What is melatonin?

Melatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland, a small gland in the brain. Melatonin helps control your sleep and wake cycles. Very small amounts of it are found in foods such as meats, grains, fruits, and vegetables. You can also buy it as a supplement.

What does natural melatonin do in the body?

Your body has its own internal clock that controls your natural cycle of sleeping and waking hours. In part, your body clock controls how much melatonin your body makes.

Normally, melatonin levels begin to rise in the mid- to late evening, remain high for most of the night, and then drop in the early morning hours.

Light affects how much melatonin your body produces.

During the shorter days of the winter months, your body may produce melatonin either earlier or later in the day than usual. This change can lead to symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), or winter depression.

Natural melatonin levels slowly drop with age. Some older adults make very small amounts of it or none at all.

Why is melatonin used as a dietary supplement?

Melatonin supplements are sometimes used to treat jet lag or sleep problems (insomnia). Scientists are also looking at other good uses for melatonin, such as:

• Treating seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
• Helping to control sleep patterns for people who work night shifts.
• Preventing or reducing problems with sleeping and confusion after surgery.
• Reducing chronic cluster headaches.

It may be that melatonin, when taken as a supplement, can stop or slow the spread of cancer, make the immune system stronger, or slow down the aging process. But these areas need more research.

Melatonin is also being studied to see if it can be used to treat sleep problems in people who are blind. Since these people cannot see light, they may have sleep problems such as sleeping during the day and being awake at night.

Is taking a melatonin dietary supplement safe?

In most cases, melatonin supplements are safe in low doses for short-term and long-term use. But be sure to talk with your doctor about taking them.

Children and pregnant or nursing women should not take melatonin without talking to a doctor first.

Melatonin does have side effects. But they will go away when you stop taking the supplement.

Side effects include:

• Sleepiness.
• Changes in blood vessels that may affect blood flow.
• Lower body temperature.
• Stomach problems.
• Headache.
• Morning grogginess.
• Vivid dreams.

If melatonin makes you feel drowsy, do not drive or operate machinery when you are taking it.

During health exams, tell your doctor if you are taking melatonin. And tell your doctor if you are having trouble sleeping (insomnia), since it may be related to a medical problem.

Where can you find melatonin as a supplement?

You can buy melatonin supplements without a prescription at health food stores, drugstores, and online. Melatonin should only be taken in its man-made form.

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise. This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.

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Natural Sounds for Relaxation and Better Sleep

SOUND+SLEEP offers 10 distinct sound profiles that are scientifically engineered to promote relaxation, deeper sleep, and a sense of renewal. Unlike other “white noise” sound machines, SOUND+SLEEP dynamically mixes together lengthy, naturally recorded, high-definition sounds eliminating repetition. The length of the recordings is important, but that is only part of it. SOUND+SLEEP “composes” the SoundStories on the fly out of a library of high-definition sounds, so that the composition you listen to does not repeat.

Chill out to soothing sounds of the ocean, rain, brook, or a cascading waterfall with one-touch volume control. Or drift off to sleep listening to relaxing meadow, fireplace, city, or train sounds. SOUND+SLEEP also offers white, pink, and brown noise, and a meditation sound profile as other options.
Listens and Reacts to the Environment

SOUND+SLEEP is the only machine that has Adaptive Sound technology, automatically adjusting to detected background noise for uninterrupted peace and relaxation. This system continuously and automatically “listens” for ambient noise that can disrupt your calm state. Adaptive Sound technology responds to intrusive noises by remixing sound profiles and adjusting the volume to mask the noise without becoming disruptive itself.
Compact Design with Customizable Features

SOUND+SLEEP has a compact, sleek design that fits on a bedside chair or table. Operation is easy, day or night, thanks to display lights that can be turned on or off and a four-level sleep timer for gradual turn-off in 30, 60, 90, or 120 minute increments. You can play the unit all night or use the timer. The all-night continuous play option lets you keep the soothing sounds going until you’re ready to get up. Three richness settings control a broad range of additional sounds for optimal sleep conditions.
Product and Warranty Information

SOUND+SLEEP comes with a full one-year parts and labor warranty, and a 30 day return privilege.
What’s in the Box

Ecotones SOUND+SLEEP machine, power adapter, and instruction manual.

BEST PRICE AT AMAZON: Ecotones Sound + Sleep Machine, Model ASM1002

Boosting your immune system and fighting infection

Our bodies have to fight off any number of invaders day in and day out so maintaining a healthy diet is central to having a robust immune system capable of fighting off these viruses, bacteria and other illnesses.

 Coconut oil can help boost your immune system in a number of ways. You have already learned how coconut oil helps with common skin ailments like eczema, dandruff and liver spots, now see how it can help you from the inside out!

The primary way coconut oil is able to give a boost to your immune system is through the ingestion of MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides). Since these saturated fats are easily digestible and get transported straight to the liver you don’t have to be too worried about increasing your bad cholesterol while boosting your immune system.

These MCTs are effectively used by your immune system to create antibodies when metabolized in our bodies. Our body’s antibodies are the primary defense mechanism against fighting infections and viruses.

Your body converts Lauric, Capryic and Capric acids which are found in coconut oil into specific antibodies to help your body fight against diseases. The human body converts these antimicrobials into monolaurin which is touted as helping your body deal with bacteria and lipid viruses like influenza.

Monolaurin prevents the growth of viruses, bacteria, yeast and fungi. The specialized way our bodies process coconut oil makes it an amazing superfood that we should not take lightly when our immune systems could use a little BOOSTING!

Due to coconut oils antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial properties it is very effective at treating a number of common maladies. It is great for speeding up the recovery of scrapes and bruises children get all summer long. It is very effective at speeding up the healing process by protecting the wound and destroying the bacteria before it takes hold.

The enzymes in coconut oil are known to kill many viruses including measles, herpes, hepatitis and SARS. The enzymes simply decompose the harmful bacteria thereby neutralizing its potential to replicate itself.

Coconut oil has been studied since the late 1920s when it was first discovered that it was distinctly different from other fats and oils. Coconut oil has been described as the healthiest oil on earth but only recently has it obtained the label of “superfood”.

Coconut oil is extracted via a wet or dry process from the meat of mature coconuts that are typically no older than 20 months. Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) is produced from the fresh coconut meat through means which do not lead to the alteration of the oil. You should only consume virgin coconut oil never hydrogenated coconut oil which is unhealthy due to how it is processed.

Virgin Coconut Oil is slightly more expensive then hydrogenated coconut oil but will yield a much greater health benefit. And isn’t that exactly what we want?
Coconut Oil contains an unusual blend of short and medium chain fatty acids, primarily Lauric, Capric, Caprylic and Myristic acids (more on these in later chapters).  Lauric Acid which is a saturated fat raises blood cholesterol levels by increasing the amount of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL) and is also found in the colostrum of breast milk which provides antiviral and antibacterial properties.

This specific combination of HDL/LDL creates a much more favorable blood cholesterol profile then hydrogenated coconut oil.
Due to the composition of mainly medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) and the fact that it performs exceedingly well with very high cooking temperatures like frying, Coconut oil is considered a better alternative to partially hydrogenated vegetable oil as well.