Almost everyone has heard of using melatonin to help sleep and many have tried or are currently using for this purpose. Many have found melatonin truly helps with sleep. The real question is, ‘Does Melatonin actually promote better sleep? If so, how does it do that?’

Yes. Melatonin does promote better sleep. Melatonin is a hormone with a large number of uses and effects. It is a powerful antioxidant with water and fat soluble properties. It regulates circadian rhythm. It is anti-inflammatory. It has even been found to promote a decrease in pain sensation.

But…

It doesn’t seem to cause sleep. It seems to work by lowering cortisol. It is the opposition hormone to cortisol. It helps sleep by lowering cortisol to a point where you body can fall asleep and begin to heal.

Melatonin has a massive effect on Cortisol. It opposes it. It is the Cortisol Neutralizer.

This begins to make sense when looking at the rising stress numbers in the population. As stress goes up, sleep quality and quantity diminishes. In the previous article (WHOOP Review) I discuss my personal connection with sleep quality, tracking sleep and how melatonin plays a huge role.

The adrenal cortex has been found to contain MT1 receptors, which are stimulated by melatonin. In a stressful environment, it has been shown that melatonin inhibits ACTH stimulated cortisol production. This is huge news!

Melatonin inhibits cortisol production at the level of the brain AND has MT1 receptors in the adrenal cortex to help manage cortisol at the organ level. It seems melatonin is regulatory part of the cortisol cycle.

The Insulin system also follows this pattern of opposition. Glucagon opposes insulin in a similar way that melatonin opposes cortisol. They simply function under different parameters, but with the same concepts.

KEY CONCEPT

Melatonin opposes cortisol. Melatonin must be thought of and used as a cortisol blocker and opposer versus a hormone to put you to sleep. It improves sleep be lowering cortisol at both the brain and the adrenal gland level.

In some cases we look to help people destress at the end of the day and promote better quality sleep but beginning to dose melatonin after dinner. The dosing pattern below can be used to help people calm down in the evening, and is a great strategy for people who find it hard to fall asleep.

7 PM take 1-3 mg of melatonin.
8 PM take another 1-3 mg.
9 PM another 1-3 mg.
10 PM, bedtime, take 5-10 mg of melatonin.

I hope all of you reading this begin to view melatonin a bit differently and understand that it will take time to reformat your stress response and sleep beautifully.