How Does Melatonin Work? 

Melatonin is a hormone that regulates your internal clock, and it plays a role in the way your body knows when to be awake and when to go to sleep. During darkness, your brain’s pineal gland produces the hormone melatonin. In the absence of darkness, melatonin production will cease. It is the sleep hormone. Several events take place that signals your body to sleep. 

Melatonin is a hormone that is produced in the pineal gland in the brain and then released into the bloodstream to regulate sleep. It is only in darkness that the pineal gland produces melatonin, whereas melatonin production is inhibited by light. The following results result from melatonin help regulate the circadian rhythm and synchronizing the sleep-wake cycle. As a result, it promotes consistent, quality sleep; it facilitates a transition to sleep.

People who produce their melatonin are called endogenous melatonin; however, the hormone can also be synthesized externally. Most melatonin supplements like Pure Encapsulations Melatonin 20 mg are sold at PeachVitamins.com as a pill, vitamin, chewable, or liquid and are made in a laboratory and formulated in a laboratory.

MELATONIN 20 MG – 60 Capsules – Pure Encapsulations

However, these are just the beginning of the many processes your body will need to go through to fall asleep. Many other changes occur, too, that help you fall asleep. Upon waking, your body temperatures start dropping.

During sleep, the body loses heat due to conduction and convection. Circadian rhythms are intimately involved in keeping your core temperature constant. Lack of sleep can effectively drop your body temperature by as much as 5°C. 

Your heart rate naturally slows down to its normal resting rate about five minutes after you fall asleep as you drift into a state of light sleep. Relaxing your muscles and dropping your body temperature allow your body to cool. 

Most people spend a high percentage of their night in light sleep. During the second stage, deep sleep, your heart rate slows to about 20% to 30% of your resting heart rate.

Your heart has higher electrical activity in the atria and ventricles, and lower electrical activity in the mitral valves than in the resting state. Your muscles will also become more relaxed, facilitating your slumping fall asleep experience.

What Is the Best Way to Take Melatonin? 

The ideal time to consume melatonin supplementation is thirty minutes before bedtime on an empty stomach. Thirty minutes is the average time it takes for your body to digest food and for the melatonin to take effect. The ideal time to take melatonin is near the end of the day. 

The best time to take melatonin is at bedtime the first few nights.. However, if your sleep is disrupted due to a sudden unexpected departure from your normal routine, you may want to take it at an earlier time.

Short-term use of melatonin supplements appears to be safe for most adults and children, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). However, there is little information on the long-term side effects of melatonin supplements.

It has been noted that patients using melatonin long-term may experience mild side effects in comparison to those taking the placebo. Studies of the effects of long-term melatonin use in children remain limited.

Can You Take Melatonin and Other Supplements Together?

Since melatonin can cause sleepiness, taking it with sedative drugs is likely to result in too much sleepiness. Such medications include barbiturates, benzodiazepine, narcotic drugs, and certain antidepressants. As melatonin slows blood clotting, it may increase the chances of bruising and bleeding when taken with anticoagulant medications such as heparin or warfarin (Coumadin). If you take blood pressure medication, you should avoid using melatonin because it could raise your blood pressure.

Some of the less common side effects of melatonin may include short-term feelings of depression, tremors, mild anxiety, abdominal cramps, irritability, reduced alertness, confusion, and disorders of blood pressure and temperature. Melatonin can cause daytime dizziness, so avoid driving or using machinery within five hours of taking the supplement.

Can You Get Melatonin from Food? 

When you drink water on an empty stomach you gain many health benefits. The benefits of keeping hydrated include healthy skin, metabolism, and energy level. It is even more beneficial to drink water, especially the first thing when you wake up, on an empty stomach. The benefits of drinking sixteen ounces of water upon rising can be noticeable and welcomed by your body. You can do this during the day to help relax you and at night to help you achieve your ideal brain state.

During the last few decades, melatonin has been found in animals and plants as well as in fungi. Eggs and fish, which are animal foods, contain higher levels of melatonin, whereas the highest content of melatonin is found in nuts in plant foods. Melatonin can also be found in some kinds of mushrooms, cereals, and germinations of legumes and seeds. 

Researchers have demonstrated that eating foods containing melatonin can increase the concentration of melatonin in the serum of humans. Studies have found that melatonin has an array of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, as well as anticancer and cardiovascular protective effects.

What Is the Optimal Dosage of Melatonin for Women? 

The sweet spot for melatonin is 3-5 mg. At 3 mg, you can expect to feel some of the benefits of melatonin, but it’s not going to knock you out. At 5 mg, you’re likely to have a restful sleep. 

Most people that use melatonin for their sleep have taken it one to three nights a week (with three being the sweet spot). It’s generally recommended to take it on an odd-even scheduling basis. In other words, you take it at 10 pm on weeknights, 7 am on the weekends, and noon on weekdays. A healthcare provider often tries to discourage using melatonin on weeknights. 

Melatonin works by blocking a receptor in the brain. The hormone then travels down the serotonin (5-HT) pathway to the deep sleep centers of your brain. It also activates the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily, which directly affects a gene called Hypothalamic-pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. 

In simple terms, this hormone causes your pituitary gland to release the “adrenaline,” beta-endorphin, and cortisol that help you feel awake in your sleep. If you’ve ever taken melatonin before, you may have noticed that you feel like you sleep all the time on melatonin. This is because the hormone interacting with your HPA axis consistently results in low levels of cortisol in your bloodstream (which leads to sleepiness).

Many people have trouble falling asleep, and often we look to melatonin supplements like Pure Encapsulations Melatonin 20 mg to help us. Melatonin is a hormone that has many uses besides just helping you get to sleep at night. By learning about these uses, you may be able to choose the right time to take the supplements and maximize their effects on your body.

Well Intentioned: How Carolyn Murphy Maintains Balance And Her 20-Year Beauty Contract

Source: (vogue.com)

How to Fight Jet Lag (Naps Are Good) (Published 2016)

Source: (nytimes.com)

Other ingredients: hypoallergenic plant fiber (cellulose), vegetarian capsule (cellulose, water)

This product is not intended for sleep support. Not to be taken by pregnant or lactating women. If you have any health condition or are taking any medication, consult your health professional before use. Do not drive or operate machinery when taking melatonin.

This product may be contraindicated for individuals taking corticosteroids.

1 capsule daily, 30-60 minutes before bedtime.

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