We’ve all encountered it – that frustrating struggle to drift off to sleep as the hours tick by and the mind stays awake. Insomnia, medically defined as difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early in the morning with a feeling of tiredness, affects a significant portion of the population. Although it sometimes seems like an unavoidable plague of modern life, understanding the mechanisms that govern our sleep can help us find solutions. One of the key players in this complex process is the hormone melatonin.

What exactly is melatonin?

Melatonin is a natural hormone primarily produced by the pineal gland in the brain. Its main role is the regulation of the circadian rhythm, our internal biological clock that governs the cycles of wakefulness and sleep over a period of approximately 24 hours. Imagine it as the conductor of an orchestra within our body, signaling when it’s time to rest and when it’s time for activity.

Melatonin production is closely linked to light exposure. When darkness falls, the level of melatonin in our bodies begins to rise, preparing us for sleep. Conversely, exposure to light, especially blue light emitted by electronic devices like smartphones and computers, can suppress melatonin production and make it harder to fall asleep. This evolutionary mechanism explains why our ancestors, living in harmony with the natural cycles of light and darkness, experienced fewer sleep problems.

How does melatonin affect sleep?

Melatonin doesn’t act as a sedative in the traditional sense. Instead, it facilitates the transition to sleep by reducing alertness and promoting feelings of drowsiness. It can also improve sleep quality and sleep duration in some individuals. It’s important to emphasize that the effects of melatonin can vary from person to person, depending on the cause of insomnia and individual characteristics. Simply put, melatonin helps us sleep in two main ways:

Fast sleep induction and long-term sleep regulation

• Melatonin acts as a signal for faster sleep. When your body produces it (or you take it as a supplement), it “hits the brakes” on the part of the brain that keeps us awake. This immediately helps us feel sleepy and fall asleep more easily.
• Besides making us sleepy, melatonin also helps to “adjust” our internal clock. Imagine this clock is a bit out of sync due to travel (jet lag) or shift work. Melatonin, through specific receptors, helps to realign this clock with the day-night cycle, which is crucial for good and long-term sleep.

So, melatonin doesn’t just make us fall asleep; it also “fixes” our biological clock, allowing us to sleep better overall. That’s why it’s useful for various types of insomnia, especially those related to a disruption of our natural rhythm.

Melatonin as a sleep aid: When and how to use it?

Given its role in sleep regulation, melatonin is often used as a dietary supplement to help with various forms of insomnia. It has proven useful in the following situations:

• Jet lag: Changes in time zones disrupt our circadian rhythm. Melatonin can help in re-synchronizing the internal clock and reducing jet lag symptoms.
• Circadian rhythm disorders: In individuals with disorders such as delayed sleep phase syndrome, taking melatonin at the right time can help shift the sleep schedule.
• Insomnia in older adults: Natural melatonin production decreases with age, which can contribute to sleep problems.
• Insomnia related to anxiety: While not primarily a treatment for anxiety, melatonin can indirectly help with insomnia caused by mild anxiety by promoting relaxation.

It’s important to note a few key things if you’re considering using melatonin:

• Consult your doctor: Before taking melatonin, especially if you have any health conditions or are taking other medications, it’s important to consult with a doctor. They will be able to assess whether melatonin is suitable for you and recommend the appropriate dosage and timing.
• Dosage and timing: The doses of melatonin used in dietary supplements vary. It is usually recommended to start with a lower dose (e.g., 1 mg) taken about 30-60 minutes before the desired bedtime. This timeframe signals to the body that it’s time to rest and allows it the opportunity to relax, slow down, and prepare for sleep, thus optimizing the effect of the melatonin.
• Product quality: Be Natur Deep Sleep Melatonin has scientific confirmation of its effectiveness.
• Melatonin is not a long-term solution for chronic insomnia: If you have persistent sleep problems, it’s important to identify the underlying cause and consider other strategies such as improving sleep hygiene, cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), and treatment for any underlying medical conditions.

Be Natur Deep Sleep melatonin

In the quest for peaceful sleep, melatonin stands out as a natural regulator of our internal clock. Quality melatonin supplements, such as Be Natur Deep Sleep ultra rapid sleep aid, which possesses a scientific study on its effectiveness from 2017, combined with adopting healthy sleep habits and potentially consulting a doctor, is a valuable tool on the path to better rest. One of the problems associated with melatonin use is its insufficient solubility. In humans, 90% of oral melatonin is already broken down during the first pass through the liver, significantly reducing the effectiveness of the administered dose. Be Natur Deep Sleep prevents this undesirable degradation through a sophisticated process that involves the creation of an inclusion complex with melatonin and the use of orally disintegrating tablets as a dosage form, and is scientifically proven to:

• Release 85% of the active melatonin substance within 30 seconds of consumption, compared to other melatonins of the same composition and dosage that release only 1-2% of the active melatonin substance within the same time period.
• Have a cellular absorption of melatonin that is 50% higher than other melatonins of the same composition and dosage.
• Have a melatonin solubility that is 100% higher than other melatonins of the same composition and dosage.

Some studies suggest that combining magnesium and melatonin may be beneficial for improving sleep due to their complementary mechanisms of action. While melatonin primarily regulates when we sleep, magnesium helps create the internal conditions necessary for quality sleep – a relaxed body and a calm mind.