Melatonin is a hormone that is produced by the pineal gland deep within the centre of the brain. Its production is controlled by light passing through to the retina and relaying a message to the hypothalamus in the middle brain. As soon as the ambient light intensity drops below a certain level, the melatonin production in the pineal gland commences. The hypothalamus serves as a sort of internal clock in this cycle. Each day, the light entering our eyes sets the timing mechanism (zeitgeber). Each night, the hypothalamus - or rather the so-called suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) - send a signal along a pathway into the pineal gland and on this basis this "intelligent gland" determines the amount of melatonin to be produced. Because melatonin is produced during periods of darkness, the duration of daylight affects its ebb and flow. This in turn can affect the sleeping/waking cycles, generally known as circadian rhythms. By the age of 45 the normal function of the pineal gland starts to falter, causing melatonin production to drop to about half. As age increases, melatonin production declines dramatically. Between the ages of seventy and eighty the amount of melatonin in the bloodstream becomes almost undetectable.
Taking melatonin just before bedtime may help you to go to sleep more easily. It also helps to restore healthy and restful sleeping patterns safely without becoming addictive or losing its effectiveness with prolonged use.
Ongoing worldwide research suggests that all-natural melatonin not only helps to restore natural sleeping patterns but it also promotes the proper functioning of the immune system, supports a positive mood and healthy attitude, enhances the body's natural ability to cope with stressful conditions.