Is Melatonin good for sleep?
Sleep for many women can feel elusive. Women need between 7-9 hours of sleep a night to not only be rested but optimize metabolism and hormones. Yet if you are struggling with falling asleep or staying asleep, this can be hard to achieve. Let’s dive into the effects of Melatonin and I’ll offer up some simple ways to start improving your sleep.
In my last blog post I discussed the connection between your liver and sleep, which is only one aspect. We also need to acknowledge adrenal output (stress), circadian rhythms, food, movement, and so much more.
It can often feel easiest to default to taking medication, which always comes with side effects. Many women may look to a natural supplement instead like the popular, yet controversial, supplement, Melatonin.
Melatonin is a hormone (this means your body produces it on its own) that helps your body temperature drop, which is key to a good night of restful sleep. Melatonin is synthesized and released in your pineal gland based on how much natural light hits your eyes during the day. Its synthesis is suppressed during daylight hours, and thus at night melatonin production is increased. 70% of melatonin ends up in the liver to be metabolized (oh hey, the liver...more reason to love on that organ of yours!). One last interesting fact, Melatonin is also a free radical scavenger and thus plays an important role in your immune system too.
So, if you're LOW in melatonin, would it not make sense just to supplement with it?
Not necessarily. For some people, for a short period of time, it may be necessary. But melatonin should be a short term use only. This is because if your body becomes dependant on it and you will need to increase your dosage to get the same effects long term. There are also other side effects (headaches, lethargy, irritability, reducing body's own ability to produce it, etc.)
So, how does one improve one's melatonin levels naturally?
Get natural light on your face. Crucial times are early morning light (about 30 minutes after sun rises) and early to mid afternoon.
Consume tart cherry extract or juice. Tart Cherries have trytophan in them which naturally helps in the production of melatonin in your body. (I use the new Serenity softgels from doTERRA, which have Tart Cherry Extract which helps your body produce more melatonin naturally. It also has L-theanine which helps to increase GABA in your brain to support relaxation)
Diffusing Cedarwood oil helps the function of your pineal gland, which is where Melatonin is released.
Sleep in a completely dark room. Get rid of all electronics and any source of light that would impact your sleep cycle.
Keep the temperature cool in your room at night (65F/18C)
Reduce your screen time 2 hours before bed.
Wear blue light blockers while in front of a screen during the day.
Drink milk before bed (preferably unpasteurized)
If you're struggling with sleep and melatonin has been suggested...work on these tips first. Don't go right to melatonin supplementation. If you are on melatonin, start to naturally wean yourself off of it (talk to whomever prescribed it to you) and then re-teach your body how to produce it on its own.