Melatonin doesn't just knock you out like a sleeping pill; instead, it works like a body clock that tells your brain when it's time to sleep and when to wake up. It shifts your natural sleep schedule rather than directly sedating your brain.

Your body naturally produces melatonin on a daily schedule controlled by light, with the highest levels in the middle of the night and very low levels during the day. This hormone acts like a master switch for your internal clock by binding to specific receptors in the brain to regulate sleep, while also influencing your immune system and heart health throughout your body.

Your body's stress hormone, cortisol, needs to go down at night so your sleep hormone, melatonin, can rise and help you fall asleep.