What is the name of the gland that produces melatonin?

What is the name of the gland that produces melatonin? The pineal gland produces melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate daily sleep–wake timing.

The pineal gland is a small, pine-cone-shaped endocrine gland located near the center of the brain in a region called the epithalamus. Its name comes from its resemblance to a pine cone. Although it is only about 5–8 millimetres long in humans, it receives signals linked to the light–dark cycle.

Melatonin production generally rises in darkness and is suppressed by light. Light-sensitive cells in the retina send information through the brain's circadian timing system, including the suprachiasmatic nucleus, and onward through sympathetic nerve pathways to the pineal gland. This allows melatonin secretion to help coordinate the body's internal clock with night and day.

A common mix-up is confusing the pineal gland with the pituitary gland. The pituitary releases many hormones controlling growth, reproduction, and other endocrine functions, while the pineal gland is best known for melatonin. Melatonin is associated with sleep timing, but it is not simply a sedative and does not replace healthy sleep habits.