Last Update: July 5, 2024
Sick of staring up at the ceiling every night, counting endless sheep, and still not getting any shut-eye?
You’re not alone. Whether due to trouble falling asleep or full-blown insomnia, more than a third of American adults are not getting enough sleep on a regular basis.
The reason so many of us are chronically unable to achieve that blissful night of rest? It all might come down to one hormone—melatonin.
To understand how melatonin works, you first need to know a little something about your circadian rhythm. Your biological clock sets these patterns of behavior that tell the body when to wake up and fall asleep. In low light or darkness, the body knows to adjust its temperature and release hormones that make you sleepy. The main hormone responsible for regulating your circadian rhythm? Melatonin.
Here’s one reason so many of us have trouble sleeping: darkness causes our brains to produce melatonin, and light causes production to stop. The artificial blue light from overhead lights, the lamp in your bedroom, a TV screen, and even your phone can disrupt the production of melatonin, and therefore your circadian rhythm.
Other changes to your daily routine—like traveling to a new time zone or switching to the night shift at work—can also mess with your circadian rhythm and make sleep seem impossible. An abnormal circadian rhythm can have much more serious consequences, such as obesity, diabetes, depression, and hormonal imbalances.
Melatonin is also tricky to replenish through your diet. Though cherries, olive oil, and a few grains and vegetables contain melatonin, amounts of this essential hormone in foods are highly irregular.
Thankfully, melatonin supplements are a natural way to help yourself get some much needed rest, and help reboot your body’s natural melatonin production. Plus, melatonin supplementation also offers cardiovascular benefits, and provides non-habit-forming sleep support, so you won’t become dependent on it for a good night of rest.
Source Naturals was the first company to sell melatonin supplements, and the brand has been helping people catch zs ever since. With several varieties to choose from, you’ll be able to find the supplement that works for you:
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