You should take melatonin as soon as 1 hour to 2 hours before bed and ensure that your room is dark to help promote sleep.
The body also naturally produces melatonin in the pineal gland, which is a tiny brain structure that the melatonin is made in at night in response to darkness to regulate your sleep and wake cycle or circadian rhythm.
Melatonin is not considered to be a drug and is instead a supplement or dietary supplement at least in the United States.
In the United States, melatonin is considered legally to be a dietary supplement and not a drug.
And because melatonin is legally considered a dietary supplement in the United States and not a drug, melatonin in the United States is not subject to the same strict regulation and approval process by the FDA or Food and Drug Administration as over the counter medications and prescription medications are.
Although in many other countries including the United Kingdom, most of Europe and Australia, melatonin is classified and regulated as a medication or a prescription only medicine.
In the United States, melatonin supplements are not approved by the FDA for specific medical uses, safety or efficacy before they are sold.
And due to the lack of stringent oversight in the United States, studies have found that the actual melatonin content in some products can also vary widely from the amount that is listed on the label and some might even contain contaminants.
And because melatonin is treated and classified as a medication in many other countries, the use of melatonin in those other countries is more often under the supervision of a specialist or doctor.
But in the United States, melatonin is available widely over the counter, although doctors still recommended consulting them before using it, especially when using melatonin long term or when used in children.
Melatonin acts as a hormone in the body and is a pharmacological agent, and it's legal status and regulation also vary globally, which lead to different classifications as a supplement versus a drug and medicine.
Melatonin is also naturally made in the body and sometimes you might need supplemental melatonin when the body is not producing enough of it for you to sleep properly.
The body naturally produces melatonin in the pineal gland, which is a tiny brain structure that the melatonin is made in at night in response to darkness to regulate your sleep and wake cycle or circadian rhythm.
Light suppresses the production of melatonin in the pineal gland and low light and darkness trigger the release of melatonin which signals the body to prepare for rest, with levels of the melatonin peaking in the middle of the night.
The melatonin production process involves light sensing, signal to the Pineal gland, synthesis, release and circadian rhythm.
The eyes detect light and send signals to a part of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, which is your internal clock.
During the day, the light tells the suprachiasmatic nucleus to stop melatonin production, and then as darkness falls, the suprachiasmatic nucleus signals your pineal gland to start making melatonin again.
The pineal gland synthesizes the melatonin from the amino acid tryptophan.
Melatonin is then released into your bloodstream and cerebrospinal fluid and acts as a chemical messenger, which tells the body that it's time to relax and get ready to sleep.
The process creates a daily rhythm, with high melatonin at night and low levels of melatonin during the day, which helps the body maintain it's sleep and wake cycle.
Darkness is essential for triggering the production of melatonin, and longer nights like in the winter can increase the melatonin secretion.
And bright light, especially before bed can significantly inhibit the melatonin release.