Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone which is present in our brains and it is responsible in controlling the sleep cycle and waking cycle of our body. It is actually a serotonin derived hormone. This hormone is made specifically by the pineal gland, also known as conarium or epiphysis cerebri. The pineal gland is basically an endocrine gland which is present in the vertebrate brain. It is located in the epithalamus, which is near the centre of the brain, between the two hemispheres, tucked away in a groove where the two halves of the thalamus join up. Its name comes from the shape of the gland which resembles a spine. The pineal gland produces melatonin which is a serotonin that modulates sleep pattern. It is reddish gray in color and measures about 5-8mm in humans. It is found in some food products like meat, dairy and grains. Melatonin levels rise up high in the night which induces sleep and drops down in the early hours of morning. Darkness helps the body to produce more melatonin and light decreases its production. It has various other functions in the central nervous system, amongst which the most important is modulating the sleep patterns. Light sensitive nerve cells in the retina of the eye detect light and send this signal to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) synchronizing it with the day-night cycle. Nerve fibers then relay the light information from the SCN to the paraventricular nuclei(PVN), then to the spinal cord and via the sympathetic system to the superior cervical ganglia (SCG) and from there to the pineal gland.
Melatonin 10 mg soft gel capsule
It is the most effective form of melatonin since it is in the form of a soft gel capsule. Soft gel capsules are known
to improve bioavailability of melatonin. It is important to store this product in a cool and dark place.
How melatonin helps me sleep?
Basically, melatonin is a naturally produced hormone in the pineal gland of the brain that is known to regulate the sleep
cycles of our body. Synthetic melatonin (in the form of powder and tablets) has been available in the market since three
decades. A key factor for humans to sleep is exposure to light or darkness. When there is exposure to light, a nerve pathway
is stimulated from eye to hypothalamus (in the brain). In the hypothalamus, a nucleus called suprachiasmatic is present
which sends signals to other parts of the brain to activate control hormones, temperature of body, etc. also, an important
fact is that bright light inhibits the production of melatonin in our bodies.
Generally, natural melatonin is present in minute quantities in foods like grains, barley, olives, tomatoes, walnut and meat.
For people who don’t get sleep in the night, doctors advise them to take small dosages of melatonin. Dosage of melatonin ranges
from 0.2 mg to 20mg depending on the age as well as other characteristics. Melatonin is not a sleeping pill. It just regulates
sleep cycles, i.e it sends message to your body stating that it is night time and the time to hit the hay and have a good
night’s sleep.
