The Pineal Gland: Your Body's Melatonin Factory and Sleep Control Center
How Does Your Body Produce Melatonin and Control Sleep Timing?
Through the pineal gland, a small pine cone-shaped structure deep in your brain that serves as your body’s melatonin factory and primary sleep control center. This remarkable gland receives light-dark information from your eyes via the suprachiasmatic nucleus and responds by producing melatonin during darkness while suppressing it during light exposure. The pineal gland essentially translates environmental light patterns into hormonal signals that coordinate sleep-wake cycles and other circadian rhythms throughout your body.