fall as the night turns to morning, so exposure to light before bed can push your biological clock in the wrong direction – making melatonin ineffective.
Melatonin in pill form does not function like your body’s naturally produced melatonin: it affects the brain in bursts and rapidly leaves the system, instead of the slow build up and slow wash-out that your body’s naturally produced melatonin experiences.
The correct dosage of melatonin can be a problem. According to research conducted at MIT, the correct dosage of melatonin for it to be effective is 0.3-1.0 mg. Many commercially available forms of melatonin are in 3 to 10 times the amount your body would need. In fact, there is some evidence that higher doses may be less effective. In Europe, melatonin at very high doses has been used as a contraceptive.
