November 19, 2025 Merike Pulk

Melatonin- a Natural Helper of Quality Sleep

The National Institutes of Health sleep expert Dr. Marishka Brown: “Sleep is not a luxury – it’s a biological necessity.” This statement makes you nod along, because quality sleep is one of the foundations of our health, along with a healthy diet and an active lifestyle. Sufficient and high-quality night’s sleep is extremely important for optimal brain function, physical recovery and emotional regulation. Sleep helps consolidate memories, improves mood and concentration, supports the immune system and reduces the risk of serious health problems, such as heart disease and diabetes. Sufficient sleep is also necessary for the healthy development of children and adolescents.

We believe that awareness of the need for sleep for our mental and physical health is high. Yet many people suffer from sleep deprivation, either because they take advantage of sleep time to do activities that they couldn’t do during the day or because they suffer from various sleep disorders.

The results of the 2022 Estonian Population Mental Health Survey (RVTU) showed that nearly 29% of all study participants slept less than the minimum recommended sleep time for adults (6.5 hours) on weekdays. The 2023 children's mental health survey showed that 33% of 8-12 year-old children slept less than the minimum recommended sleep time on school days.

One of the central components of quality sleep is the hormone melatonin, which is synthesized in the pineal gland and is responsible for our biological circadian rhythm. Although the body synthesizes melatonin itself, quality sleep can be supported with natural melatonin supplements if it is disturbed for some reason.

What is Melatonin and How Does It Work in Our Body

Let's take a closer look at what melatonin is and how it works in our body. Melatonin, popularly known as the sleep hormone, is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain. Melatonin helps regulate the body's natural sleep-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm, which repeats itself approximately every 24 hours. Melatonin production increases in the dark and decreases in light, which is why melatonin levels are highest at night and lowest during the day.

Melatonin doesn't put a person to sleep directly, but it signals the body that it's time to calm down and prepare for sleep. It affects the hypothalamus, which lowers body temperature, blood pressure, and slows metabolism, helping the body enter a state of rest.

Melatonin also makes the retina of the eye less sensitive to light, which promotes relaxation and sleep. When the amount of light increases in the morning, melatonin production decreases and the body wakes up naturally. In this way, melatonin helps to keep the body's biological rhythm in balance and ensures deep, restorative sleep.

What Affects the Production of Melatonin in The Body?

It is now known that melatonin is a hormone that regulates the body's natural circadian rhythm, the production of which is primarily controlled by light and darkness. In addition to these, other factors also affect the production of melatonin to a greater or lesser extent. Let's look at some of them:

Age – As you get older, the body’s production of melatonin decreases. Melatonin levels peak in childhood and then drop significantly after puberty.
Caffeine and alcohol – can inhibit melatonin production.
Nutrition – an amino acid obtained through food (nuts and seeds, bananas, avocados), from which the body first produces serotonin and then melatonin.
Vitamins and minerals – vitamin B6, folic acid, magnesium and zinc support melatonin production.
Stress – high levels of stress trigger the release of the stress hormone cortisol, which can inhibit melatonin synthesis.
Night work – disrupts the body’s natural circadian rhythm.

Exposure to artificial light, especially blue light from electronic devices, can signal the brain to reduce melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep. Experts recommend avoiding looking at electronic devices at least 1 hour before bedtime, some even 2–3 hours.

Meet ICONFIT melatonin here

Sleep Stages – What Actually Happens at Night

Sleep is not one long, consistent state – our body moves through different sleep stages throughout the night, which repeat 4–6 times. One cycle lasts about 90–110 minutes and each stage serves a specific purpose.

NREM sleep – restful and restorative sleep (about 75% of the night)

NREM sleep is divided into three stages:

N1 – light sleep: the initial stage when the body and brain start to calm down and you are still easy to wake up.
N2 – stable sleep: the brain works more slowly and starts to process information learned during the day – this is the stage where the brain “stores” memories.
N3 – deep sleep: the most restorative stage, where the body repairs tissues, builds muscle and strengthens the immune system. This is the stage from which it is difficult to wake up – if you wake up now, you will feel groggy and tired.

REM sleep – the phase of dreams and brain activity (about 25% of the night)

About 90 minutes after falling asleep, REM sleep begins, where the brain is almost as active as when awake.

This is the time when we dream.
The brain processes emotions, strengthens memory and improves creativity.

Throughout the night, REM periods become longer and longer, while the proportion of deep sleep decreases – which is why we dream more in the morning.

Melatonin’s Effect on Sleep Quality

As mentioned above, melatonin does not directly put a person to sleep, but rather signals the body that it is time to calm down and prepare for sleep. Generally, a healthy person’s body produces enough melatonin to fall asleep on its own. When melatonin production is disrupted (for example, due to light, late screen time, or jet lag), melatonin taken as a supplement can restore a normal sleep cycle and improve sleep quality by helping to accelerate sleep onset and supporting the cyclical course of sleep.

Let’s see what the 2011 scientific assessment of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) says about melatonin.

