elatonin is a sleep hormone. It is the natural hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain. It is also present in the eyes. This hormone is responsible for warning your body that it is nighttime, and you need to relax by sleeping. Melatonin helps to keep your body calm before going to bed. It is not the thing that makes you fall asleep. However, people with insomnia and other kinds of sleeping troubles will find this helpful. They usually take it in the form of supplements or pills commonly available in all medical shops. Apart from inducing sleep, Melatonin has some other health benefits also as it is an antioxidant itself.

How does Melatonin work?

Melatonin's main work in the body is to inform the body that it is time to get some sleep. Usually, everyone's body will develop high levels of Melatonin during the night time to indicate the need for a bed. For people whose body is not producing enough melatonin levels or those who cannot sleep even when the levels are high, melatonin supplements will help to create the drowsiness allowing them to get asleep. 

Does Melatonin actually induce sleep?

No. It is a common belief that Melatonin is a hormone that makes one fall asleep. But in fact, Melatonin's actual work is to synchronize the biological clock and tell the body to go to sleep. It cannot make one fall asleep. Melatonin is not a sleeping pill. The actual process is that Melatonin reminds your body about the night getting dark and hearing that your body gets ready to go to sleep after 2 to 3 hours. So, taking a pill and expecting to get asleep in 10 minutes is crazy. 

If you watch TV or tablet before going to bed, your mind will assume that it is still day time since there is light till now. The blue light emitting from these gadgets decreases the melatonin levels in your body. So, a melatonin pill can help to inform your body that it is actually night time. Hence, Melatonin acts as an indicator and not as a sleep inducer. Some people will not get enough sleep even after taking Melatonin. It can be because of many other factors. In these cases, taking more dosages of Melatonin will not work. It only makes the problem worse. If it still does not help one fall asleep, it indicates another issue and should be discussed with a doctor, and Melatonin's intake should be stopped.

Some of the side effects of using Melatonin

Melatonin intake can cause some health issues in some people. Some of them are listed below.

• Drowsiness– It is the most common side effect of Melatonin intake. It makes you feel sleepy even after you woke up from sleep. Taking Melatonin earlier in the evening can reduce this drowsiness the next day.

• Headaches– Sleeping disorder is always linked with headaches. It is common in the case of sleep using Melatonin also.

• Depression– Apart from drowsiness, high usage of Melatonin can cause depression

Conclusion

Melatonin is just a hormone that indicates the biological clock that it is time to sleep. It will not make you sleep. It is not a common sleeping pill. Continuous trouble in sleeping even after taking Melatonin should be consulted with a doctor. Taking a high dosage of Melatonin will cause some side effects that are worse than sleepless nights.

 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/melatonin-and-sleep#section3

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/melatonin-for-sleep-does-it-work

https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/melatonin-dos-donts