The end of summer is upon us and the days will be getting shorter. Night will come sooner and people will have to adjust their internal clocks to get used to the changes. Our Circadian rhythms are what our “internal” clocks are all about. They are regulated by our hormones, our endocrine glands that secrete them and our habits.

As we age, we produce less melatonin, a hormone used in our bodies for sleep. When this happens to us it is difficult to get to sleep. Taking this hormone over the counter can be useful if one has fatigue from not sleeping enough and it is recommended that you take up to 4 mg a night, one hour before retiring. This will help regulate your internal clock and put you on the right track again. Some people resort to drinking alcohol before bedtime. This is not recommended due to other characteristics it possesses that can have a negative effect on your mind, memory, and body by dehydrating you for one.

Posted on Thursday, September 3rd, 2009 at 9:16 pm in Aging . You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.