Description

Melatonin is a hormone that is mainly produced by the brain in the pineal gland. The body produces it from serotonin, whereby the synthesis is inhibited by light. Only when it gets dark during the night does the melatonin concentration increase by a factor of up to twelve. This is true for young people; for older people, the concentration often only increases by a factor of up to three. The maximum is reached around 3 am, after which the concentration drops again. During the day, little melatonin circulates in the blood.