The main function of melatonin is regulate the sleep-wake cycle. At night, melatonin ensures that sleep is restful. It also protects neurons against degeneration, participates in memory fixation processes and influences the activity of the immune system.
Melatonin deficiency is associated in the short term with sleep disorders, tiredness and difficulties concentrating. In the long term, lack of sleep associated with melatonin deficiency can be associated with mood disorders, being overweight, poor bone health, and increased risk of cardiovascular disease, among other problems.
Fortunately, there are ways to bring melatonin levels back to normal.
8 ways to increase melatonin
1. Don’t be exposed to screens at night
Limit computer work to daytime hours. You can watch a movie at night, but as long as you can leave some time, at least an hour, until it’s time to go to bed. If you have to go to bed at 11 p.m., the time to start watching the movie would be between 8 and 8:30 p.m., but not later.
Your melatonin level will be optimal if you replace time in front of the television, computer, tablet or mobile phone, with a chat with your partner or listening to music or an audiobook by candlelight.
2. Avoid caffeine
Eliminate caffeinated drinks or don’t drink them after midday if you want to increase your melatonin levels. We all know the effect of caffeine on sleep which, at least in part, is due to the influence on caffeine levels.
In a 2015 study, for example, scientists found that a dose of caffeine equivalent to a double espresso reduces the level of melatonin in such a way that it leads to a 40-minute delay in the sleep-wake rhythm if taken three hours before going to sleep.
3. Do not drink alcohol or smoke
It’s better Do not drink alcohol if you want to increase melatonin levels. Also, don’t smoke or use other stimulant drugs. If you can’t quit smoking, do it at least 4 hours before bedtime. Remember that tobacco, in addition to being carcinogenic, is a stimulant, not a tranquilizer (it only «calms» when you suffer withdrawal syndrome).
As for alcohol, Even light alcohol consumption can reduce melatonin levels.
4. Don’t exercise late at night
Sports are great, of course. However, if you have trouble sleeping, exercising at night is not ideal, as it stimulates your metabolism, activates circulation and increases your cortisol levels, which prevents melatonin levels from increasing.
You should have finished your training by 9pm at the latest. The ideal time to train is between 4 and 7 p.m., this is how the best training effects and performance are achieved.
5. Relax
It is well known that Anyone who suffers from constant stress sleeps poorly. Worries prevent the relaxation necessary to enter and maintain sleep.
A solution must be found that can reduce stress, but that’s not always easy. Learning to manage time and a wide variety of relaxation techniques help ensure that stress does not affect the body so much that melatonin levels are reduced.
6. Increase serotonin
Serotonin is necessary for the production of melatonin. If the serotonin level is low, then the melatonin level will also be low.
Relaxing and exercising promote the formation of serotonin, and above all, obtaining nutrients such as tryptophan, magnesium, zinc, and B vitamins.
7. Check medication
If you cannot sleep well or wake up rested, it is advisable Review the medications you are taking with your doctor.
Clarifies whether any could cause sleep disorders or alterations in the serotonin-melatonin balance, as occurs with some drugs to treat high blood pressure and some anticoagulants.
If you need to take cortisone, always do it as early as possible, in the morning between 6 and 7 hours.
Confirm if you still need all the medications you are currently taking.
8. Take care of sleep hygiene
The concept of sleep hygiene refers to measures that guarantee quality and sufficiently long sleep (a minimum of 7 hours per night).
If possible, Always go to bed at the same time and always get up at the same time, even on weekends. In this way it is easier to establish a regular pattern in the production of melatonin each night, and those of serotonin and cortisol will take over in the morning.
If, on the other hand, you repeatedly sleep too little or irregularly, melatonin does not reach high levels and cortisol remains elevated for too long, fueling stress and inflammation.
Scientific references: