Description
Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland upon the shift from light to darkness, making us sleepy. It suppresses the release of noradrenaline, dopamine, and cortisol. All three of these stimulating chemical messengers can interfere with a good night’s sleep. Healthy melatonin levels are instrumental in feeling refreshed upon waking; they even support the immune system.
Under normal circumstances, melatonin secretion typically peaks between 1 and 3 a.m., but only IF you’re sleeping in total darkness. If this isn’t the case, then release is suppressed and the health-giving benefits of melatonin are missed. Exposure to artificial lights, particularly blue light from electronic tablets, phones, computers and TVs, and even long flights can delay the release of melatonin and wreak havoc with the circadian rhythms that tell us when to rest and when to be alert. Deficiency can even lead to appetite changes, nausea and weight gain.
Lifestyles today often include after-dinner workouts, shift work, airline travel, sedentary jobs, increased screen time and staying up later. No wonder so many of us are experiencing daytime drowsiness, poor concentration, irritability or forgetfulness. These are all symptoms associated with sleep deprivation.
Sleep cycle disruptions affect many groups of people, such as shift workers, frequent flyers, parents of young children, illness, individuals on certain medications, and anyone with chronic stress or anxiousness.
