Melatonin – one of the body’s most important hormones
How does melatonin work?
Sleep is one of the most important biological rhythms for health and well-being. Having a good sleep rhythm provides the best conditions for the hormones that help strengthen the immune system, improve memory, stabilise the psyche, benefit the vascular system, and reduce the risk of premature death. Our most important sleep hormone, melatonin, is one of the most important hormones for counteracting premature ageing and, in many studies, has been shown to have a positive effect on most age-related diseases. Among other things, melatonin contributes to the secretion of growth hormones, controls menstruation, lowers the heart rate and blood pressure, strengthens the immune system, and has a relaxing effect. The latter can be seen among small children who are completely lifeless during deep sleep, in part due to melatonin relaxing the muscles. Melatonin also synchronises many of our different biological rhythms through its effect on the suprachiasmatic nucleus. In addition, melatonin has a very strong antioxidant effect in that it protects against free oxygen radicals. The brain produces large quantities of free oxygen radicals, which is why it’s excellent that the brain also produces a strong antioxidant like melatonin.
Daylight contributes to the formation of more melatonin
Melatonin is secreted by the pineal gland, which is located in the centre of the brain. The ability of the pineal gland to secrete melatonin is controlled by light. When our eyes see daylight, the information is sent to the pineal gland, which then stops secreting melatonin and we become more alert. Similarly, we become sleepy when melatonin levels rise in the evening when darkness falls. You get the best night’s sleep if you have high levels of melatonin at night and low levels during the day with the help of light. This is a fragile hormone balance that is especially clear to us northerners in the winter, when daylight is limited, resulting in increased melatonin levels during the day, making us tired and lethargic. For this reason, a trip out in the daylight is especially important. A trip to southern climes can also relieve winter fatigue.
Melatonin and ageing
As with most other hormones, secretion is affected by our age. The older we get, the more the secretion of melatonin flattens out and we don’t experience the same peaks as when we were younger. This is a contributing factor in poor sleep in the elderly. But it’s not only sleep that’s negatively affected. Our ability to protect ourselves against free oxygen radicals also decreases as melatonin levels fall. Among other things, it has been seen that people who develop Alzheimer’s disease have lower melatonin levels and more oxygen free radicals than those of the same age without the disease. If you want to give yourself the best conditions to age healthily, you should try to optimise your melatonin levels.
Simple tips to increase melatonin levels:
• Reduce light a couple of hours before you go to sleep and invest in some cosy lighting. In this way, you will increase melatonin levels and become more tired.
• Make sure you sleep in the dark. It’s also important to switch off small indicator lights on various electronic equipment. If you need to get up at night, try not to turn on the light. If you do, the light will reduce your melatonin levels and your sleep may be impaired.
• Make sure to put the lights on when you wake up, and try to get enough daylight. This will lower your melatonin levels during the day, making you more alert. Morning light has the greatest effect, so try to get out in the morning as often as you can.
• Coffee and alcohol reduce the secretion of melatonin. A study published in 2007 showed that a moderate amount of alcohol in the evening reduced melatonin levels by almost 20 percent three hours later.
• Turkey, walnuts, bananas, sunflower seeds, and milk are rich in tryptophan, which is used in the formation of melatonin. Eating these foods in the evening increases melatonin levels.
• Smoking reduces melatonin levels.
• Meditating just before bedtime is believed to increase melatonin levels.
