Origin
Nonessential, Synthetic
Source
Dairy, Whole Grains, Nuts
Category
Hormone/Hormone Precursor
Age Range
18-60, >60
Toxicity
May be toxic in high doses
What is Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone the brain produces that regulates our body clock and helps control sleep. When exposed to light, melatonin levels decrease, waking us up.
Sleep
Sleep is a very important physiological process, as it regulates the body’s functions.
It is responsible for promoting / facilitating energy conservation, synthesis and secretion of hormones and proteins, learning and memory through brain changes. Sleep is mainly driven by the circadian cycle, which involves exposure to light, hormones such as melatonin, and hypothalamic activity.
The compounds that help regulate sleep work in different pathways, they can facilitate the process of falling asleep, increase the duration of continuous sleep or improve the quality of sleep.