Helps increase the total sleep time (aspect of sleep quality) in people suffering from sleep restriction or altered sleep schedule, e.g. shift-work and jet leg.
Our daily sleep/wake cycle is regulated by our “circadian rhythm”, the physical, mental and behavioral changes in our body that follow a roughly 24-hour cycle, responding primarily to light and darkness in our environment. The pineal gland at the base of the brain releases the sleep hormone, melatonin, when it gets dark, and suppresses production in the daytime. Older people can have problems sleeping because their melatonin levels are low. Studies have shown that a melatonin supplement can help shift-workers sleep better in the daytime. Melatonin is also helpful for travellers whose circadian rhythm is disrupted by jet lag. Melatonin is non-addictive and does not produce the “hangover” effect of many sleep-aid drugs.
