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Melatonin is a hormone that is naturally produced by the body in the pineal gland. This gland is approximately pea size and it is located in the brain. Melatonin is produced when our eyes start to sense darkness and regulates our sleep-wake cycle. As we get older, our bodies actually start to produce less of this important hormone, and it is thought that a lack of melatonin can bring about age related problems such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and even immune dysfunctions. There are two kinds of melatonin available-synthetic and natural.

Melatonin is most commonly used to alleviate jetlag and help people sleep properly. By taking a supplement about twenty to thirty minutes before going to bed, it is said to induce sleep without the side effects that sleeping pills have. One study that involved over two million people has shown that taking sleeping pills repeatedly can affect the body just as negatively as cigarette smoking. Negative affects include a much higher mortality rate, a decrease in brain activity and short term memory loss, not to mention they are highly addictive. As well as regulating sleep, melatonin can ease the effects of jet lag or anything else that can affect a person’s biological clock (such as working a night shift or staying up all night).

Along with having a positive effect on sleep-wake cycles, melatonin plays a role in the function of the immune system. As the immune system repairs itself at night, melatonin levels are important to make sure the body performs this function. Another advantage of taking this supplement is that is reduces free radicals in the body which can cause cancer-more research is currently being done on this topic as there is still much to be learned about the effects of this supplement.