By far the most common myth around melatonin is that supplementing with it will cause your brain to make less of it. Taking a melatonin supplement before bed will not affect the pineal gland’s natural secretion of it. However, there are many factors that can decrease its production over time. Aging plays the biggest role in natural reduction of melatonin production. Stress, smoking, and disrupted light-dark cycles all decrease melatonin production. Exposure to too much light after dark (especially blue light), not getting enough natural sunlight during the day, and shift-work all interrupt the critical light-dark schedule.
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