Normally, melatonin becomes active as soon as darkness sets in - and then triggers important nocturnal regeneration processes. "Melatonin levels reach their maximum between three and four o'clock," explains Professor Dr. Peter Young, Director of the Department of Sleep Medicine and Neuromuscular Diseases at the University of Münster. "Towards the end of the second half of the night, it drops again continuously. Then waking up begins."

The hormone controls our sleep-wake rhythm and ensures that the body stays in sync. Unfortunately, it can also give us a little low mood at night - which is why problems seem much more serious when you lie awake for a long time than during the day.

Dementia risk: sleep disorders

Melatonin - incidentally also an effective antioxidant - became known as a remedy for jet lag. However, the hormone has much more important functions. According to the latest research, sleep disorders can at worst lead to dementia, as Prof. Young confirms. This is because the brain's nocturnal "cleansing process" can no longer run smoothly.

Retarded melatonin: renews sleep patterns

Studies have now shown: If you take melatonin as a sustained-release tablet regularly at the same time before going to bed, the active ingredient is delayed and released slowly. This allows the natural sleep pattern to be gently restored. After just three weeks of treatment, the quality of sleep improved significantly in the test subjects. Retarded melatonin even managed to improve the natural sleep patterns of patients with mild to moderate dementia to such an extent that thinking and memory were significantly enhanced.

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