Melatonin for Sleep Disorders, Antioxidant and Side Effects

Are you having trouble sleeping and you’ve heard melatonin helps you get more sleep?  Here’s how it may work.

Melatonin is a hormone produced and secreted by your pineal gland. It is converted from serotonin, for which tryptophan is a precursor.

The synthesis and release of melatonin are stimulated by darkness and suppressed by light. Thus, suggesting its involved in your circadian rhythm.

Levels of melatonin in the blood are highest prior to bedtime. Therefore, synthetic melatonin supplements have been used for sleep disorders, as well as jet lag.

Melatonin also possesses antioxidant activity, or free radical scavenging. As a result, it has been proposed as a supplement to prevent or treat many conditions that are associated with oxidative damage.

Commonly reported side effects of melatonin include:

There are numerous other effects it may have in relation to particular health concerns. However, no science backing this yet.

Melatonin is generally regarded as safe for short-term use only.

Other Info on Sleep:

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