Melatonin

Chronobiology and the Circadian Rhythm: What You Need to Know

The circadian rhythm is a huge topic of discussion lately due to a group of three researchers winning the Nobel Prize for identifying the genes and proteins that coordinate our internal clocks. As the Nobel Laureate committee noted, a small mismatch between our bodies and the environment can lead to serious health problems. This makes understanding chronobiology and the circadian rhythm critical to maintaining good health.

Chronobiology and the Circadian Rhythm: The Basics

All living creatures have a circadian rhythm, from the smallest unicellular creatures to plants to even complex mammals such as humans. Our bodies have internal clocks that tell us when to be alert, when to sleep and even when to eat. These clocks are innate but also are influenced by external factors such as sunlight, temperature and when we eat. Our circadian rhythms refer to a 24-hour clock, but we also have cycles that repeat monthly, seasonally and annually.

Why are these clocks important? Consider the event of waking. In the early morning hours, our brains switch from making melatonin, a hormone that increases sleepiness, to making the wakeful hormone cortisol instead. As the sky begins to light up, our brain begins to awaken, along with every cell in our bodies. By the time the alarm goes off or we wake naturally, our body is primed to get up and be alert.

What Happens When Your Internal Clock Is Out of Sync?

Why are our internal clocks important? Quite simply it is because our bodies cannot function effectively without them. Without these internal clocks, our bodies cannot prepare ahead of time for events such as eating and sleeping, which can cause issues with these activities. Disorders ranging from IBS to even depression have been linked to dysregulation of internal clocks in the GI tract.

In addition, our bodies depend on these internal clocks to determine when to perform important repair activities such as DNA repair. When our circadian rhythm is dysregulated, these activities may not occur on the right schedule or even may not occur at all. This leads to a higher risk of cancer and other potentially deadly diseases, which have been linked to jet lag, shift work and other disruptions of the circadian rhythm.

Advances in Chronobiology, Advances in Health

New understanding of internal clocks and the way that they affect our health and happiness have led to a new field called chronobiology. Chronobiology is the study of these internal clocks, including the clock that governs our circadian rhythm.

Much of our sleep-wake cycle is governed by an internal clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus. This area of the brain collects information about light levels and other external cues, using these to modify the timing of our internal clocks. Understanding more about the genes and biochemicals involved in these can lead to new and more effective treatments for the circadian disorders. For instance, we now know that melatonin is an important part of the body’s preparation to sleep and thus that taking a melatonin supplement can help to get the circadian rhythm back on track. Other new discoveries in the field of chronobiology may mean new and innovative treatments in the future.

Modern Conflicts with Circadian Rhythm

While we now understand more about the circadian rhythm than we ever have, modern life makes maintaining a stable internal clock a greater challenge than ever before. People are working increasingly erratic hours due to a planet where the business day never stops. Many people work odd shifts that keep them from waking and going to bed at a regular time. Travel for work and personal reasons has made jet lag a common affliction. Even simple things like daylight savings time can throw internal clocks off kilter.

Light pollution is also a modern problem that interferes with the circadian rhythm. Most modern people no longer live in an area where total darkness is possible. This can interfere with melatonin production, sleeping habits and long-term health. It may even be part of the reason that we have seen a sharp increase in obesity, metabolic disorders and other chronic diseases.

Maintaining Healthy Internal Clocks

How can modern people combine new information about the circadian rhythm into their own healthy lifestyle? While there is still much to be learned, there are concrete ways that we can help to stabilize our internal clocks. Consider the following strategies:

Maintain a stable sleep schedule with the same bedtime and waking time—even on days off.
Expose your skin to bright natural light every day.
Try to create the darkest possible environment at night, using blackout curtains if necessary.
Turn off screens about an hour before you go to bed.
Consider taking a melatonin supplement at night if you have trouble falling or staying asleep.

This Nobel Prize has brought attention to the circadian rhythm and the field of chronobiology, for good reason. Understanding the workings of the human body’s internal clocks may lead to new and innovative treatments that help people to lead a healthier lifestyle.

Caution: Melatonin and Alcohol Don’t Mix

Oct 10 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Melatonin is a popular natural supplement used by millions who occasionally have trouble falling asleep. While melatonin can be effective, there are dangers to assuming natural compounds are always safe—especially when they are combined with other supplements, prescription medications or alcohol. Melatonin and alcohol taken together can lead to serious complications. Alcohol can also impact the effects of melatonin. Here’s how to take melatonin safely and why you should never mix it with alcohol.

What is Melatonin?

Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain. While there are small amounts of melatonin found in some foods like vegetables and meat, it’s most commonly used in supplement form.

