4 Reasons Why You Should Take Melatonin Every Night
If you're having trouble sleeping, then you've probably heard about some of the benefits of taking melatonin before bed. You may even know someone who supplements with melatonin at night in order to help them sleep. Odds are that if you're reading this right now, you're thinking about taking melatonin, but you haven't started yet. In this article, will give you a whole host of reasons why melatonin needs to be a part of your nightly bedtime routine. So if you'd like to learn more, keep reading!
Reason #1: You Your Body Probably Isn't Producing Enough
When the sun goes down and the lights get low, your body naturally starts to produce its own supply of melatonin. In theory, it's supposed to be enough to help you sleep at night. It's your brain's way of signaling the rest of your body that it is time for rest.
So why are so many people supplementing with extra melatonin? Because in this day and age, technology is getting in the way if your body's natural melatonin-producing process.This is especially true if you spend your evening hours staring at your cell phone, watching tv, or exposing yourself to the bright light of a computer monitor. Not only do these devices produce enough light to confuse your brain and inhibit the melatonin producing process, but they produce the worst kind of light: bright blue lights that closely mimic the natural light of the sun.
Obviously, it can be hard to avoid electronic light during your evening hours. Let's face it; most of us can't wind down for the evening without watching some tv, reading an eBook, or crushing candies on our cell phones. So supplementing with extra melatonin can help give us just what we need to relax into a natural, healthy slumber.
Reason #2: Melatonin Is an Antioxidant
Yes, you read that right: melatonin is an antioxidant. Like all antioxidants, melatonin protects your cells from the oxidative stress that can damage your DNA and make you age prematurely. Specifically, melatonin protects the DNA that lives in the nucleus of all of your cells. This is some of the most important DNA and your body. This genetic code that resides in the "brain" of all of your cells controls many things, including how healthy you are. And if this code gets damaged, it can make you look and feel older. It can also contribute to health problems.
But that's not all. Melatonin also protects a very important part of your cells called mitochondria. You can think of your mitochondria like the engine of a cell; they produce power and energy. And when your mitochondria are working at their best, it gives you more energy. So not only does melatonin help you sleep better at night, but you will wake up refreshed and have a little more pep in your step to get through your day.
Reason #3: Melatonin Has Other Health Benefits, Too
Almost everyone knows that melatonin is good for helping you sleep and regulating your circadian rhythm. But very few people are aware of the other health benefits of supplementing with melatonin. Some of those include:
- It helps your immune system. Some scientific studies have shown that supplementing with melatonin helps your immune system work more efficiently. Not only does it protect against the chronic inflammation which is responsible for health problems, but it also helps your immune system fight viral and bacterial infections.
- It gives you stronger, more vivid dreams. People who supplement with melatonin, especially those who have to take higher doses, report having more frequent and more vivid dreams. This is because healthier melatonin levels increase the amount of time you spend in REM sleep. Melatonin can also increase the frequency of lucid dreaming, which is where you are still asleep but conscious enough to control your own dreams.
- It can help with certain mental health disorders. Specifically, it can help alleviate some of the symptoms of autism, ADHD, and anxiety. Granted, melatonin is certainly not a cure for any of these conditions or a substitute treatment for what your doctor recommends. But there is some evidence that suggests melatonin supplementation can improve the quality of life for people with these disorders.
- Protection from radiation. Because melatonin is an antioxidant, it helps protect against the free radicals created from ionizing radiation. Some studies show that melatonin can protect against up to 70% of radiation damage.
- Headaches. Do you suffer from headaches on a regular basis? Then you have another reason to start taking melatonin on a daily basis. Melatonin is especially handy for helping those who suffer from cluster headaches.
Reason #4: Melatonin Is a Healthier, Safer Alternative to Other Sleep Medications
8 million people in the US alone rely on a prescription sleep medicine in order to get to sleep each night. Millions more purchase over-the-counter sleep remedies and often abuse these medications. But whether you're sleeping pill is prescribed by a doctor or purchased at a drugstore, they are not as safe as their advertisements would have you believe.
For starters, over the counter sleeping pills (especially those containing diphenhydramine) are bad for your brain and nervous system. Recent scientific studies have shown a strong correlation between heavy use of diphenhydramine and dementia in elderly people. Prescription sleeping pills also come with many side effects that are downright scary. You could end up gaining weight by sleep eating, get into an accident while sleep driving, or end up doing other things in your sleep that may harm yourself or others. And there aren't very many scientific studies that prove these medications are safe for long-term use.
How to Find the Best Melatonin Sleep Supplements
So you're probably wondering right now how you can find the best, purest, and most affordable sleep supplements that contain melatonin. Here at BestSleepingPills.com, we've done all the hard work for you. Just check out our review section for detailed information on the best melatonin-containing sleep supplements on the market today.