It’s hard to find the time and energy to get a good night’s sleep when juggling work, family, friends, and hobbies. Many struggles with getting enough rest, affecting their overall health and well-being. Add in the fact that we live in a fast-paced world filled with artificial light, stressors, stimulants, and social pressures – all of which interfere with our sleep habits.
Fortunately, many natural supplements help us get better sleep. One of the most helpful is melatonin. It is one of the perfect and effective natural remedies for insomnia and other sleep disorders.
May Help With Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Studies show that melatonin is helpful for those dealing with both depression and SAD. Experts believe it works by regulating serotonin levels in your brain. Serotonin is a chemical that helps regulate your mood. If you suffer from low serotonin levels, you may have difficulty sleeping, trouble regulating your mood, and even feel suicidal.
One study found that melatonin helped regulate mood in 90% of people suffering from SAD. Another study showed that melatonin was effective at treating depression – being as effective as some prescription drugs.
Protects Your Brain from Oxidative Stress
Oxidative stress is a serious issue that can lead to many health problems. It’s caused by an imbalance between reactive oxygen species production and your body’s ability to detoxify and remove them.
Researchers have found that melatonin helps protect against oxidative stress, leading to wide-ranging health issues like premature aging, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and even certain cancers. Another study found that participants who took 5mg of melatonin daily for 2 weeks had lower levels of oxidative stress and less DNA damage from UV rays compared to the placebo group.
Supports Healthy Bones and Joints
Studies show that melatonin can increase bone strength, particularly in older adults. The increased bone density is likely due to melatonin’s ability to shift the metabolic pathway that breaks down proteins in your body to produce amino acids – including the amino acid ornithine, which is essential for building strong bones. However, there’s no evidence that melatonin supplements help improve joint pain and inflammation.
Safeguards against DNA Damage from UV Rays
UV rays are one of the main causes of premature aging. These rays damage your DNA and lead to sunburns, wrinkles, and skin cancer. While sunscreen can help reduce your risk of UV damage by blocking the rays, melatonin can reduce the extent of the DNA damage caused by those rays. Studies show that taking 6mg of melatonin daily for two weeks before sun exposure can reduce DNA damage from UV rays by up to 60%.
It May Help With Insomnia And Sleep Disorders.
People often take melatonin for insomnia and other sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, because it’s a hormone that helps regulate your body clock and prepares you for sleep. Depending on what you’re using it for, melatonin can be taken at different times. If you’re treating insomnia, you should take it around 30 minutes before you would like to go to bed. If treating sleep apnea, you should take it about 30 minutes before the time you normally use the CPAP machine.
It Helps You Stay Asleep Longer.
Melatonin is a natural way to help you stay asleep longer. It’s a hormone that is naturally released in your body every night to help you fall asleep. It also regulates your sleep cycle. Taking melatonin can help you fall asleep faster if you’re having trouble sleeping.
It can also make you feel more rested even if you don’t sleep for a long time. While it can help your sleep cycle, it’s not a substitute for adults’ recommended 8-10 hours of sleep.
It’s Safe and Natural
Melatonin is a hormone that’s naturally produced in your body. It helps regulate your sleep and wake cycles. When you’re exposed to sunlight, your eyes signal your pineal gland to release melatonin.
It is also released when you sleep in the dark. It’s one of the most studied supplements, with no major adverse effects reported. Some people may experience headaches, dizziness, nausea, or irritability, but these are rare.
It Has Anti-Inflammatory Benefits
Melatonin has been shown to have anti-inflammatory benefits. It can help regulate cytokines and proteins involved in inflammation, immune response, and more. This can be especially helpful when dealing with chronic inflammation, such as autoimmune disorders.
Studies have shown that melatonin helps reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in people with autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.
It Has Anti-Anxiety Properties.
Melatonin supplements are helpful for anxiety. It works similarly to anti-anxiety medications but doesn’t have the same side effects. You can take melatonin sleep diffuser to help regulate your anxiety, but it’s important to note that it takes a while to work.
It’s best taken daily so you can build up a steady level in your body. That being said, like, with sleep disorders, it’s important to ensure you take melatonin at the right time. You should take about 30 minutes before you experience anxiety or think it will kick in.
Melamine May Help With Athletic Performance
Studies suggest that melatonin supplementation may help boost athletic performance. One study, in particular, found that melatonin supplementation may increase physical strength and enhance athletic performance.
Another study found that melatonin supplementation may increase VO2 max. It’s a way to measure your cardiorespiratory fitness. VO2 max is often used to determine what athletic training programs would be ideal for an individual. So, melatonin may have the potential as a natural athletic supplement.
It May Help With Cognition and Motor Skills
Melatonin has been shown to improve cognitive function and motor skills. For example, melatonin supplementation has been shown to improve reaction times and sharpen cognitive function. Cognitive function refers to how our brains process and retain information. It allows us to learn, reason, and solve problems. Motor skills refer to how well you use your muscles. This includes functions like movement, coordination, balance, and flexibility.
Melatonin Promotes Human Growth and Development
Melatonin is especially important as we age. While some people naturally experience less melatonin production as they age, others experience a sudden and drastic loss of melatonin. Indeed, melatonin levels are particularly important in children and pregnant women. That’s because melatonin helps regulate human growth and development. Melatonin levels are higher in children than they are in adults. Melatonin is important in fetal development in the first few months of pregnancy.
Overall, melatonin is a great natural remedy for better sleep. It can help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep, and sleep more soundly. It has the added benefit of protecting against sun damage and inflammation in the body. Whatever reason you want to take melatonin, it’s important to remember that it’s better to take it at the right time for the best results.
