Melatonin – Should I Supplement?

Another Question from our Facebook page….should I supplement with Melatonin?

What is Melatonin

According to WebMD, Melatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland, a small gland in the brain.  It helps control your sleep and wake cycles. Very small amounts of it are found in foods such as meats, grains, fruits, and vegetables. You can also buy it as a supplement.

Most people that think of supplementing with Melatonin do so because they think it will help them sleep better.  However, my warning is that there are several areas in the body that help to control sleep.  One of the most overlooked and most common are your adrenal glands.

What do my Adrenal Glands Have to do with my Sleep?

First, your adrenals sit on top of your kidneys.  They have 3 major things to do…

• Regulate your hormones
• Regulate your blood sugar
• Regulate your sleep cycle

They are also your stress glands and release cortisol into the body.  As cortisol should be reducing at night, melatonin should be increasing.  There is an inverse relationship.

I wish it was as easy as thinking I need to supplement with Melatonin if I have trouble sleeping.  Don’t make this mistake.  You really have to find out what is causing your body to not sleep well.  You may or may not benefit from taking melatonin.  This is the reason why I developed The DNA Uprint, so you can be absolutely certain of what to do and what is causing the problem.  We help patients eliminate the guesswork.  What may be “good” for one person to take, can cause harm with another.  You have to know if it would help you before you consider taking Melatonin as a supplement.