Melatonin. Essential sleep hormone

Melatonin is produced in humans both naturally and enters the body with food. This sleep hormone is called the source of youth and longevity. It is necessary for proper functioning, since it not only controls natural biorhythms, but is also a powerful antioxidant that eliminates free radicals.

Why can't you do without melatonin?

The hormone promotes sound sleep, during which the body’s cells are renewed and “repaired.” Melatonin is capable of:

ensure the proper functioning of the endocrine system;
reduce the rate of aging;
help the human body adapt to changing time zones;
support the immune system, preventing the development of serious diseases;
fight free radicals that destroy cell membranes;
reduce the level of nervous excitement during stress and depression;
normalize blood pressure and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
protect brain cells from destruction.

If the amount of this hormone is insufficient, human aging accelerates, the skin fades, excess fat begins to be deposited, and the risk of cancer, especially breast cancer, increases. Of course, these dangerous phenomena are usually caused by a combination of negative factors, but a lack of sleep hormone increases the risk of their occurrence significantly.

Do not confuse melatonin and melanin. The latter is a pigment found in skin cells and protects the body from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation.

It is impossible to accumulate the hormone melatonin for future use, so regular quality sleep and good nutrition are important.

Where does this vital hormone come from?

Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland. First, sunlight acts on an amino acid called tryptophan, converting it into serotonin. And then, based on serotonin, a useful hormone is produced at night. But it is not correct to think that melatonin is produced only at night. During daylight hours, this process also occurs, but very slowly. And this amount is clearly not enough for health.

But not only the pineal gland produces the hormone of health and longevity. Cells of other organs are also connected to the production:

digestion;
breathing;
excretory and circulatory systems.

It is they who are able to synthesize the hormone during the daytime. But the main section - the pineal gland - is capable of normal production only during sleep. In this case, certain conditions must be observed. In order to saturate the body with valuable hormones, a person should sleep only in the dark.

The increase and decrease in the concentration of the hormone depends on the number of light impulses entering the brain through the retina of the organs of vision. This value increases with the onset of darkness. During sleep, the pineal gland synthesizes more than seventy percent of the melatonin necessary for life. It is important that sleep occurs no later than midnight, because from zero to four in the morning is the best period for the pineal gland to produce melatonin.

For health, an adult requires 30 mcg of this valuable substance per day. Sleeping at night allows you to meet this standard. But if you spend this period awake, or take a nap in the light, then two nights of “dark” sleep will be needed to replenish.

How else can you get a valuable substance?

Additionally, some foods saturate us with the hormone. In finished form, it is found in tomatoes, parsley, bananas, corn, carrots, figs, raisins, Hercules porridge, and rice. But some foods contain elements necessary for the synthesis of melatonin.

What else should be included in your diet to prolong youth:

The production of melatonin in the human body is reduced not only by exposure to light. Smoking, drinking alcohol, coffee, and some medications, such as paracetomol, beta-blockers, sleeping pills and antidepressants, have a negative effect on synthesis. Night parties with alcohol consumption are a sure way to ensure premature aging.

How to increase the level of a beneficial hormone?

With an optimal regimen of rest and rest, a person naturally produces melatonin and protects against the unpleasant symptoms of early old age. What needs to be done to ensure that the level of the beneficial hormone does not decrease:

Go to bed before midnight.
If you are forced to sleep during the day, for example, after a night shift, close the windows with thick curtains or wear a special mask.
Turn off the TV, computer and other sources of light and noise.
When relaxing in the evening, minimize the brightness of lighting.
When working in shifts, choose the option every three days to allow the body to recover at night. This is especially true for women.
Include foods that stimulate melatonin production in your diet.

Thick curtains on the windows and sleep masks are necessary for residents of the northern regions during white nights, as well as for those who permanently live in megacities. The bright rays of advertising banners can negatively affect the synthesis of a valuable hormone.

The lack of melatonin in young people is practically not felt, but as you age, you need to monitor the regimen especially carefully. To improve hormone production after forty, it is worth taking special pharmacological drugs and dietary supplements. You should choose them on the recommendation of a doctor, since such drugs have contraindications. Thus, they should not be used by pregnant women, people with allergies and children.

