Most people know melatonin as the hormone that helps us sleep. That's true. But it's only part of the story.
Every evening, as daylight fades, your brain begins producing melatonin. While you sleep, this remarkable hormone helps coordinate many of the body's natural recovery processes. It supports your internal body clock, protects cells from oxidative stress, helps regulate the immune system, and plays an important role in overnight repair.
In other words, melatonin doesn't simply help you fall asleep. It helps your body recover while you sleep.
The challenge is that our modern lifestyle constantly interferes with this natural process. For thousands of years, humans lived with one predictable rhythm: bright days followed by dark nights. Today, our evenings often look very different. Phones. Laptops. Televisions. Bright LED lights. Late-night scrolling. As far as your brain is concerned, a brightly lit room at 10 p.m. can still look like daytime. And if your brain thinks it's daytime, melatonin production slows down.
What Is Melatonin?
Melatonin is a hormone produced naturally by a small gland in the brain called the pineal gland. Its job is simple: it tells your body "night has arrived." Once melatonin begins to rise, your body gradually shifts into recovery mode. Body temperature drops. Sleepiness increases. Cells begin repairing. The immune system becomes more active. Your body starts preparing for tomorrow.
How Is Melatonin Made?
The process is surprisingly simple. Your body already knows exactly how to make melatonin. It simply needs darkness.
Blue light enters the eyes → brain stays alert → melatonin stays low → you feel awake.
Less blue light reaches the eyes → brain receives the signal that night has arrived → pineal gland releases melatonin → body prepares for sleep and repair.
The problem isn't that we've forgotten how to produce it. The problem is that modern life rarely gives our brain the darkness it expects.
Melatonin Does Much More Than Help You Sleep
Sleep is the effect we notice. Repair is what your body is actually doing. While you sleep, melatonin helps coordinate many of the body's natural recovery processes. Scientists now know that it is one of the body's most powerful natural antioxidants, helping protect cells from damage caused by free radicals, including damage to DNA.1,2
Think of free radicals as tiny sparks produced every time your cells make energy. A few are completely normal. Too many can damage proteins, cell membranes and even DNA. Melatonin helps keep those sparks under control. It also supports the tiny structures inside our cells called mitochondria, often described as the body's energy factories. Healthy mitochondria produce energy more efficiently, and melatonin appears to help protect them from everyday wear and tear.
While you sleep, rising melatonin:
- Supports deep sleep
- Protects cells from oxidative stress
- Helps repair DNA
- Supports healthy immune function
- Protects mitochondria
- Supports healthy ageing
The result: you wake up better recovered.
Why This Matters for Your Immune System
Your immune system doesn't switch off while you sleep. In many ways, it becomes more active. During the night, your body carries out maintenance that is much harder to do during the day. Research suggests melatonin helps regulate immune responses and supports communication between immune cells, making good-quality sleep an important part of staying healthy.3
Poor sleep doesn't just leave you feeling tired. Over time, it may also affect recovery, resilience and overall health.
Why Women Should Pay Special Attention
Melatonin is closely connected with your circadian rhythm, and many other hormones depend on that rhythm too. Hormones involved in the menstrual cycle, fertility and menopause all work best when the body's internal clock is functioning well.
This doesn't mean melatonin is a treatment for hormonal conditions. It means protecting your natural melatonin production is one simple way to support overall hormonal balance.
What the Research Is Exploring
Melatonin is one of the most studied hormones in the world. Researchers are currently investigating its potential role far beyond sleep. Studies have explored its effects on healthy ageing,6 cardiovascular health, brain health and immune function. There is also growing research looking at whether melatonin may support conventional cancer treatment because of its antioxidant and immune-regulating properties.5
How I Protect My Melatonin
People often ask whether I follow the same advice I give my clients. The answer is yes, most of the time. Not because I'm trying to be perfect, but because I know how much our evening environment influences the way our bodies recover overnight.
As the sun begins to set, I gradually dim the lights around the house instead of waiting until bedtime. I try to avoid unnecessary screen time, and if I need to work on my laptop, I often wear blue-light blocking glasses. I switch my phone to red screen mode in the evening. It's a small change, but it reduces the amount of bright blue light reaching my eyes.
