Low Melatonin, Hot Flashes, and Blood Sugar
Melatonin often gets billed as the “sleep hormone,” but that’s just scratching the surface. While it’s made in multiple places in the body, the melatonin produced in your brain’s pineal gland is the one that really gets around—it enters your circulation and influences everything from your temperature regulation to your metabolism. Here’s something fun: your body’s internal clock isn’t perfectly 24 hours. It runs a little short or a little long depending on the person. So every day, you have to reset your circadian rhythm—your internal timekeeper—using light, dark, and hormonal cues…
The Facts on Melatonin in Perimenopause
Melatonin is my absolute most favorite antioxidant! She is billions of years old (that’s billion with a “B”) and she’s also a major part of your sleep-wake cycle. Unfortunately, production declines with age, especially in women going through perimenopause. This is a problem because insomnia, which includes struggling to fall asleep or stay asleep, seems to be a top symptom in women over 40. While there are many factors that affect your sleep, melatonin might be a key factor. I often say that melatonin is like the moon and cortisol is like the sun. You make melatonin in cells all over your body. However, the pineal gland in your brain makes…
Busting Melatonin Myths
Let’s bust some myths around the powerful hormone, melatonin! There are a lot of controversies out there that I want to clear up! Starting with the facts, melatonin has multiple jobs in your body. While it’s called a hormone, it’s a powerful antioxidant and has antiviral, anti-inflammatory and heavy metal binding properties. In fact authors in this paper(1) state, “Melatonin has been effectively used to combat oxidative stress, inflammation and cellular apoptosis and to restore function in a number of human trials.”