What is melatonin? Complete guide

Imagine that every night is a battle to fall asleep, and the stress of the day translates into worry and restlessness that seems to have no end.

Did you know that increasing melatonin production naturally could be the solution?

Read on to discover how producing the right amount of melatonin naturally can help you reduce anxiety and improve your rest.

What is melatonin and how does it work?

Melatonin is a hormone produced in the pineal gland located in your brain. Its main function is to regulate the sleep cycle, which is part of a 24-hour biological clock known as the circadian rhythm .

When night falls, your body increases the production of melatonin to make you feel sleepy and ready to go to sleep. Throughout the night, it gradually decreases until in the morning, cortisol takes over to wake you up. In this way, melatonin and cortisol have an inverse relationship.

Melatonin, stress and excessive worry: what is the relationship?

Stress is an immediate, reactive response to a threat. As long as it doesn't take over your entire day, it's a normal response. The source is usually identifiable and has a deadline, such as an exam, organizing an event, etc.

Excessive worry is more anticipatory and is related to fear of possible future threats, living in a constant “what if.” “What if things go wrong?” “What if something unexpected happens?”

Furthermore, they are related since when a person faces constant stress, it is common for them to develop excessive worry and negative anticipation.

They have an effect on the body by releasing hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline, noradrenaline… And as we mentioned before, these hormones are antagonistic to melatonin, because they activate the sympathetic nervous system, the action system. However, melatonin is related to the parasympathetic nervous system, which relaxes you and prepares you for sleep.

How does melatonin help calm the mind?

Because of this inverse relationship between cortisol, which prepares you for action, producing the optimal amount of melatonin naturally will allow your body to relax, positively impacting your stress and worry levels.

By improving the quality of your sleep with melatonin, you will feel much better.

Melatonin for sleep: is it effective for insomnia?

Faced with this situation, many people resort to taking melatonin. However, prolonged use could affect our body's ability to produce it naturally. So, even if it is effective, it can gradually reduce your ability to do so naturally.

Natural melatonin or sleep supplements?

That's why at Baïa we're committed to helping your body produce it naturally. The most important thing and the basis of everything are habits:

1. Spend time outdoors and get natural light . Especially during times of the year when there are fewer daylight hours. If you have the opportunity, work outside or near a window. On weekends, swap a couple of hours from television to a walk in the open air.

1. Avoid screens 2 hours before bedtime. Your body produces melatonin when night falls, so using screens that emit large amounts of blue light can prevent its production.

1. Take your last shower 3 hours before bedtime. As night falls, our body's natural temperature drops. Taking a very hot shower or bath can go against your body's natural temperature and prevent melatonin production.

1. Eat dinner 2-3 hours before going to bed. Digestion consumes a lot of energy and we are diurnal beings. So at night, our body goes into repair mode. If there is still a lot of food to digest, it can make it difficult to sleep.

1. Review your personal relationships. Having toxic relationships at work or in your personal life can be a great source of both stress and anxiety. If you think this may be your case, don't hesitate to consult a professional.