Melatonin is secreted by the Pineal gland, which is located at the back of the brain. Melatonin secretion is strongly influenced by light; with more exposure to light, the gland secretes less Melatonin. Melatonin serves more than one purpose, but its main application addresses sleep patterns. As the day’s light fades, this hormone helps the brain achieve healthy, restorative sleep; when morning light appears, the melatonin level declines as it prompts the sleeper to wake. In addition, melatonin performs as a strong anti-oxidant. By capturing damaging free radicals, it protects against cancer, especially breast cancer. In fact, blind women, who have high levels of melatonin because of a lack of light exposure, almost never get breast cancer! Moreover, Melatonin inhibits the AIDS virus, protects the pancreas and the immune system, relaxes muscles, relieves tension / stress / anxiety, lowers blood pressure, and produces a sense of serenity and calmness.
Without adequate levels of Melatonin, people get poor superficial sleep and do not feel restored in the morning. Their dreams may cease or may become agitated, brooding or disturbingly “vivid.” Patients with inadequate Melatonin levels will have a difficult time going to sleep and/or staying asleep. They are likely to feel tense, anxious, irritable and aggressive. They may look older than their age because of premature graying hair and “bags” under the eyes. However, most of these people can reverse these signs by managing their production of melatonin. During the long days of summer, it is best to begin limiting the amount of sunlight exposed to the eyes sometime around 6 in the evening, thus “priming the pineal” to increase the production of Melatonin. The increased production can be accomplished by wearing dark sunglasses. The principal is especially important, for sleeping well can be a problem for people in the summer months. Also, people should avoid the bright light from computer screens and television screens for at least an hour or two before bedtime. It is best to dim the room lights for about the same one to two hours before bed to encourage the maximum secretion of Melatonin. Though Melatonin is a hormone, it is available without a prescription in health food stores and is fairly inexpensive. Most experts recommend 1 to 3 milligrams of good quality Melatonin as a supplement; this dose should be taken an hour before bedtime.
NOTE: I have found that more than 1 milligram may cause grogginess in the morning for some people.