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On average, two out of every 10 people will suffer
from insomnia or sleeplessness at some point in their lives. Aggravated
by aging, stress - even jet lag - few things are as frustrating as watching
your "shut eye" slip slowly away as you pass the night in complete consciousness,
becoming more and more agitated as you count down the hours until the alarm
clock goes off. Free of the negative side effects that typical over-the-counter
sleeping pills may produce,
Melatoninis Neways' own natural way to
help lull you to sleep.
Have you ever wondered why humans have a natural
tendency to doze off at nighttime? The answer lies in
Melatonin.
Melatonin is a hormone manufactured in the
pineal gland (located in the middle of the brain), and is considered the
great regulator of our internal clock. It is responsible for maintaining
circadian rhythm within the body. The amount of light hitting our eyes
determines the amount of melatonin the pineal gland secretes, so darkness
triggers the release of melatonin into our bloodstream, causing drowsiness,
a drop in body temperature, and eventual sleep.
A major trigger of sleeplessness is stress. Finances,
work, traffic, health, and family crises may all affect our sleep patterns.
When these stresses provoke insomnia, fatigue in turn inhibits our ability
to deal with these situations, thus perpetuating the problem.
Melatonin helps ease sleeplessness the natural way. Even air travel across time zones can disrupt our
sleep patterns, causing the always dreaded jet lag. At peak efficiency,
our bodies normally readjust their internal clocks at a rate of one hour
a day, but Melatonin is one very simple way to potentially help speed
the recovery process. The decrease in melatonin production that accompanies
aging also provokes a slowing of our internal clock.
By age 40, melatonin
levels begin to decline, and adults often begin experiencing acute insomnia
as a result.
Melatonin
may help you cope with this decline by providing
the exact signal the body recognizes for a good night’s sleep Be kind to your body’s internal clock with
Melatonin.
Melatonin is a naturally occurring
chemical substance present in most foods, including rice, barley, corn
and meat. Melatonin has also been shown to be produced by the pineal
gland in the brain. melatonin plays a role in supporting the biological
clock’s natural wake-sleep cycle.
Biological production and release of melatonin by the pineal gland are
cyclical, with increased levels at night and lower levels in the day. Some
studies have shown that the onset of normal sleep is characterized by
a rapid rise in melatonin levels that then sharply decline and then remain
at slightly elevated levels until waking. It is now believed that the initiation and overall
quality of sleep is related to this natural rise and fall of melatonin.
Most people exhibit normal day and night melatonin levels until they reach
their mid-20s. Melatonin levels tend to decline with age and by their mid-60s,
many people exhibit significantly decreased day and night melatonin levels.
This may be one of the reasons older people experience difficulty sleeping.
This connection between melatonin levels and the quality of sleep has contributed
to the interest in melatonin as a natural sleeping aid. Melatonin may also
benefit travelers crossing time zones and shift workers experiencing disrupted
sleep patterns. Research seems to indicate that melatonin may offer
other benefits besides improving sleep. Melatonin is also being evaluated
as a replacement for estrogen in birth control pills. Melatonin has also
been shown to have powerful antioxidant properties.
The ability of antioxidants
to control free-radical damage has been linked to support the delaying
of the aging process. Melanin’s antioxidant properties are reported to
be more potent than those of vitamins C and E. Much of the current literature
suggests that melatonin be taken as a nutritional supplement, rather than
a daily vitamin. In the United States melatonin is regarded as a dietary
supplement and is marketed according to guidelines in the Dietary Supplement
Health and Education Act of 1994.
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