Sleep is essential for your body to relax and repair itself. It keeps you alert, boosts your mood, and rejuvenates the skin. According to experts, every individual should clock in at least eight hours of sleep throughout the day. However, we find it difficult to get enough sleep with our hectic schedules.
Melatonin is a natural hormone that is essential for inducing sleep. Its production and release in the brain depend on the time of the day. Light at night blocks the production. The pineal gland secretes this hormone. It is located just above your middle brain and is the size of a pea. Darkness stimulates its production, whereas light decreases it.
Benefits
The melatonin hormone plays an essential role in regulating the body’s biological clock. The timing of doses is necessary, especially when consumed as an oral supplement. It reaches the maximum concentration in your blood after 30 minutes. Ideally, take the supplement 30 minutes before bedtime for effective results and benefits, which are as follows:
Supports better sleep
Since it is a sleep hormone, it is the most common natural remedy to treat issues like insomnia. According to research, this hormone supports better sleep.
Promotes eye health
It is high in antioxidants that prevent cell damage, keeping your eyes healthy. Research suggests that consuming melatonin supplement helps treat glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Age-related macular degeneration
Dietary supplement ingredients reduce the risk of eye diseases, including age-related macular degeneration. Studies mention that they are a powerful antioxidant and control eye pigmentation, regulate light reaching the receptors, and protect them from damage.
Autism
People with autism do not get enough sleep at night, resulting in disturbances. Studies report that giving them melatonin as food supplement ingredients assist in sleep onset, quality, and duration. It is also associated with better daytime behaviours. Take the correct dosage and check the time while doing so.
Jet lag
Travellers face jet lags when frequently visiting different time zones, resulting in disturbed sleep, daytime fatigue, and discomfort. Now, melatonin is an effective supplement that appropriately combats jet lag symptoms.
Mitochondria protection
The mitochondria are cell parts responsible for generating energy. When they produce it, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are the byproducts. They damage the mitochondrial DNA and proteins, leading to cell death. By buying products from an online supplement store, the ingredient acts as an antioxidant, protects and cleans the mitochondria of the cells, and prevents disease in the heart, brain, and nervous system if present in healthy amounts.
Supplements
Several health products have melatonin and are readily available at pharmacies and online supplement shopping websites. They are in the form of tablets, soft gels, capsules, gummies, lozenges, tinctures, and other preparations. There is no daily dose recommendation, but the dosage generally ranges from 1 mg to 10 mg.
Healthcare professionals recommend starting with the lowest doses and gradually increasing the intake until you find the amount working. About 3 mg was the standard dose earlier.
Dosage
Most doctors, healthcare professionals, and experts consider this supplement safe. Start with a lower dose supplement. For instance, start with 0.5 mg (500 mcg) or 1 mg 30 minutes before bed. If that does not help you fall asleep, try increasing your dose to 3 mg or 5 mg. At a lower dosage, it wears off quicker.
Staying in the system
The time taken by the body to act after taking the first half of the supplement is 40 minutes, while the other half processes through the night. It stays in the system for about four to eight hours, depending upon external factors like age, caffeine consumption, light exposure, body size, tobacco intake, and other medications.
Age
Your metabolism slows as you age, meaning the rate at which your body can metabolise the supplement also slows. The older you are, the supplement takes the longer to wear off.
Caffeine consumption
Research shows that caffeine modifies the production to counteract the supplement’s effectiveness.
Light exposure
Exposure to bright light, especially the blue light emitted from technology, signals your brain that it is daytime, making it harder for the hormone to take effect.
Body size
The ingredient absorption depends on factors like your height and weight and how it affects you.
Tobacco intake
In animal studies, nicotine inhibits the effectiveness of the food supplement in the body.
Other medications
Additional medications like blood thinners, immunosuppressants, and stimulants counteract the effectiveness of the product and the reaction of the hormone.
Summary
The supplement lets you fall asleep, especially with insomnia or jet lag. It is rich in antioxidants and regulates your body’s sleep cycle. Studies show it lengthens the total sleep time, shortens the time for falling asleep, and enhances sleep quality in children and adults. It is safe to take them every night for one to two months if you feel it is effective.
Conclusion
The hormone affects everyone differently. There is no specific answer as to how long it lasts. Do some trial and error to figure out when and how much to take the supplement before bed so you can stay asleep. It is better to consult your doctor beforehand to ensure the supplement is the right sleep aid.
Keywords: melatonin, melatonin hormone, the sleep hormone, dietary supplement ingredients, food supplement ingredients, online supplement store, online supplement shopping, melatonin supplement
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