What are melatonin-secreting cells?

Melatonin-secreting cells are tiny helpers that tell your body when it’s time to sleep.

Imagine you have a little clock inside your brain that helps you know when it's night or day. These special cells, called melatonin-secreting cells, work like a nightlight in your brain, they turn on when it gets dark and send out a sleepy signal.

During the day, when there’s lots of light, these cells are quiet. But as the sun goes down and it gets darker outside, these cells start to do their job. They make a hormone called melatonin, which is like a soft sleepy message that makes your body feel relaxed and ready for bed.

These cells are especially active in a part of the brain called the pineal gland, which is like a tiny sleepy factory inside you. When you're tired at night, it’s because these little workers have been hard at work all day, just waiting for bedtime to arrive!