Melatonin naturally helps control your body's sleep and wake cycles. You can take melatonin as a medicine to help with sleep problems, including insomnia, and for jet lag.Ī form of melatonin has also been made as a medicine to help treat depression.
Your body naturally increases melatonin levels about 2 hours before going to sleep, to get you ready for sleep. Melatonin levels are higher at night and are lower in bright daylight. Its level varies throughout the day and night to control your body clock. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain.
Melatonin is one way to help you control your sleep cycle, but if you are having trouble sleeping there may be other causes or treatments available.Melatonin levels increase when it is dark and are lower when you are exposed to light.