Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by the pineal gland in your brain. It regulates the body's sleep/wake cycles, and optimal levels allow you to have a restful and restorative sleep. Unfortunately, your sleep cycles can easily be disrupted by life events like air travel and shift work, which can confuse the body and alter its natural production of melatonin. Let's explore the best melatonin supplements to help encourage restful sleep. 

Understanding Melatonin's Role In The Body

Melatonin is normally released by your brain in response to lowering light levels throughout the day. Thus, the amount released increases later in the day until it peaks at night. It is this high level at night that makes you drowsy and ready for bed. In addition to sleep regulation, melatonin cues the body to release growth and sex hormones, which are used during sleep to repair body tissues and normalize hormone levels. However, lifestyle factors like travel and stress can alter your melatonin cycle; therefore, finding the best melatonin supplements may help regulate your sleep-wake cycle. 

Melatonin Levels: Their Daily Cycle

Although your melatonin levels cycle throughout the day, the total amount of melatonin produced by the body naturally declines as you age. Researchers believe that reduction in melatonin may be partly responsible for the aging process because as it declines so do levels of other hormones that allow the body to repair itself during sleep. Interestingly, low levels of melatonin have also been found in many children with ASD (autistic spectrum disorders). Taking the best melatonin supplements has been found to help reduce sleep disturbances in autistic children.

Key Antioxidant Properties Found in Melatonin

Exposure to free radicals through sunlight, pollution, smoke, and chemicals increases your risk of free radical damage that can cause physical signs of aging. Free radicals are unstable molecules with an unpaired electron that are extremelyreactive, and damage surrounding cell membranes, fats, and fat-soluble vitamins and nutrients. Fortunately, melatonin is a powerful antioxidant that protects the body from free radicals and therefore reduces the daily damage to body tissues from the environment. Melatonin is recommended by natural health practitioners for insomnia, jet lag, aging, frequent colds and flu, PMS, memory loss, arteriosclerosis, stroke and Alzheimer's disease.

Shopping For & Taking The Best Melatonin Supplements

Melatonin can be purchased in capsules or tablets. They should be taken approximately 2 hours before bed to mimic the natural release of the hormone. Sublingual tablets are available for individuals with an impaired ability to absorb nutrients in the digestive tract. If you wake frequently during the night, a sustained-release tablet may give you the most beneficial results. It is often a good idea to start with a lower dose and work up to larger ones, to avoid difficulty waking in the morning. If you awake to feel groggy decrease your dosage.

Alternatives to Melatonin Supplements

To enhance the body's production of melatonin without taking melatonin itself there are a few different options. Protein intake is important because it contains the amino acid tryptophan, a precursor to melatonin. A supplement called 5-HTP is an activated form of tryptophan that can also be supplemented to indirectly help with the production of melatonin. Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) acts in the manufacture of melatonin from tryptophan and serotonin. The absorption of B6 is improved if all of the B complex vitamins are taken along with it.

Key Information & Insights

Many prescription medications decrease the body's ability to synthesize melatonin, including oral contraceptives, estrogen, hydralazine, loop diuretics, penicillamine, theophylline, beta-blockers, benzodiazepines and isoniazid. If you are using any of these medications and are having difficulty sleeping, melatonin may help you to once again get a full night's sleep.