Such medications and dietary supplements will support people who are forced to work at night or fly to another country with a change in time zones. They are sometimes recommended as a mild remedy for insomnia and during the polar day in the Far North.

We often say that when it comes to improving children's sleep, mothers simply need help. But in fact, any mother already has one assistant - this melatonin. Due to its close relationship with sleep, melatonin is called sleep hormone. Let's figure out what role this useful substance plays in normalizing children's (and non-children's) rest.

What is melatonin - the sleep hormone?

First of all, melatonin is a hormone whose synthesis is established approximately by the third month of the child’s life. It is produced into the blood cyclically, according to the daily rhythm of day and night. The production of melatonin is influenced by a number of external and internal factors - from the rotation of the earth to a person’s lifestyle, but it is important that this is a night hormone - darkness is required for its synthesis. The hormone is predominantly produced in the dark. During the day, the level of secretion of the sleep hormone is minimal. Melatonin, the sleep hormone, begins to be actively produced in the evening, approximately 19-20 hours every day , in the dead of night from 2 to 4 o'clock its concentration reaches its peak, and in the morning it is quickly eliminated from the body, its content in the blood drops sharply and remains low throughout the day.

When melatonin enters the blood in sufficient quantities, all the muscles of the human body relax, the concentration of glucose in the blood drops, processes in the body slow down, body temperature drops slightly, and a state of severe drowsiness occurs. If at this moment you turn off the light and go to bed, you will fall asleep very easily. In children from 3-4 months to 5 years, the required concentration of the hormone, as a rule, accumulates by 19-20.30. Sleep that begins at this “correct” time will be the deepest and most peaceful. Melatonin will help you wake up less often at night, improve the body's rest during sleep and will reduce fatigue during the day.

In addition, if a person does not go to bed in the early evening and remains active, the synthesis of melatonin, the sleep hormone, slows down. And the effect of light on the retina of the eye after sunset destroys it. Instead of melatonin, the stress hormone cortisol begins to enter the bloodstream, the function of which is to maintain strength and vigor in a critical situation. Cortisol is slowly eliminated from the blood. Sleep in this state will be more difficult and restless: frequent awakenings in the middle of the night and getting up in the morning before the person has gotten enough sleep are more likely. It is not surprising that in the company of cortisol it is not possible to effectively restore strength, because it is what wakes us up in the morning.

So, the hormonal system dictates to a person when it is better for him to rest and when to stay awake. This is how the body's biological clock works. And it’s hard to resist them, especially for a small child whose nervous system is not yet formed. Stay awake when the body is in the mood to sleep (for example, late in the evening) - stress for a small organism.

What processes are affected by melatonin, the sleep hormone?

It is important to say that in addition to sleep, melatonin has a beneficial effect on a number of other physiological processes. It slows down the aging process, enhances the effectiveness of the immune system, affects the body’s adaptation to the external environment and time zone changes, participates in the regulation of blood pressure, digestive tract functions, brain cell function, endocrine system, and is a strong natural blocker of malignant neoplasms. The correct rhythm of wakefulness and dreams leads to an increase in melatonin levels, and therefore maximizes its beneficial effects on a person.

How can you help your body produce and retain as much melatonin as possible?

Here are a number of techniques that can improve the body's supply of this healing substance:

1. Find time every day to spend time in the sun (daylight), especially in the morning. Exposure to daylight during the day increases the production of the sleep hormone in the dark at night. If you can’t go for a walk, it is advisable to stay awake during the day in bright artificial light.

2. During those hours set aside for sleep, the darkness should be maximum. It is especially important to avoid blue and green rays, which sharply reduce the level of the beneficial sleep hormone. Such rays are found in large quantities in “white” daylight, as well as in light that comes from TV screens, tablets and mobile phones . If the room needs a night light, then let it shine with warm, yellow, orange or red light. Darkening your bedroom during the day can help maintain minimal melatonin levels and make it easier to fall asleep during the day.

3. You can eat a banana, rice, pumpkin seeds, a piece of turkey or chicken, cheese or almonds at night. All these foods are rich in tryptophan, a substance from which melatonin is synthesized in the body. Caffeine slows down the synthesis of the hormone - sleep can be improved by giving up coffee and caffeine-containing tea in the afternoon. Regular black or green tea, especially in children's menus, can be replaced with chamomile, linden or any herbal infusion that does not cause allergies.