This hormone is essential in controlling sleep-wake cycles. When the pineal gland perceives a decrease in light, the gland begins to produce melatonin, which makes you feel tired. This usually occurs around 9 p.m. Melatonin levels will rise sharply and stay elevated in the blood for about 12 hours, or basically all night. Bright light does the opposite to decrease melatonin secretion and make you feel more awake. Melatonin levels drop to a daytime low by about 9 a.m. During the day, melatonin levels should be hard to detect. Night shift work or being exposed to bright lights at night can disrupt this delicate biological clock. Rapid travel between multiple time zones can also interfere with your biological clock.

Melatonin is an effective sleep aid for occasional sleeplessness, as long as you proceed with caution. A 2002 Cochrane review of 10 randomized trials found melatonin is “remarkably effective” in the prevention and reduction of jet lag. It has been found to help you fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply. When used at the correct low dose, it can also reduce daytime fatigue. While good for occasional sleeplessness, when it comes to chronic insomnia, melatonin offers only modest help and may cause more harm than good in the long run. Melatonin will become ineffective when used for too long or at a high dose.

Dangers of Combining Melatonin and Alcohol

There are two potential negative side effects of combining alcohol with melatonin. The first is both compounds are sedatives that cause sleepiness. Combining drugs (including melatonin) and alcohol can cause excessive sleepiness and other side effects. Potential side effects of combining alcohol with melatonin can include:

difficulty sleeping
slow response time
dizziness
intense dreams and anxiety
redness of the face
fast heartbeat
swelling of the hands and feet
difficulty thinking and concentrating

Someone who has combined alcohol and melatonin may have difficulty driving and even walking. This increases the risk of traffic accidents and falls at home.

The other problem with combining these sedatives: Alcohol can actually decrease the effectiveness of melatonin. Alcohol does not promote natural sleep patterns and multiple studies have found that alcohol consumption at night actually decreases melatonin levels. One study conducted by France’s Centre Hospitalier Universitaire found that drinking 256 grams of alcohol (or 9 ounces) over a 24-hour period can reverse normal melatonin production. This results in lower melatonin production at night but higher production during the day.

Combining sedatives may result in excessive drowsiness or loss of consciousness, but some people experience the opposite effect. Some people feel like they have taken a stimulant when alcohol is combined with melatonin. This may be due to the body reacting to alcohol by producing adrenaline.

How to Use Melatonin Safely

Melatonin is generally safe to use to help you sleep as long as you do not combine it with other sedatives. There are no known major complications of melatonin, but mild side effects can include daytime drowsiness, irritability, headaches and stomach cramps.

A dose of 1-3 milligrams around one hour before bedtime is usually enough to maximize the body’s response to the supplement. Using melatonin consistently before bed usually produces results within a few days. You can also use melatonin to speed your recovery from jet lag, according to research. To do this, take 5 mg for three or four days at your intended bedtime after you fly east.

Melatonin supplements are only designed to reset your body’s internal clock, not treat full-blown insomnia or chronic sleep problems. Melatonin should be used to help counter the effects of jet lag, get through an unusual work schedule or manage circadian rhythm disorder, but beware of long-term melatonin supplementation.

When it comes to melatonin, more is not necessarily better: You should also use the lowest dose possible to improve sleep. Research has suggested that high doses of melatonin before bed cause higher plasma melatonin levels in the morning. This can leave you groggy the next day. Commonly available high doses of melatonin are also ineffective and stop working after a few days, according to one MIT study, which did confirm the hormone is effective as a sleep aid. This is because the melatonin receptors in the brain are exposed to too much of the compound and become unresponsive to it.

Melatonin in Blood-Brain Barrier May Protect Against Neurological Disease

Sep 05 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

According to a new study, melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep and wakefulness, may help prevent neurological disease by maintaining the integrity of the blood brain barrier (BBB). Many forms of neurological disease, including Alzheimer’s and other conditions that affect seniors, begin with damage to the BBB. Researchers have also noted lower levels of melatonin in older adults. The link between melatonin and neurological diseases may help researchers prevent or treat common conditions like Alzheimer’s, ALS, stroke and traumatic brain injury.

What is the Blood Brain Barrier?

The blood brain barrier is a semipermeable barrier around the brain and spinal cord that only allows certain substances through. The BBB is composed of endothelial cells which are found in capillaries in other parts of the body, but the cells in the blood brain barrier are very specialized and tightly packed. The BBB works to protect the brain, but it can create problems in the treatment of brain disorders as medications typically cannot pass the barrier.

Research has found that various stimuli to the BBB can cause disruption, which may lead to neurological disease. In people who have certain brain injuries or neurological diseases, this barrier does not work as it should and allows pathogens and dangerous molecules into the brain.

Neurological Diseases and the BBB

Disruption or damage of the BBB plays an important role in cell damage in neurological diseases. Previous research has found that many neurological diseases have common defects in the blood brain barrier including epilepsy, stroke, multiple sclerosis, ALS and traumatic brain injury. While these conditions all affect the central nervous system in a different way, a study published in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology found they share defects that can be traced to one set of genes.

