Why Optimising Melatonin Is Key for Quality Sleep (and Healthy Hormones)

If you’ve ever tossed and turned at night, only to wake up groggy and irritable, you know just how vital sleep is for your wellbeing. But did you know that consistently poor sleep does more than just leave you tired? For women, disrupted sleep impacts everything from cortisol levels to hormone balance, metabolism, mood, and even weight regulation.

In fact, research shows that women who sleep less than six hours per night are more likely to experience insulin resistance, elevated evening cortisol, disrupted ovulation, and stubborn weight gain around the midsection.^1,2 Quality sleep isn’t a luxury- it’s a hormonal necessity.

Whether you're deep in broken Mumma sleep stage, a busy mind is keeping you up, an important step towards better sleep is to optimise your melatonin levels. 

What is Melatonin?

Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by the pineal gland in the brain. Often called the “sleep hormone,” it helps regulate your circadian rhythm- your body’s internal clock that tells you when it’s time to wake, wind down, and rest.

But melatonin does more than just promote sleep. It’s also a powerful antioxidant, playing a protective role for your cells, mitochondria, and DNA. Fascinatingly, in pregnancy, maternal melatonin even helps establish a baby’s own circadian rhythm and supports healthy foetal development.

But before you reach for the melatonin tablets, let's look at what causes a decline in your melatonin levels and how you can optimise your levels naturally. 

Why Melatonin Can Be Disrupted

In our modern world, melatonin production is under siege. While your body is beautifully designed to produce melatonin once the sun goes down, certain lifestyle habits interfere with this natural rhythm:

• Lack of natural daylight in the morning and through the day.

• Wearing sunglasses during daylight hours, blocking the retinal light signals that regulate your circadian clock.

• Spending most of your time indoors, under artificial lighting.

• Exposure to blue light at night- from screens, overhead lighting, and any bulbs containing white &/or blue light, will suppress your precious melatonin and trick your brain into thinking it’s still daytime.

All of this confuses your internal clock, reducing melatonin production and making it harder to fall asleep, stay asleep, and feel rested.

How to Naturally Support Melatonin Production

Luckily, with a few small changes, you can reset your rhythm and support your body’s ability to produce melatonin naturally. Here are four powerful ways to do that:

1. Get morning sunlight on your skin and eyes.
Stepping outside within 30–60 minutes of waking (without sunglasses) sends a strong signal to your brain that it’s daytime. This not only supports your natural cortisol awakening response to wake you up with morning energy, but also kickstarts melatonin production for later that night.

Doing this before turning on any lights or looking at your phone is best, so in the autumn and winter months when I'm rising before the sun, I use my small red light panel* as a torch and on my face, to ease me into the day (and to gain the beautifying benefits of red light). Then as soon as I'm able to see the sunrise/ morning sun, I'll head straight out to soak it up.

2. Take daylight breaks throughout the day.
Working indoors under artificial lighting all day blunts your circadian rhythm. Step outside for a few minutes between tasks, meals, or client calls. Even 5–10 minutes of natural light exposure sans sunglasses, can help confirm to your brain what time of day it is.

3. Block blue light at night.
After sunset, swap out harsh white bulbs for specific bio lighting that blocks blue light. These are my favs* that we have all through out house. Use orange or red-tinted blue-light blocking glasses when on screens or watching television after sunset, to allow melatonin to rise naturally. You can find where I got my blue blocking glasses here.* 

4. Drink tart cherry juice before bed.
Tart cherries are not only a natural source of melatonin, they're also rich in anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties. These compounds support overall health and may reduce muscle soreness, helping you sleep more soundly.

Tart cherries also contain natural carbohydrates that support serotonin production during the day- a key precursor to melatonin. This daytime boost in serotonin helps ensure melatonin rises at night. Try 1/2 cup of tart cherry juice** about 2 hours- 30 mins before bedtime, to naturally support your sleep-wake cycle.³

The Takeaway

Sleep is a foundational pillar for hormone health, and melatonin is your body’s sleep-wake timekeeper. By understanding how melatonin works and the common habits that suppress it, you can make simple yet powerful changes that lead to deeper sleep, balanced hormones, better energy and the many benefits that flow from this. 

Your circadian rhythm sets all other rhythms in the body. Light it up right and let melatonin work its magic.

*Use code KASEY for a special community discount on my fav lighting, blue blocking glasses and red light panels over here

** Email me at [email protected] to get a special discount on my fav organic & preservative free tart cherry juice

References

1) https://www.ajmc.com/view/research-reveals-link-between-sleep-deprivation-and-rising-insulin-resistance-in-women? 

2) Sanjay R. Patel, Atul Malhotra, David P. White, Daniel J. Gottlieb, Frank B. Hu, Association between Reduced Sleep and Weight Gain in Women, American Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 164, Issue 10, 15 November 2006, Pages 947–954, https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwj280 

3) Howatson, G., Bell, P.G., Tallent, J. et al. Effect of tart cherry juice (Prunus cerasus) on melatonin levels and enhanced sleep quality. Eur J Nutr 51, 909–916 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-011-0263-7