Researchers have determined that when the sun sets, the body's melatonin level begins to rise. At dawn, the body's melatonin begins to drop again.
Humans produce five times more melatonin at night then during the day.
It seems that our bodies produce less melatonin with age. Many people have reported lighter sleep patterns when they reach middle age. Scientists have hypothesized that the cells within the pineal gland decrease with age, creating a shortage of melatonin. Maximum levels are found before puberty, from then on steadily declining throughout adulthood. Melatonin also traps, deactivates and destroys free radicals, becoming a powerful anti-oxidant.