Melatonin

​Day 15 of my holistic health advent calendar is MELATONIN.
Do you have difficulty sleeping? You may not be producing sufficient melatonin.
The pineal gland in the brain produces melatonin, helping the brain to prepare for sleep.
Melatonin has 2 uses:
Managing the circadian rhythm
Physical preparation for sleep
The circadian rhythm is the method that the body uses to adjust to day and night cycles. It is the darkness which activates melatonin production by the pineal gland.
The pineal gland detects light from both eyes, via the hypothalamus.
Melatonin works by:
Decreasing blood pressure
Decreasing body temperature
Decreasing stress hormones
Decreasing dopamine levels (hormone that keeps us awake)
When light levels increase the pineal gland stops producing melatonin.
Reflexology helps the pineal gland to work at its optimum level to help with sleep. However, melatonin alone will not produce a good quality of sleep. Reflexology can help reduce stress, blood pressure, balance hormones and body temperature.
During a treatment, deep relaxation is achieved and clients often fall asleep as a result.