Your natural sleep-wake cycle is affected by a number of factors. Certain issues, such as age and exposure to light, influence melatonin, a hormone produced by your body that acts as a signal for the sleep-wake cycle. If you have difficulty sleeping, melatonin supplements may help to improve your quality and quantity of sleep by resetting your body clock. Consult your doctor before taking melatonin supplements.
Function
Melatonin is secreted by the pineal gland in your brain, an endocrine gland that also plays a role in metabolism and growth. Your circadian rhythm, the body's natural internal mechanism of regulating the sleep-wake cycle, is influenced by melatonin, as are the regulation and production of other important hormones, such as female reproductive hormones. Your levels of melatonin increase during times of darkness, signaling to your body that it's time to go to sleep. Conversely, when you're exposed to bright lights and sunshine, your body's production of melatonin decreases.
Your Body Clock
Certain lifestyle and biological factors such as shift work, alcohol and drug use, a poor sleep environment and illness can affect your melatonin levels and cause impaired sleep. Certain sleep disorders resemble jet lag, in that your body keeps you awake when it's time to go to sleep and wants to sleep when it's time to wake up, points out Jane Brody, personal health columnist for the New York Times. Some people have a hereditary problem with falling asleep until it's very late, and then feel a need to sleep during the day. Additionally, prolonged periods of insomnia affect your levels of melatonin and interfere with natural sleep. Regardless of the reason, when your natural sleep cycle is disrupted, your body clock may need to be reset.
Research
Research indicates that melatonin supplementation may help promote natural, more restful sleep. An evaluation of the available simulation and field studies on melatonin and circadian rhythms published in Chronobiology International in March 1997 concluded that melatonin successfully alleviates body clock problems related to jet lag and shift work, enhances sleep and helps the body adjust more quickly to schedule changes. Another clinical review, published in The Annals of Pharmacotherapy in October 1997 found that melatonin improves sleep cycles and induces sleep when circadian rhythms are disrupted by factors like jet lag, shift work, insomnia and other sleep disorders.
Considerations
If you suffer from prolonged sleep disturbances, do not attempt to self-diagnose your symptoms; sleep disorders can be a sign of a more serious underlying medical problem. Never rely on dietary supplements to self-treat your condition. Melatonin can cause daytime drowsiness and unpleasant side effects including stomach cramps, dizziness, headache and irritability; pregnant or nursing women should not take melatonin. Talk with your health care provider before taking a melatonin supplement.
References
- "New York Times"; Debate Aside, Melatonin Can Reset the Body's Clock; Jane Brody; September 1995
- Cigna Health: Sleep and Your Body Clock
- "Chronobiology International"; Treatment of Circadian Rhythm Disorders -- Melatonin; J. Arendt, et al.; March 1997
- "The Annals of Pharmacotherapy"; Melatonin: Therapeutic Use in Sleep Disorders; J.E. Chase, et al.; October 1997
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Melatonin; Steven D. Ehrlich, NMD
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