{"id":4658,"date":"2022-10-12T15:57:42","date_gmt":"2022-10-12T20:57:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/?p=4658"},"modified":"2022-10-13T12:53:56","modified_gmt":"2022-10-13T17:53:56","slug":"melatonin-for-better-sleep-does-it-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/melatonin-for-better-sleep-does-it-work","title":{"rendered":"Melatonin for Better Sleep: Does it Work?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Bedtime should be a time of total relaxation, allowing your body and mind to recover from the day\u2019s activities. But, if you find yourself lying awake as you try to fall \u2014 or stay \u2014 asleep, you\u2019re not the only one. Adults in the U.S. are sleeping less and less, according to a study<\/a> that found sleep duration (or the total number of hours people spend asleep) trended downward between 2004 and 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that finding doesn\u2019t just mean we\u2019re likely to see a few more yawning faces in our morning meetings; a lack of sleep can be harmful to our overall health<\/a>. Short sleep duration, which is defined as sleeping fewer than seven hours<\/a> a night, is associated with a whole host of health issues, including obesity, heart disease, diabetes, dementia<\/a>, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those of us who\u2019ve struggled to fall (or stay) asleep know that simply trying harder to sleep isn\u2019t exactly helpful, which explains why a growing percentage of U.S. adults take melatonin<\/a> supplements in an effort to achieve those sweet dreams. But before you pop a new supplement, it\u2019s important to understand what melatonin is, how it can aid sleep, and just how safe and effective it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding Melatonin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Melatonin<\/a> is a sleep hormone. The pineal gland in the brain produces it naturally in response to darkness, which is why we sometimes feel sleepier, earlier, as the days grow shorter in fall and winter. Melatonin plays an important role in regulating the body\u2019s 24-hour internal clock<\/a> (also known as the circadian rhythm).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exposure to light can reduce the production of melatonin, so if you\u2019re serious about setting yourself up for a successful night of sleep, it\u2019s a good idea to limit your exposure to artificial light<\/a> at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if reducing your light exposure leading up to bedtime doesn\u2019t do the trick, you may want to consider these other natural ways to boost melatonin<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n