Melatonin

Broader Terms

neurohormone

Facts

• A hormone involved in the sleep/wake and reproductive cycles in mammals.
• Within our bodies, melatonin is naturally produced within the pineal gland, a glandular organ nestled between the cerebral hemispheres, that the great French philosopher Descartes once proposed to be the "seat of the soul.
• No Evidence That Melatonin Is Effective In Treating Jet Lag
• There is no evidence that melatonin is effective in treating secondary sleep disorders or preventing jet lag, finds a study published online by the British Medical Journal.
• Melatonin is a hormone synthesized in the pineal gland and released at night.
• Melatonin is a human hormone produced deep in the brain by the pineal gland, dubbed "the seat of the soul" by philosophers in ages past.
• Because melatonin is a hormone that is part of the human sleep-wake cycle, many people think that by taking more of it as a pill, it will help them to fall asleep faster or stay asleep longer.