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something found on a medical news post: It isn't just about how much melatonin is in your body, it's about when your body releases it. Melatonin levels rise and fall every day in synch with light. So, if you were to try taking melatonin to help with sleep, it is very important that you take it at the same time every day, or not take it at all on a particular day if it gets too late. Melatonin sends a chemical signal that lets systems all over the body know what time it is. The master clock that releases melatonin is the pineal gland in the brain. If it cannot detect light then the body can run out-of-sync with the day. CNN did a special a few years ago on sleep/wake rhythms, and melatonin was prominently featured. One of the people CNN interviewed was blind, a stand-up comedian who lost her sight in adulthood. She was taking melatonin in some kind of study, and it made a huge difference to her. What surprised me was when she said that being out-of-sync with normal day/night cycles was a bigger problem (for her) than blindness was. The name of that CNN medical special was "Rhythm and Blues", in case that helps anyone find more information. The take-home message is that for melatonin, timing is everything. (A reasonable time to take it would be between 8pm and 9pm.) Best Wishes Bob Yazz from Ron <[log in to unmask]> Ronald F. Vetter