4. If we are talking about an adult, then it is advisable to limit alcohol consumption in the afternoon, smoking and taking certain medications before bed - in particular, vitamins and aspirin, which can reduce the level of melatonin, the sleep hormone.

The amount of melatonin changes throughout a person's life. From the beginning of secretion in the third month of a child's life, it reaches its peak in early childhood - from about 2 to 5 years. By adolescence (puberty), melatonin production decreases, and then remains unchanged for a long time - until about 40-45 years. After this, the amount of melatonin in the body begins to sharply decrease, affecting, among other things, sleep problems in older people.

Many people have already heard about the sleep hormone melatonin. It is also called the hormone of life or longevity.

Scientists are still studying the properties of this substance, but its positive effect on the human body and its necessity for normal life have already been established.

Melatonin appears in the human body in several ways:

naturally produced by the body,
comes with some food products,
may come in the form of special medications and supplements.

Melatonin production in the body

When considering how melatonin is produced, its production is most often associated with the pineal gland or pineal gland. When exposed to sunlight, the amino acid tryptophan is converted into serotonin in the body, which is converted into melatonin at night. After its synthesis in the pineal gland, melatonin enters the cerebrospinal fluid and blood. Thus, for all these transformations, it is necessary to spend half an hour or an hour outside every day during daylight hours.

The amount of hormone produced in the pineal gland depends on the time of day: about 70% of all melatonin in the body is produced at night. It is worth saying that the production of melatonin in the body also depends on lighting: with excess (daylight) lighting, the synthesis of the hormone decreases, and with decreased lighting, it increases. The activity of hormone production begins around 8 o'clock in the evening, and its peak concentration, when melatonin is produced in large quantities, occurs between midnight and 4 o'clock in the morning. Therefore, it is very important to sleep in a dark room during these hours. The adult body synthesizes about 30 mcg of melatonin daily.

To increase the level of melatonin produced naturally, you need to follow several important rules:

try to go to bed before 12 am;
if there is a need to stay awake after 12 o’clock at night, you should take care of dim lighting;
ensure that you have enough sleep to recuperate;
Before going to bed, turn off all light sources and draw the curtains tightly. If it is impossible to turn off the light, use a sleep mask;
When waking up at night, do not turn on the light, but use a night light.

Scientists have now proven that melatonin is produced not only in the human pineal gland. In addition, to ensure vital processes and regulate the rhythm of sleep and wakefulness, the amount of melatonin produced in the human brain would not be enough. Therefore, two components of the melatonin production system are considered: the central one - the pineal gland, where the synthesis of the sleep hormone depends on the change in light and darkness, and the peripheral - the remaining cells in which the production of melatonin is not related to illumination. These cells are distributed throughout the human body: cells of the walls of the gastrointestinal tract, cells of the lungs and respiratory tract, cells of the renal cortex, blood cells, etc.

Properties of melatonin

The main function of the hormone melatonin is to regulate the circadian rhythm of the human body. It is thanks to this hormone that we can fall asleep and sleep soundly.

But with further and careful study of melatonin and its effect on the human body, scientists have found that this substance also has other important and beneficial properties for humans:

ensures the effective functioning of the body's endocrine system,
slows down the aging process in the body,
helps the body adapt to time zone changes,
stimulates the protective functions of the body's immune system,
has an antioxidant effect,
helps the body fight stress and seasonal depression,
regulates the functioning of the cardiovascular system and blood pressure,
participates in the functioning of the body’s digestive system,
affects the production of other hormones in the body,
has a positive effect on human brain cells.

The role of melatonin in the body is enormous. With a lack of melatonin, a person begins to age faster: free radicals accumulate, body weight regulation is disrupted, which leads to obesity, in women the risk of early menopause increases, and the risk of developing breast cancer increases.

It is important to remember that melatonin does not glow in the body, i.e. You can’t get enough sleep a few days in advance and stock up on melatonin. It is important to regularly maintain proper sleep and wakefulness patterns and monitor your diet.

Melatonin in food

The hormone melatonin is produced in the body with a varied diet, which must contain carbohydrates, proteins, calcium and vitamin B6. Some foods contain melatonin in its pure form, while others contain the components necessary for its synthesis.

