Sleep hormone Melatonin
Last Updated on by Sophie
Sleep hormone Melatonin takes care of our sleep and wake up, melatonin helps us fall asleep and quality of sleep is important for our health.
If the quality of sleep deteriorates, it may cause high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease.
Without melatonin our sleep will be affected so our health will be affected too.
Poor sleep and obesity
In a 2015 Chinese study looking at habits of 1 million subjects, public health researchers found higher levels of obesity in people sleeping fewer than seven hours per night.
Another study published in same in journal Sleep related clearly sleep duration to waist size, sleeping less will increase your waist line.
Your body burn calories during sleep and when you sleep less or your sleep quality is affected calories burning is also affected.
This does not mean sleeping more will lead to more fat being burned. Read how excessive sleep can affect your metabolism.
Sleep and body immune system
Studies have shown that lack of sleep weakens our immune system, those who sleep less than 6 hours more likely will catch flu.
Is melatonin supplement the fix?
Melatonin dietary supplements are easily available and it’s made animals, microorganism and it can be made synthetically also which is cheaper.
Melatonin supplements can be used for short term, however for long term its not yet known what side effects it brings.
I tried melatonin tablets and it was effective but I can’t depend on them and keep on increasing the dosage.
So I was looking for a better solution and I found good practices in a book covering in depth sleep and sleep disorder. I personally benefited from The Sleep Solution
Sleep problem is of two type:
1- you can’t sleep.
a- check your sleep hygiene (chapter 8)
b- Insomnia (chapter 9 & 10)
c- sleeping aids (chapter 11)
d- sleep schedule and circadian issues (chapter 12)
2- you sleep always.
In chapter 8 you will learn how to keep your sleeping environment conducive.
Most of the time the issue is not sleeping problem however is it the sleeping environment and with little change this issue is fixed.
In chapter 9 the book discuss insomnia and how its misunderstood.
Book by W. Chris Winter, MD