Wellbeing

Henrietta Norton: The Sleep Hormone

This endocrine hero is the key to getting a good night’s sleep

The hormone melatonin plays a major role in our sleeping and waking cycles, and its production is controlled by exposure to light. This means, as it starts to get dark in the evening or when we are exposed to less light, melatonin secretion rises to assist us in feeling tired, eventually helping us to fall asleep. Conversely, in the morning when we wake up, exposure to light shuts melatonin production down so that we can stop feeling sleepy and get out of bed. Here are three ways that we can effectively regulate our melatonin levels by changing our lifestyle and sleep environment.

1. Get to sleep before midnight

You may have heard of the common sleep advice that the hours you are asleep before midnight are worth double. This has not been actually scientifically proven (although many people do feel better opting for this routine) but what is scientifically understood is the first third of our sleep is the most restorative. To best support this ‘first third’, experts recommend we reduce pre-sleep stress. Simple steps can help us move into the relaxed state of the parasympathetic nervous system by doing any of the following:

Turn down bright house lights, sticking to dimmed calm light instead.
If you find it especially hard to wind down, limit social interaction that can wake you up – such as talking on the phone, writing emails or using social media. Try to do these activities in the morning or during the day.
Relax with a bath or a hot milky drink.
Try the relaxing mineral magnesium or the herb ashwagandha, which has been clinically proven to lower stress levels by balancing cortisol (a stress hormone) and may be used as a sleep aid. I use Wild Nutrition Magnesium (£16.50; wildnutrition.com) with great success for improving quality sleep.

2. Cut out blue light before bed

Light of any kind affects the rise of melatonin, but research shows that blue light has the most negative impact. Blue light is emitted from the screens of devices such as computers (of all kinds), laptops, smartphones, tablets and television. You can protect yourself from blue light by either avoiding those devices (which is not always possible) or by wearing special blue-light blocking indoor glasses.

3. Up your natural light exposure

It’s worth trying to mimic the way we used to live before we had access to modern electrical light. If you are experiencing sleeping issues, sleep experts suggest trying to change your body clock to fit better with natural circadian rhythms of rising with the light and going to bed earlier – including at weekends (this means no lie-in). This can be hard for the first week, but after a while, your body clock will come around. It’s worth investing in blackout blinds to keep all street light out of your bedroom and, as soon as your alarm goes off in the morning, opening the curtains to allow light to flood into your eyes to suppress melatonin production, which will help you wake up. This is why some people invest in special lamps that mimic dawn light.

Henrietta Norton is an established nutritional therapist, women’s health expert and founder of award-winning supplement brand Wild Nutrition

Article by

Henrietta Norton

Nutritional therapist

Henrietta Norton is a nutritional therapist with Healthspan.

Discover more

Article by

Henrietta Norton

Nutritional therapist

Henrietta Norton is a nutritional therapist with Healthspan.

Discover more