In addition to helping you fall asleep, melatonin can improve the quality of REM sleep, which plays an important role in brain function, metabolism, and the immune system. A 2004 study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism evaluated the effects of melatonin as a dietary supplement in patients with disturbed REM sleep. Melatonin was administered at a dose of 3 mg between 10:00 PM and 11:00 PM for four weeks. The results showed that melatonin significantly improved the duration and quality of REM sleep. The proportion of REM sleep increased from 14.7% → 17.8%. During this time, daytime well-being and global clinical assessment also improved.

Sleep Hygiene – the Foundation of Quality Sleep

We know what sleep is and what hygiene is, but what exactly does sleep hygiene mean? Sleep hygiene refers to habits and environmental conditions that contribute to deep and restorative sleep. This includes both the physical environment of the bedroom and the daytime and evening routines that prepare the body and mind for rest. When sleep hygiene is in place, falling asleep becomes easier, sleep at night becomes deeper, and waking up in the morning becomes easier.

Key principles of sleep hygiene:

Consistency. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. A regular sleep schedule helps your body achieve its natural circadian rhythm.
Screen-free time before bed. Avoid looking at your phone, computer, and TV for at least 30–60 minutes before bed. The blue light from screens reduces melatonin production.
Last meal. Eat dinner at least 2–3 hours before bed to give your digestion time to settle.
Coffee and caffeinated drinks. Avoid caffeinated drinks after lunch, or about 6–8 hours before bed.
Alcohol. Don’t drink alcohol before bed. While alcohol may make you sleepy at first, it disrupts later sleep and reduces the quality of deep sleep and REM sleep.
Calming evening routine. Create a habit of taking time out about an hour before bed – read, take a warm bath, or listen to calming music.
Dark environment. Sleep in a cool (around 18–20°C), dark, and quiet place.

Taking Melatonin – When and How Much?

Most people’s bodies produce enough melatonin to fall asleep on their own. Taking melatonin as a supplement can be beneficial for those who experience short-term insomnia, want to adjust to jet lag, work nights, or are night owls who want to bring their bedtime earlier.

If you want to support your body in achieving restful and quality sleep, then ICONFIT’s Good Sleep Capsules are here to help. In addition to melatonin, these capsules contain several natural sleep enhancers such as lemon balm, valerian extract, and magnesium.

Meet ICONFIT Good sleep capsules here

It is difficult to give a clear answer to the question of when is the best time to take melatonin, as expert opinions differ, but on average it is between 30 minutes and 2 hours before the desired time of sleep.

When it comes to melatonin, the saying “less is more” applies, and it is worth starting with doses of 0.3–3 mg. If after 1–2 weeks of taking melatonin there is no noticeable change and sleep problems persist, you should consult a specialist.

Melatonin Side Effects and Safety

Melatonin is safe for most adults to take for 1–3 months. The effects and safety of long-term use, especially in children, have not been well studied.

Melatonin is not suitable for everyone:

Pregnant and breastfeeding women
People with autoimmune diseases
People who have seizures
People who experience depression

Also, consult your doctor if you have diabetes or high blood pressure. Melatonin supplements may increase blood sugar levels and may also increase blood pressure in people taking certain blood pressure medications.

Melatonin is generally safe for short-term use, but mild side effects may occur, most often when taken in large amounts.

Melatonin for Children

In general, melatonin should not be given to healthy, normally developing children under 3 years of age, as their difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep is almost always behavioral in nature.

Melatonin may be recommended for children with neurological disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but this should always be done under the supervision of a doctor.

Melatonin in Food - a Natural Sleep Supporter

The production of melatonin requires the amino acid tryptophan, which is obtained from food – it is the starting material from which the body synthesizes serotonin and ultimately melatonin. For this process to succeed, the body needs several vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins B6 and B12, magnesium and zinc. If the levels of these substances are low, melatonin production may also decrease. Foods that support the body's own melatonin production include turkey, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, soy and bananas.

But here comes a surprise – some foods already contain melatonin. Melatonin is found naturally in many plants (phytomelatonin) and has even been found in wines.

Melatonin from food is absorbed relatively quickly in the body, but its bioavailability is rather low – 1–37%. However, studies show that drinking, for example, banana, orange or pineapple juice increases blood melatonin levels within about two hours of consumption. Therefore, a light evening snack or drink from these foods can support natural sleep and improve the depth of sleep.

Melatonin from food is an easy and natural way to influence the quality of your sleep without supplements.

We will start and end this post with the same statement by Dr. Marishka Brown: “Sleep is not a luxury – it is a biological necessity.” Physical recovery, storing memories and regulating emotions are only part of what we need sleep for. Melatonin, a central component of sleep, is produced by our body itself. However, the increasingly fast pace of life and the resulting poor sleep hygiene are causing many people to lack sleep and sleep disorders. However, we can help ourselves with supplements containing natural melatonin if necessary. It's worth doing because sleep is a biological necessity.

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