One of the simplest changes we've made as a family has been in our bathrooms. Instead of bright ceiling lights, we use low-level motion sensor red lights at night. If one of the children wakes up, nobody is exposed to bright white light that signals the brain it's daytime.
One of my favourite habits is something that has stayed with me since my children were babies. I bought a small clip-on reading light with a red LED for night-time breastfeeding so I could see without switching on the main light. Years later, I still use that same little lamp when I read before bed.
None of these habits are complicated. They don't need to be. The goal isn't to eliminate every source of light. It's simply to give the brain a clearer signal that night has arrived, allowing melatonin to do what it has evolved to do.
Five Simple Ways to Support Your Natural Melatonin
You don't always need another supplement. Sometimes your body simply needs the right environment.
- Dim the lights after sunset
- Reduce phone, tablet and television use during the hour before bed
- If you need to work late, consider using blue light blocking glasses
- Consider using a red clip-on reading light for nighttime reading or breastfeeding, and red motion-activated lights in bathrooms and hallways to help minimise sleep disruption
- Sleep in a cool, dark and quiet bedroom
Small changes repeated every evening are often more powerful than occasional big changes.
What Foods Support Natural Melatonin Production?
Some foods contain small amounts of melatonin or nutrients that support its production, including tart cherries, walnuts, almonds, eggs, fish, kiwi, oats and foods rich in magnesium and tryptophan. While food alone is unlikely to dramatically increase melatonin levels, a balanced diet can support your body's natural sleep processes.
If you'd like personalized guidance on the foods and nutrients that support your sleep, our integrative nutrition consultation can help tailor this to you.
Should You Take a Melatonin Supplement?
Sometimes, yes. Melatonin supplements can be helpful in certain situations, including jet lag, shift work, temporary sleep disruption or some circadian rhythm disorders.
For many people, however, the first step should not be a supplement. It should be asking why the body isn't producing enough melatonin in the first place. Too much evening light, irregular sleep schedules, stress and poor sleep habits are often contributing factors. A supplement cannot fully compensate for a lifestyle that constantly tells the brain it is daytime.
If supplementation is appropriate, the goal is usually to use the lowest effective dose, typically somewhere between 0.5 and 3mg, taken 30 to 60 minutes before bed. More is not necessarily better: doses above 3mg do not usually produce better sleep, and I rarely recommend going higher.
If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication, or have an underlying medical condition, speak with a qualified healthcare professional before taking melatonin.
A Note About Red Light
Not all light affects the brain in the same way.
Brain thinks "stay awake" → melatonin decreases.
Minimal effect on melatonin production → allows the brain to continue preparing for sleep.
This is why many people choose warmer lighting in the evening instead of bright white LEDs. I use lighting that supports the body's natural evening rhythm throughout our home. If you would like to create a similar environment, you can explore our carefully selected red light products in the Seena Shop.
Frequently Asked Questions
When to See a Specialist
If you struggle with ongoing sleep problems, frequent waking, excessive daytime fatigue or believe your body clock is consistently out of rhythm, it is worth seeking professional advice.
Poor sleep is not always caused by a lack of melatonin. Stress, breathing disorders, hormonal changes, nutritional deficiencies, gluten intolerance and other medical conditions can all affect sleep quality.
At Seena, we take an integrative approach, looking beyond symptoms to understand the underlying factors that may be affecting your sleep and overall wellbeing.
How we can help:
- Somatic Experiencing® (SE) with our integrative medical doctor to support nervous system regulation — see our full range of services
- Medical acupuncture to promote relaxation and balance
- Integrative medical consultation to assess hormones, nutrients, and overall health
- Dr. David Berceli's TRE® approach with our mindfulness coach (MSc) to help release physical tension and stress
- Therapeutic massage to relax the body and support deeper sleep
Your sleep journey is unique — we're here to help you find the approach that fits your needs. Want to work with me directly? You can find my specialist profile here.