When talking about which foods contain ready-made melatonin, it is worth mentioning corn, bananas, tomatoes, rice, carrots, radishes, figs, parsley, oatmeal, nuts, barley and raisins.

The amino acid tryptophan is found in large quantities in pumpkin, walnuts and almonds, sesame seeds, cheese, lean beef and turkey meat, chicken eggs and milk.

Vitamin B6 is rich in foods: bananas, walnuts, apricots, beans, sunflower seeds, lentils, red bell peppers.

Large amounts of calcium are found in legumes, skim and whole milk, nuts, figs, cabbage, rutabaga, soybeans, oatmeal and other healthy foods.

It is worth noting that the production of melatonin in the body stops when consuming alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, as well as certain medications: those containing caffeine, calcium channel blockers, beta blockers, sleeping pills, anti-inflammatory drugs and antidepressants.

Melatonin preparations

With age, the amount of sleep hormone produced decreases. This leads to sleep disturbances: night awakenings, poor sleep, insomnia. If the lack of melatonin in a young body is practically not felt, then after 35 years its lack can affect a person’s well-being. Therefore, doctors now recommend artificially replenishing the lack of melatonin.

They produce various medications, including melatonin in tablets or capsules. Before taking such drugs, you should consult your doctor to find out about the dosage, possible effect, contraindications for use, etc.

In America, melatonin preparations are available as a dietary supplement. In Russia, the following drugs are available in pharmacies or sports nutrition stores: Melaxen, Melaton, Melapur, Circadin, Yucalin, Melatonin.

Melatonin: contraindications for use

Like any medicine or dietary supplement, melatonin preparations have a number of contraindications for use:

pregnancy and lactation (there are no studies on how melatonin affects the development of the fetus and child),
severe forms of allergies and autoimmune diseases (possible aggravation of the condition),
oncological diseases: lymphoma and leukemia,
age up to 18 years (the body of children and adolescents produces melatonin in sufficient quantities),
Hypersensitivity to melatonin is also a contraindication, although this happens quite rarely.

Melatonin: side effects

Melatonin is a low-toxic substance. Studies have been conducted which have shown that even in large doses it does not cause harm to human health.

The advantage of the drug is that it very rarely causes side effects, but sometimes the following possible reactions are detected: headache, nausea, morning drowsiness, diarrhea. Allergic reactions or swelling are also possible. If you discuss all the details with your doctor before using the drug, all these consequences can be avoided. All side effects stop after stopping the drug.

When considering the positive and negative properties of the drug Melatonin, its harm is assessed significantly lower than the benefits it can bring.

Sleep hormone - hormone production activity begins around 8 pm, and its peak concentration, when melatonin is produced in large quantities, occurs between midnight and 4 am.

You can’t get enough sleep a few days in advance and stock up on melatonin.

Many people have already heard about the sleep hormone melatonin. It is also called the hormone of life or longevity. Scientists are still studying the properties of this substance, but its positive effect on the human body and its necessity for normal life have already been established.

Melatonin appears in the human body:

naturally produced by the body;

comes with some food products;

may come in the form of special medications and supplements.

Melatonin production in the body

Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland

After its synthesis in the pineal gland, melatonin enters the cerebrospinal fluid and blood. Thus, for all these transformations, it is necessary to spend half an hour or an hour outside every day during daylight hours. The amount of hormone produced in the pineal gland depends from time of day: At night, about 70% of all melatonin in the body is produced.

It is worth saying that the production of melatonin in the body also depends on lighting: with excess (daylight) lighting, the synthesis of the hormone decreases, and with decreased lighting, it increases. The activity of hormone production begins around 8 o'clock in the evening, and its peak concentration, when melatonin is produced in large quantities, occurs between midnight and 4 o'clock in the morning. Therefore, it is very important to sleep in a dark room during these hours.

The adult body synthesizes about 30 mcg of melatonin daily.

To increase the level of melatonin produced naturally, you need to follow several important rules:

try to go to bed before 12 am;

if there is a need to stay awake after 12 o’clock at night, you should take care of dim lighting;

ensure that you have enough sleep to recuperate;

Before going to bed, turn off all light sources and draw the curtains tightly. If it is impossible to turn off the light, use a sleep mask;

These cells are distributed throughout the human body: cells of the walls of the gastrointestinal tract, cells of the lungs and respiratory tract, cells of the renal cortex, blood cells, etc.

