Melatonin and Sleeping pattern Melatonin is a natural hormone made by your bodys pineal (pih-knee-uhl) gland. This is a pea-sized gland located just above the middle of the brain. During the day the pineal is inactive. When the sun goes down and darkness occurs, the pineal is turned on by the SCN and begins to actively produce melatonin, which is released into the blood. Usually, this occurs around 9 pm. As a result, melatonin levels in the blood rise sharply and you begin to feel less alert. Sleep becomes more inviting. Melatonin levels in the blood stay elevated for about 12 hours - all through the night - before the light of a new day when they fall back to low daytime levels by about 9 am. Daytime levels of melatonin are barely detectable. Bright light directly inhibits the release of melatonin. That is why melatonin is sometimes called the Dracula of hormones - it only comes out in the dark. Even if the pineal gland is switched on by the our biological clock in the brain, it will not produce melatonin unless the person is in a dimly lit environment (dark room). In addition to sunlight, artificial indoor lighting can be bright enough to prevent the release of melatonin. So we should always sleep in a dark room to ensure a good night rest and get adequate amount of rest that our body needs.
Posted on: Sat, 17 May 2014 09:01:27 +0000
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