Are you getting a restful night’s sleep?
If not, you’re not alone. About two-thirds of all Americans complain of occasional sleeplessness.
Nearly 40% of those polled said they wake up off and on throughout the night, while more than a quarter of respondents said they wake up too early and can’t get back to sleep – or had a tough time falling asleep in the first place.
If that wasn’t bad enough, almost half of respondents said they don’t feel refreshed when they wake up in the morning. Many even feel more tired and have a difficult time staying awake during the day.
Does any of this sound familiar to you? Perhaps you occasionally have trouble falling or staying asleep – or don’t feel your best when you wake up? That’s not the way it’s supposed to be.
You want to be able to fall asleep quickly, get a peaceful night’s rest and wake up feeling recharged, renewed and reenergized.
Melatonin is a hormone produced by a pea-sized gland in the middle of your brain called the pineal gland.
For most people, the pineal gland is inactive during the day. It’s only at night – in darkness – that your pineal gland switches on and begins producing melatonin that gets released into your blood.
In countless studies, it has been shown to:
Increase your feeling of sleepiness.*
Help you fall asleep quicker.*
Lengthen total sleep duration.*
Enhance overall sleep quality.*
Restore your morning alertness.*
Reduce normal daytime fatigue.*
Typically, during a normal night’s sleep, your melatonin levels stay elevated for about 12 hours (usually between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m.). As the sun rises and your day begins, your pineal gland turns “off,” and the melatonin levels in your blood decrease until they’re hardly measurable at all.
The amount of melatonin you create and release every night varies depending on your age. Children usually have much higher levels of melatonin than adults.
As you grow older, your levels tend to decrease. Researchers believe this may explain why many older adults occasionally experience disrupted sleep patterns.