Everything in our body follows a routine set within itself. The activity levels during the daytime, followed by the inclination to rest when night falls, and are all regulated by the body’s internal clock.
This internal clock is also termed as the body’s circadian rhythm. The hormone, which keeps this biological clock working in its regular sequence, is called ‘melatonin’. Another popular term used for melatonin is ‘sleep hormone’. This is because it keeps the human sleep cycle in sync and tells the body when it is time to go to bed.
The Suprachiasmatic Nucleus, (SCN), or the brain center, send an indication to a pair of deeply seated pineal glands. On receiving this signal, these glands begin secreting melatonin which in turn, induces the human body to go to sleep.