Properties of melatonin The main function of the hormone melatonin is to regulate the circadian rhythm of the human body.

It is thanks to this hormone that we can fall asleep and sleep soundly.

But with further and careful study of melatonin and its effect on the human body, scientists have found that this substance also has other important and beneficial properties for humans:
ensures the effective functioning of the body's endocrine system,
slows down the aging process in the body;
helps the body adapt to time zone changes,
stimulates the protective functions of the body's immune system,
has an antioxidant effect;
helps the body fight stress and seasonal depression;
regulates the functioning of the cardiovascular system and blood pressure,
participates in the functioning of the body’s digestive system;
affects the production of other hormones in the body;

has a positive effect on human brain cells.

Melatonin in food

When talking about which foods contain ready-made melatonin, it is worth mentioning corn, bananas, tomatoes, rice, carrots, radishes, figs, parsley, oatmeal, nuts, barley and raisins.

found in large quantities in pumpkin, walnuts and almonds, sesame seeds, cheese, lean beef and turkey meat, chicken eggs and milk. Foods rich in vitamin B6:

bananas, walnuts, apricots, beans, sunflower seeds, lentils, red bell peppers. found in legumes, skim and whole milk, nuts, figs, cabbage, rutabaga, soybeans, oatmeal and other healthy foods.

Everything in nature obeys certain cycles, including humans. Inhalation, exhalation, heartbeat, sleep, wakefulness and the menstrual cycle - these processes are regulated by hormones produced by the pineal gland. One of them is the sleep hormone.

What happens when we sleep?

All living organisms alternate between activity and rest. Without a resting phase, no one can exist. A person will not live long if he does not rest. And the point is not only that the brain, organs, muscles - everything needs rest. A very important one is developed in a dream.

It, like some other hormones, is synthesized by the pineal gland. This tiny organ is located in the brain. The amino acid tryptophan enters the body with food, which during the day, under the influence of sunlight, is converted into serotonin -. When there is enough of it in the body, a person is calm and peaceful, and is in a good mood. When it’s not enough, anger, irritability, aggression or depression appear.

At night it turns into a sleep hormone. In order for production to be carried out in the required quantities, several conditions must be met:

tryptophan should be supplied with food, as well as vitamins and microelements accompanying its absorption;
In order for the amino acid to turn into a hormone of happiness, you need to be in the sun during the day for at least an hour;
In order for one hormone to transform into another, you need to sleep properly.

What does this mean? The pineal gland produces its product most actively in complete darkness. Even turned on electrical appliances (not to mention a night light) can disrupt this process. Therefore, you need to turn off all light sources in the room and close the windows with thick curtains. If you can’t achieve complete darkness, you can trick your brain by wearing a sleep mask over your eyes. Synthesis reaches its peak activity between midnight and four in the morning, so you need to rest during this time.

If you have to work at night, you need to dim the lights. When waking up at night, you should not light powerful sources, but limit yourself to a night light. An empty stomach also promotes healthy sleep - overeating at night harms hormone synthesis. If all conditions are met, it will be produced in the quantities required by the body.

Exercising for an hour during the day will increase your hormone production at night.

Why is the hormone needed?

The main function of this hormone is to provide a person with healthy, sound sleep. It turns out to be a vicious circle: when people sleep soundly, a hormone is actively produced that ensures sound, healthy sleep. However, the benefits of night hormones are not only this; they are also responsible for the following processes:

slow down the aging process;
prevent the occurrence of malignant neoplasms;
make the body active;
protect cells from harmful effects;
strengthen the immune system;
reduce susceptibility to stress;
make a person calm and happy;
regulate cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

It has been proven that among people suffering from sleep disorders or leading a nocturnal lifestyle, there are much more cancer patients. Also, against the background of low melatonin levels, a person becomes irritable, aggressive and unhappy.

Loss of energy and bad mood can develop into depression and other nervous and mental illnesses. This hormone is also responsible for the state of other hormonal functions.

In addition, the level of this hormone affects the formation of fat deposits. The worse and less sleep an individual gets, the thicker his sides and stomach become. And its lack also increases blood sugar levels. This is also due to the fact that people often involuntarily begin to eat more, especially unhealthy, high-calorie foods, if they do not get enough sleep.

