Sleep is the most important and favorable action for our body. According to many surveys, it is said that a human spends his/her dearest time while sleeping. Apparently sleep is also very vital for the rest of the body too. Thus when people don’t get enough sleep, their health risks rise like the symptoms of depression, seizures, high blood pressure, and migraines may even worsen. Sleep also plays a role in metabolism: Even one night of missed sleep can create a prediabetic state (a serious condition in which blood sugar level higher than normal) in an otherwise healthy person.
"The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night’s sleep"
So who exactly is responsible for this sleep?
So the one is Melatonin which gives you the beauty of sleep.
Melatonin works closely with the body’s circadian rhythm (physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle)to help prepare it for sleep. Melatonin levels rise at night in response to darkness and decrease in the morning in response to light.
What is Melatonin?
Melatonin is a hormone that your body makes naturally. The pineal gland produces it in the brain but is also found in other areas, such as the eyes, bone marrow, and gut.
It’s often called the sleep hormone, as high levels can help you fall asleep.
However, melatonin itself won’t knock you out. It simply lets the body know that it’s nighttime so that it can relax and fall asleep more easily.
In addition to its benefits for sleep, this hormone has potent antioxidant (protects cells from damage caused by free radicles) and anti-inflammatory effects (to reduce inflammation)
How does Melatonin work?
Melatonin also helps regulate body temperature, blood pressure, blood glucose, body weight, and levels of some hormones. The melatonin levels start to rise when it’s dark outside, signaling to your body that it’s time to sleep. They then decrease in the morning, when it’s light outside, to promote wakefulness.
Melatonin also binds to receptors in the body to help its relaxation. For instance, it binds to receptors in the brain to reduce nerve activity. It can also reduce levels of dopamine, a hormone that helps you stay awake, and is involved in some aspects of the day-night cycle of your eyes.
What hampers the production of Melatonin?
The circadian melatonin rhythm is closely associated with the sleep rhythm in both normal and blind subjects (Zisapel, 2001).
Aging, the presence of certain diseases [e.g. primary degeneration of the autonomic nervous system and diabetic neuropathy ( a type of nerve damage that occurs with diabetes)some types of neoplasms(characteristic of cancer), and Alzheimer's disease (AD)] and certain drugs (e.g. β‐blockers, clonidine, naloxone, and non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs) abolish the nocturnal production of melatonin and are associated with impaired sleep.
Melatonin deficiency has been mainly investigated in the pineal gland, circulation, saliva, cerebrospinal fluid, and, by measuring the metabolite 6-sulfatoxymelatonin, urine. Tissue destruction in the SCN (suprachiasmatic nucleus-located in the hypothalamus)or in the pineal gland that leads to reduced melatonin secretion and to sleep disturbances has been also observed in other cases. Blue light is highly effective in suppressing melatonin, which is explained by the spectral sensitivity of melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells (nerve cells) which simply means that the nerve cells are spectral sensitive in nature which serves as a reason why blue light suppresses melatonin production)
Additional Melatonin Health Benefits:
In addition to improving sleep, melatonin is also responsible for imparting other health benefits which may include
“There are many important connections between health and sleep,”
Support eye health
Healthy indole-derived melatonin levels may support eye health. That’s because this hormone has powerful antioxidant effects that may lower your risk of eye diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration(eye disease which causes vision loss)
Indeed, a review concluded that melatonin supplements might reduce AMD (age-related vision loss) by neutralizing free radicals and decreasing inflammation
Help treat acid reflux and GERD
Melatonin may help alleviate acid reflux and gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) (a digestive disease in which stomach acid or bile irritates the food pipe lining) by protecting the lining of your esophagus (the tube that connects your throat and stomach) against irritants such as acid, alcohol, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
For example, one study showed that taking melatonin inhibits an enzyme system that damages the esophageal epithelial barrier, which is responsible for protecting deeper layers of your esophagus from damage.
Damage to the esophageal epithelial barrier is known to cause acid reflux and GERD and may eventually lead to more severe health complications such as cancer
Reduce symptoms of tinnitus
Tinnitus is a condition characterized by ringing in the ears. It’s often worse when there’s less background noise, such as when you’re trying to fall asleep.
Interestingly, researchers suggest that taking melatonin may help reduce symptoms of significant tinnitus and improve sleep
May alleviate migraine attacks
A migraine attack is a recurring type of headache that causes severe, throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation, often on the side of your head.
Several prescription drugs help treat migraine, but melatonin may also offer relief due to its ability to inhibit pain sensations
How to take melatonin doses?
If you’re considering trying melatonin for insomnia, starting with a low-dose supplement is recommended.
For instance, start with 0.5–1 mg 30 minutes before going to bed. If that doesn’t seem to help you fall asleep, try increasing your dose to 3–5 mg.
Side effects of melatonin:
Current evidence suggests that melatonin supplements are safe, non-toxic, and not addictive for either children or adults.
Supplementing long-term is also likely safe. Studies have found no significant adverse events associated with daily melatonin intake in dosages of 2–10 mg for up to 3.5 years.
Unlike other hormones, no evidence suggests that taking melatonin affects your body’s natural ability to make it's own.
However, several minor and short-lived side effects of melatonin supplements have been reported. These include
Daytime sleepiness
Fatigue
Dizziness
Headaches
Nausea
A cold feeling
Taking melatonin in excess of 5 mg is unlikely to help you fall asleep faster. The goal is to find the lowest dose that enables you to sleep.
However, it’s best to follow the instructions that come with your supplement and talk with a healthcare professional before adding OTC melatonin to your routine.
Because melatonin comes in different forms, you may also want to consult a doctor or pharmacist about the best form for you.
Melatonin correlation with pregnancy:
Your natural melatonin levels are important during pregnancy. In fact, melatonin levels fluctuate throughout pregnancy. During your first and second trimesters, the nighttime peak of melatonin decreases. However, as your due date approaches, melatonin levels begin to rise. At full term, melatonin levels reach a maximum. They return to before-pregnancy levels after delivery.
When you’re pregnant, melatonin is transferred to the developing fetus, which contributes to the development of circadian rhythms and the nervous and endocrine systems.
Melatonin also appears to protect the fetal nervous (means nervous system of a developing fetus) system. It’s believed that this hormone’s antioxidant effects safeguard the developing nervous system from damage due to oxidative stress which otherwise may lead to nervous system impairment
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