Did you know that melatonin is really important for fertility? It is not only a hormone that regulates our circadian rhythms (our sleep-wake cycles), but also an important antioxidant that protects our cells from oxidative stress & free radical damage.
Melatonin is found in large quantities in our follicles on the ovaries. These follicles house our eggs. The melatonin protects our eggs. Like our ovarian reserve / AMH, the melatonin here decreases as we age.
There’s been good success to show that supplementing with melatonin can increase success with ivf cycles and increase the number of good quality eggs and embryos collected. Melatonin isn’t so easy to get hold of in the UK but in the USA if you are undergoing IVF you are often given melatonin supplements.
This research hasn’t quite extended into trying to conceive naturally but it would follow that boosting your melatonin levels will in turn boost your fertility, and decrease miscarriage risk (which is often caused by poor quality eggs).
The best way to boost melatonin levels is to optimise your sleep - practice good sleep hygiene such as sleeping in a dark room, no screens before bed, and making sure natural light is the first thing you see in the morning - open the curtains before looking at your phone!!
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