With age, the sleep hormone is synthesized worse and worse. Babies sleep soundly and a lot, while older people often have sleep problems. Along with them come health problems. In old age, many suffer from obesity and diabetes.

The hormone does not accumulate in the body, so it is impossible to get enough sleep on the weekend. Only daily proper sleep of at least 7–8 hours will help maintain health and youth.

Where can I get it if I can’t sleep properly?

The rhythm of modern life often leaves little opportunity to get a good night's sleep. The abundance of street lighting in the city interferes with the normal synthesis of the hormone. White nights or polar days in some regions also do not contribute to the normal functioning of the body.

Nutrition will help in this case. Some products contain a similar hormone in its pure form:

bananas;
tomatoes;
corn;
barley;
raisin.

Oatmeal with natural milk will also provide the body with the necessary substances.

In addition, in order for the night hormone to be produced in the required quantity, sufficient synthesis of serotonin is necessary. And for its production you need tryptophan, which is fully absorbed in combination with vitamin B6 and calcium.

Name	Tryptophan	AT 6
Pork	190	0,3
Beef liver	240	0,7
Chicken	290	0,5
Pink salmon	220	0,61
Peas	270	0,3
Oatmeal	140	0,27
Pine nuts	420	0,8
Mushrooms	130	0,41

Calcium, like tryptophan and B vitamins, is found in hard cheeses and dairy products. It is also found in broccoli and other types of cabbage, greens, nuts and legumes. But sesame seeds are especially rich in calcium.

If you add as many foods as possible containing the listed substances to your food, this will help to at least partially compensate for the lack of sleep hormone and improve your well-being and quality of life.

The enemies of the hormone are alcohol, tobacco, drugs, coffee and stress. Friends – sports, proper nutrition and fasting days.

Sleep hormone and medications

If the hormone is not produced in the required quantity, it is recommended to take medications containing it. It is available in tablets and capsules. This is especially indicated for older people. If before the age of 35 the deficiency is not so noticeable, after that the body begins to age, and with insufficiency of the hormone produced by the pineal gland, the state of health and appearance noticeably deteriorate.

Like any other drug, melatonin supplements have contraindications:

pregnancy and breastfeeding;
oncological diseases;
young age up to 18 years;
severe diseases of the immune system.

Side effects

Side effects include headache, daytime drowsiness, and digestive disorders. However, such effects are very rare. Most often, taking medications with sleep hormones does not cause any unpleasant consequences. The possibility of side effects is so negligible that the benefits significantly outweigh the harm.

A number of medications interfere with the production and absorption of the night hormone:

anti-inflammatory;
antidepressants;
sleeping pills.

During a consultation with a doctor, it is necessary to inform what drug is being taken, take into account and discuss all factors in order to assess the need to take an artificial hormone and predict possible risks in advance.

Only a doctor can prescribe melatonin supplements. Self-medication is not only not advisable, but also dangerous.

Prevention of shortages

Of course, it is good that nowadays almost any substance missing in the body can be replenished with a drug or nutritional supplement. However, an artificially produced hormone and one produced by one’s own body are not the same thing. Therefore, it is better to avoid a situation where the lack of sleep hormone must be replenished from the outside. In order for the pineal gland to cope with its task, you must adhere to some rules:

healthy sleep - you need to do this at night, in complete darkness and silence. Before going to bed, you need to ventilate the room, and it is better to have the window open during sleep for a slight coolness. Comfortable pajamas made from natural fabrics and pleasant bed linen will contribute to a sound sleep. It is advisable to fall asleep before midnight;
proper nutrition - the diet should be balanced. The presence of products containing tryptophan, vitamin B6, and calcium is mandatory. In addition, elements responsible for the health of the nervous system: potassium and magnesium will also be useful. If there are no contraindications, once a week it is useful to arrange fasting days or complete abstinence from food;
A healthy lifestyle - physical exercise, daily walks in the fresh air, giving up bad habits and avoiding stress and nervous tension - all this contributes to the active production of the much-needed hormone.

Following these simple rules will not only increase the production of the necessary hormone (melanin), but will also help maintain the health of the body as a whole, as well as prolong life and improve its quality. For most diseases there is only one truly effective cure - a healthy lifestyle.