Melatonin And Meditation: How Are They Related?

Among the scientifically proven effects of meditation are those that affect your body’s chemistry. Meditation stimulates hormones that are very important for our health. Today, we’ll look at the relationship between melatonin and meditation.

In addition to improving and increasing energy and peace of mind, there is research showing that regular meditation practice increases melatonin levels.

This hormone helps us regulate the quality of sleep, as blood melatonin levels increase during sleep and improve the quality of rest.

Melatonin is created by the amino acid tryptophan. This hormone is produced in the pineal gland. This gland has been known for hundreds of years as the “seat of the soul”, and in many Eastern traditions it is considered one of the points to which we should direct the flow of energy during meditation.

What do studies say about melatonin and meditation?

The relationship between melatonin and meditation was studied in depth by a research team at the University of Massachusetts, USA, in 1995. This study collected very significant data on the subject.

The aim of the study was to prove the association between the regular practice of mindful meditation and increased physiological levels of melatonin. To do this, overnight, urine samples were collected from participants for detection of 6-sulphatoxymelatonin.

This element is a breakdown product of melatonin that provides accurate data on the level of melatonin in the blood. Previous studies have shown that melatonin is photosensitive, but this study suggested that, in addition, it is also psychosensitive.

Melatonin and Meditation

The results of the study were overwhelming: individuals who meditated had significantly higher levels of melatonin than those who did not meditate.

Another similar study found that practicing meditation before bed raised melatonin levels during that night, although it did not do so during subsequent nights when meditation was not practiced. This suggests that meditation should be a regular practice to provide this benefit.

Assessing the physiological correlates of higher states of consciousness during sleep provided valuable information: people who meditated regularly spent more time in slow-wave sleep, with greater theta-alpha power, and with background delta activity.

Significant improvement during the REM sleep phase has also been identified.

How does this relationship work?

Meditation practices regulate the adrenal pituitary hypothalamus and, as a consequence, also regulate cortisol and catecholamine levels.

Meditation has been shown to increase dehydroepiandrosterone, pituitary hormones such as growth hormone, thyroid stimulating hormone, prolactin and, of course, melatonin.

Melatonin exerts a hypnotic effect on the individual thanks to the inhibition of the suprachiasmatic nucleus, in addition to acting as an antioxidant and immunomodulator. In addition to being an important antioxidant, it generates a pleasant feeling of well-being.

Meditation is a good alternative to increase concentration, not only because of its impact on melatonin levels, but also because of its influence on levels of its precursors, especially serotonin and norepinephrine.

Ultimately, it decreases liver metabolism and increases pineal gland synthesis.

Melatonin and aging

The secretion of melatonin is greatly affected by the aging of people and, therefore, the quality of our sleep undergoes significant changes as we age. Over the years, our sympathetic and parasympathetic activity reduces considerably.

This causes autonomous activation and, as a consequence, a decrease in the repair capacity of our hours of sleep. On the contrary, the practice of meditation allows you to modulate the autonomous functions during sleep.

The activity of frontal midline theta waves, originating in the anterior cingulate cortex, would control the parasympathetic activity.

Conclusion

From all the literature and studies mentioned, it is possible to conclude that the regular practice of meditation, especially vipassana meditation, causes change and has global benefits. These changes have many similarities to sleep’s reparative and regulatory functions.

If, through meditation, we can modify several of the mechanisms that generate sleep, there is no doubt that we are facing an element that can considerably improve our health and restore body and mental homeostasis.

In addition, it can also expand the possibilities of better understanding the mechanisms of sleep and human consciousness.