Melatonin. The Darkness Signal.

Melatonin is not a sleeping pill. It is a hormone your brain produces in response to darkness. The way you manage light in the evening determines whether you get enough of it.

What It Does
  • Signals to the body that it is time to sleep — it does not cause sleep directly, it creates the conditions for it.
  • Regulates the circadian rhythm — the body's internal clock.
  • Converts from serotonin — morning serotonin levels directly determine evening melatonin quality.
How It Works
  • Melatonin levels begin rising about two hours before your natural bedtime.
  • Production peaks roughly seven hours after sunset and continues through the night.
  • Blue light — particularly around 460–480nm — suppresses melatonin production. After two hours of blue light exposure at night, melatonin levels drop significantly.
  • Irregular sleep schedules disrupt the production cycle — consistency matters.
What Depletes It
  • Screens in the evening — phones, tablets, computers and TVs all emit blue light.
  • Bright overhead LED lighting — cool white LEDs suppress melatonin significantly more than warm white or incandescent alternatives.
What Helps
  • Dim the lights two hours before bed — warm, low lighting only.
  • Switch screens to night mode or use blue light filtering glasses in the evening.
  • Candles or warm incandescent lamps are genuinely better than LED in the evening.
  • Morning sunlight — strong morning light sets the circadian rhythm and supports stronger melatonin production at night by converting serotonin produced in the morning.

PS. Your phone is the problem. Not your sleep.