Melatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland, a small gland in the brain. Melatonin helps control your sleep and wake cycles.
Your body has its own internal clock that controls your natural cycle of sleeping and waking hours. In part, your body clock controls how much melatonin your body makes. Normally, melatonin levels begin to rise in the mid-to late evening, remain high for most of the night, and then drop in the early morning hours.
Light affects how much melatonin your body produces. Melatonin has strong antioxidant effects. Preliminary evidence suggests that it may help strengthen the immune system.
Studies suggest that melatonin supplements may help people with disrupted circadian rhythms and those with low melatonin levels to sleep better. A review of clinical studies suggests that melatonin supplements may help prevent jet lag. A few clinical studies suggest that when taken for short periods of time (days to weeks) melatonin is more effective than a placebo in reducing the time it takes to fall asleep, increasing the number of sleeping hours, and boosting daytime alertness. The melatonin signal forms part of the system that regulates the sleep-wake cycle by chemically causing drowsiness and lowering the body temperature.
Valerian can be used for insomnia & other disorders as a sedative for nervous tension, excitability, stress, intestinal colic or cramps, anticonvulsant, migraine treatment and pain reliever. Scientific research has been directed at the interaction of Valerian constituents with the GABA neurotransmitter receptor system.
Evidence suggests that Valerian might improve sleep quality without producing side effects. Valerian is used for sleeping disorders, restlessness and anxiety, and as a muscle relaxant. Data suggests that Valerian has a calming effect but doesn't cause sleepiness the following day.
GABA acts to stimulate or increase sedative effects, and muscle relaxant effects. There is evidence stating that the calming effects of GABA can be seen observably in the human brain after administration of GABA as an oral supplement. GABA can have relaxing, anti-anxiety, and anti-convulsive effects. Improving mood, reducing symptoms of premenstual syndrome (PMS), and treating attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These findings denote that it not only induces relaxation but also reduces anxiety.
