That s when you should head for bed. If that cycle is interrupted, however, you re likely to lose sleep. Orbiting astronauts, bothered by the frequent sunrises, are plagued by insomnia. They average only five to six hours of shuteye for every day in space. Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland, a little cone-shaped structure in the brain that releases the hormone into the bloodstream.
Light puts the brakes on production.
After that, production starts to decline, and it s essentially switched off when you wake up. The longer the night, the more melatonin will be secreted. Under the Influence Although we all have some melatonin in our systems, the amount doesn t remain constant during our lifetimes. Between the ages of 1 and 3, we have the highest levels. As we age, we produce and secrete less.