Here are some surprising facts about melatonin you may not know.
Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland under the direction of the hypothalamus.
When the hypothalamus perceives that the sun has gone down, the pink rays of dusk block the blue light waves of daytime telling the hypothalamus it’s time to go into nocturnal mode. Your hypothalamus then stimulates the pineal gland to produce melatonin.
Melatonin usually peaks a few hours after dusk and will stay high for six to eight hours, if you’re sleeping in a completely dark room, in an ambient temperature of 60 to 70 degrees. If not, you will not make enough melatonin to optimize your health.
Did you know that melatonin helps with the aging process?
Yes, it helps your cells age more gracefully with a potent antioxidant effect.
It also helps to reverse insulin resistance.
Every night under the influence of melatonin, your cells get a fresh start at opening up insulin receptors. Whatever insulin resistance your cells experience during the day from inactivity or overeating, or high stress, can be reversed by enough melatonin.
That’s why it’s so important to sleep at night in the dark to avoid insulin resistance, obesity, and type two diabetes.
Melatonin helps to maintain a healthy metabolism by slowing your metabolism down at night.
Your mitochondria, the powerhouses that create energy, need rest so they can make enough energy during the day. If you’re not making enough melatonin to slow everything down then your mitochondria are working double time, become worn out, and are not able to create enough ATP energy.
It also helps support your immune system.
When melatonin starts to rise, prolactin naturally follows it. Prolactin is produced by the hypothalamus and stored in the pituitary gland. Prolactin directs your thymus to program your T cells appropriately so you don’t have autoimmunity and you’re protected by natural killer cells to go after cancer and any microbial invasion.
Without adequate levels of melatonin, your prolactin doesn’t kick in appropriately. High levels of prolactin during the day make you feel like you’re sleepwalking.
Melatonin is one amazing hormone.
If you need more information about this, please join us in our Hormone Reboot Training.
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