Melatonin levels must be ''just right''
22/11/2011
One of the most effective means of improving sleep quality is to ensure the right amount of melatonin is being created in the body, an expert has emphasised.
Melatonin is released from the pineal gland in the brain and is responsible for regulating the body clock, explained Dr Mitchell Hecht, a physician specialising in internal medicine.
He revealed that low-level light is a stimulus for the secretion of melatonin, so keeping the room as dark as possible when getting into bed is essential.
There is a fine balance between getting melatonin levels right, Dr Hecht told the Times Leader, as too much can create a form of insomnia.
Experts at the School of Life Sciences at Northumbria University recently claimed that drinking a glass of tart cherry juice before bed can improve sleep due to its naturally occurring melatonin.
The participants who drank the cherry juice spent around 15 more minutes in bed than those who did not.
Posted by Michael Ewing
