Owens, J. A. (2023, May 25). Pharmacotherapy for insomnia in children and adolescents: A rational approach. In R. D. Chervin & A. F. Eichler (Eds.). UpToDate., Retrieved November 9, 2023, from University of Houston study shows blue light glasses at night increase melatonin by 58%". designeroptics.com. 25 August 2021 . Retrieved 26 August 2021. Multiple areas for melatonin use have been investigated, but not all uses may be accepted or have adequate research to determine appropriate clinical use. These include:

Melatonin is a hormone that occurs naturally in your body. At night, your levels of melatonin rise, before returning to normal during the day. This helps to control how and when you sleep. Pereira N, Naufel MF, Ribeiro EB, Tufik S, Hachul H (January 2020). "Influence of Dietary Sources of Melatonin on Sleep Quality: A Review". Journal of Food Science. Wiley. 85 (1): 5–13. doi: 10.1111/1750-3841.14952. PMID 31856339.

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Sugden D, Davidson K, Hough KA, Teh MT (October 2004). "Melatonin, melatonin receptors and melanophores: a moving story". Pigment Cell Research. 17 (5): 454–60. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0749.2004.00185.x. PMID 15357831. Beyer, C. E.; Steketee, J. D.; Saphier, D. (1998). "Antioxidant properties of melatonin–an emerging mystery". Biochemical Pharmacology. 56 (10): 1265–1272. doi: 10.1016/s0006-2952(98)00180-4. ISSN 0006-2952. PMID 9825724. Central nervous system (CNS) depressants. Melatonin use with these medications might cause an additive sedative effect. Hagenauer MH, Perryman JI, Lee TM, Carskadon MA (June 2009). "Adolescent changes in the homeostatic and circadian regulation of sleep". Developmental Neuroscience. 31 (4): 276–84. doi: 10.1159/000216538. PMC 2820578. PMID 19546564.

Jet lag is an air travel problem that causes difficulty in sleeping, fatigue, trouble concentrating, constipation, and other symptoms. Jet lag is much more likely if you cross over several time zones, and can worsen the more time zones you cross. Because of this, melatonin has often been referred to as a “sleep hormone.” While melatonin isn’t essential for sleeping, you sleep better when you have the highest levels of melatonin in your body. However, several other factors contribute to your body’s ability to sleep and the quality of the sleep you get. Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism: Hypogonadism is a condition in which your testes or ovaries produce little or no sex hormones. Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism is a form of hypogonadism that’s due to an issue with your pituitary gland or hypothalamus. Kennaway DJ (August 2019). "A critical review of melatonin assays: Past and present". Journal of Pineal Research. 67 (1): e12572. doi: 10.1111/jpi.12572. PMID 30919486.A decarboxylase with cofactor pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) removes CO 2 from 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan to produce 5-hydroxytryptamine. [42] PLP forms an imine with the amino acid derivative. The amine on the pyridine is protonated and acts as an electron sink, enabling the breaking of the C-C bond and releasing CO 2. Protonation of the amine from tryptophan restores the aromaticity of the pyridine ring and then imine is hydrolyzed to produce 5-hydroxytryptamine and PLP. [43] Melatonin is a natural hormone that’s mainly produced by your pineal gland, which is a tiny gland in your brain. Your pineal gland is part of your endocrine system. The Sleep Foundation editorial team is dedicated to providing content that meets the highest standards for accuracy and objectivity. Our editors and medical experts rigorously evaluate every article and guide to ensure the information is factual, up-to-date, and free of bias. Melatonin was first discovered in connection to the mechanism by which some amphibians and reptiles change the color of their skin. [61] [62] As early as 1917, Carey Pratt McCord and Floyd P. Allen discovered that feeding extract of the pineal glands of cows lightened tadpole skin by contracting the dark epidermal melanophores. [63] [64] Savage, R. A., Zafar, N., Yohannan, S., & Miller, J. M. (2022, August 8). Melatonin. StatPearls [Internet]., Retrieved November 8, 2023, from