Article: Melatonin's sleep and jet lag claims: well-grounded or up in the air?(Ask EN)

Q. I've heard melatonin can improve sleep quality, eliminate jet lag and maybe reverse aging. Is any of this true?

A. Melatonin might indeed help you get better zzz's and it may reduce jet lag. And while other potential uses are being investigated--seasonal affective disorder, headaches, fibromyalgia--it's certainly no panacea for aging.

Melatonin is a hormone produced in small amounts by the pineal gland at the base of the brain. It helps set the body's clock, which regulates your 24-hour sleep-wake cycle (circadian rhythm). Melatonin levels rise and fall depending on bright light exposure. Higher amounts are secreted at day's end, as light fades, ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

 
 
Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!