Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone produced by the pineal gland, a small, pea sized gland located in the centre of the brain. The discovery of melatonin and the understanding of its role in maintaining good health and vitality is relatively new with research ongoing. But what is undoubted about this hormone is that it is pivotal in maintaining our body clock and regulating our sleep.
Our bodies, when working optimally are regulated by the circadian cycles of nature. The sun goes down and we begin to slow down and unwind from the day. This is because our biology responds to how much light and dark we are exposed to. The light fades, the pineal gland secretes melatonin into the blood stream, and we begin to feel drowsy, we fall asleep.
Sleep
However, for many of us, this natural cycle has stopped working properly and our inability to fall asleep easily has become chronic. From a health point of view this can be devastating because regular and sufficient sleep is necessary for the immune system to stay strong and to repair and heal the body. So, when sleep deprivation is chronic it severely impacts our health and performance.
In the modern world of round the clock living, sleep disorders are pandemic. Those exposed to lots of artificial light, or working night shifts, or regularly flying between time zones, the natural pattern of melatonin levels are disrupted resulting in an inability to fall asleep for hours, continually waking out of sleep, restless sleep, and insomnia.
Pharmaceutical companies have been quick to cash in on this problem and are supplying numerous distributors with supplemental melatonin for over the counter purchase. But what most of the public do not realise about supplemental melatonin is that it has yet to go through extensive studies which most hormones and other dietary supplements go through. This means that melatonin in a bottle is thus largely unregulated, extremely varied in its quality, and the variant produced from animal products can be contaminated with disease. If you are going to take supplemental melatonin, better to take the synthetic version.
Better yet, why not learn how to increase your melatonin levels naturally, safely, easily. Similar to DHEA and HGH (AKA youth hormones), the secretion of hormones into the blood stream is in effect the result of particular brainwave activity. Extensive scientific research has proven that one can modify their brainwave activity at will to achieve brainwave states that are conducive to health and healing. For more information on how to do this please visit:
This article may be reprinted with the authors name and website address intact. Thank You.
Increase Melatonin Naturally and Get Some Sleep
About Me -- I have spent many years in the study of personal development. Diagnosed with leukemia 11 years ago. I used the power of meditation, auto-suggestion and visualization to heal myself. I knew I could do this because I realised it was the way I was using my mind in the first place that made me ill. For four years prior to the illness I had been performing in a piece about 'blood going bad'. I literally focussed my brain on that negative suggestion - not realising that I was manifesting it in my body. This was a right of passage that taught me about the importance of focusing my mind on what I wanted, not on what I did not want. Since then I have dedicated my life to understanding the power of the mind and how to develop and harness that power to positive effect. Our mind is the most precious resource for creating the life we want and whatever way we work it - works!
Related : What is Detox