10 Surprising Functions of Melatonin:
Antioxidative Defense (anti-aging/detox)
Oncostatic Properties (cancer fighting)
Regulation of Metabolism
Vasomotor Control (dilation/constriction of blood vessels)
Neurogenesis (nerve growth)
Inhibition of Proinflammatory Cytokines (anti-inflammatory)
Immune Defense (immune boosting)
Effects on Cytoskeleton (cell structure)
Sleep Promotion (helps you fall asleep)
Regulation of Circadian & Overt Rhythms
[SOURCE: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4334454/]
Now that you know☝...how do make sure you’re getting enough?
Melatonin is produced by your pineal gland, a little pine-shaped gland in your brain. This neurohormone has a wide range of functions that can have a huge impact on our health and quality of life.
The lack of melatonin production (at least in part) can lead to premature aging, cancer, obesity, high blood pressure, dementia, inflammation, immune dysfunction, viruses, sleep disruption or insomnia, diabetes, depression, bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder, dysregulated body temperature, digestive issues, dysregulated hunger and full cues, irregular female hormone cycles and more.
To make sure you have enough melatonin isn’t as simple as it may seem. You may have been recommended to take a melatonin supplement to help you fall asleep faster. While that may work to treat a symptom in the short-term, you have to address what is causing the problem. It is true that your melatonin production, like many hormones, decreases as you age. This is a normal part of aging. The problem arises when your hormone levels drop disproportionately. So how does this happen? Or what causes it?
You may have heard me say this before, but the biggest disrupter of hormones is stress. Stress comes in different forms. For melatonin production, stress can be from jet lag, working the night shift, and exposure to light after the sun goes down.
A few tips to get better sleep and increase your melatonin hormone production:
First thing in the morning, sit in the sun for 10-15 minutes
Dim your lights in your house at sunset
Use the “night light” feature on your devices to filter blue light
Sleep when it’s dark
Create a simple bedtime routine (like brush your teeth, put on your jammies, read a chapter from a relaxing book, and then go to bed).
While I wish I could tell you just taking a melatonin gummy would fix your problems, you’re not going to see a real shift unless you address the underlying biochemistry. If addressing your hormone dysfunction seems complex, it is. You have over 50 different hormones in your body and they all interact with one another. This is why, at Wellness Shifted, we take a holistic approach to health and wellness. We take a look at you as a whole-person and make shifts that make a difference in your whole-life.
Taking a holistic approach to your health and wellness may seem daunting. Maybe you’re even thinking, “All this information about melatonin makes sense and is probably part of my problem, but I need more help and I don’t know where to start.”
If you’re ready to take charge of your health and your weight, schedule a “Discover Call” with me: https://bit.ly/WS-Schedule-Free-Discover-Call. This is a FREE one-on-one consultation with me (Brandi) where we will simply “discover” if what we offer at Wellness Shifted is what you are looking for.