The team of researchers found that with these diseases, the dysfunction in the BBB is a major contributor to symptoms and the progression of the disease.

Melatonin and Neurological Diseases: What’s the Link?

A new study published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience aimed to identify a treatment to maintain the integrity of the blood brain barrier to potentially prevent neurological diseases.

One of the most common forms of stress on the BBB in the elderly is sepsis, a systemic inflammatory response to infection that can cause neurological problems. Sepsis also causes lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to be released into the blood where it damages the integrity of the
blood brain barrier. LPS can produce neuroinflammation and BBB disruption. It has also been found to increase the permeability of the BBB in vitro.

Melatonin was been found to preserve the integrity of the blood brain barrier in many ways, including inhibiting MMP-9 and NADPH oxidase-2. It has also been found to alleviate BBB damage caused by LPS in elderly mice by activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and inhibiting gp91phox. In septic mice, melatonin was able to block the septic response in the body by disrupting neurological connections. Melatonin may also help protect organs from damage caused by sepsis.

It appears that low levels of melatonin in older mice (and humans) may contribute to the disruption of BBB in the face of stimuli like sepsis. In a study published in the Journal of Pineal Research, scientists were able to demonstrate that a short one-week treatment of melatonin was able to significantly reduce LPS-induced damage to the blood brain barrier.

This led researchers to suggest that supplementing with melatonin may reduce the risk of neurological disease in seniors by maintaining the integrity of the blood brain barrier while encouraging more frequent use in the medical field due to melatonin’s low toxicity and high efficacy.

Previous Studies on Melatonin and Brain Health

The ability of melatonin to treat LPS-induced BBB damage is exciting, but this is only the most recent discovery about the function of melatonin in the brain. Melatonin was once considered little more than a sleep aid for occasional sleeplessness, but a number of recent studies have found that it can potentially improve cognitive function and reduce trauma caused by a brain injury.

One study published in the Journal of Pineal Research found that melatonin may offer protection against irreversible brain damage caused by trauma or stroke. Researchers discovered that a 30-day treatment of melatonin 24 hours after an induced stroke improved the survival of brain cells in mice and improved recovery in injured cells. The mice treated with melatonin following a stroke also had a better long-term prognosis in terms of coordination and motor function, two areas that are commonly affected by stroke in humans.

Another important study found that melatonin has favorable effects on the metabolism of amyloid-beta proteins, the hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers found that after administering low doses of melatonin for 10 days, it improved cognition and reduced levels of these inflammatory proteins in the brains of animals.

Several other groups have demonstrated this same beneficial effect in experimental models of Alzheimer’s disease to potentially improve cognitive function, inhibition of beta-amyloid deposits, and reduction of anti-oxidative injury.

Alarming Link Found Between Insomnia and Heart Disease, Stroke Risk

May 01 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Millions of Americans suffer from insomnia. This common concern may be affecting our health in a variety of negative ways, according to new research on insomnia and heart disease.

Most of us have suffered from at least a short bout of insomnia: You lay awake in bed for hours, watching the clock as a morning of exhaustion draws ever closer. Other people fall asleep quickly but are awakened so often that they do not feel rested in the morning. Insomnia is a temporary problem for most of us, but for some, it is a daily struggle. Not only does this leave insomniacs fatigued, but it also can increase the chance of developing serious illness. According to new research, there is a link between insomnia and heart attacks, heart disease and stroke.

Insomnia: A Modern Pandemic

Why do modern people struggle to get the sleep they need? For some, anxiety and stress are the root cause. Others may simply be more sensitive to the light pollution around us. Several popular medications can also make it difficult to fall and stay asleep. There are so many reasons to stay awake at night that it is a wonder any of us are sleeping well.

Whatever the reason, insomnia can have huge and negative effects on our lives and our bodies. People who do not get enough sleep are usually fatigued and unable to function optimally the next day. They score more poorly on tests of memory and mental aptitude; they are more likely to have accidents such as motor vehicle collisions. In addition, a lack of sleep means higher levels of inflammation in your body and less cell repair. Over time, this can have serious health effects.

Insomnia and Heart Disease

According to new research, our hearts suffer when we don’t get enough sleep. Heart failure is a disease in which our hearts lose the ability to effectively pump blood through our circulatory system. Almost three-fourths of people with heart failure have a long history of insomnia, suggesting that there is a link. In fact, having insomnia increases our risk of developing heart failure by 300 percent. Insomnia also increases the rate of heart attacks. Women appear to be disproportionately affected by insomnia.

The heart is not the organ that can suffer when people do not get enough sleep. Having insomnia leaves people at a 54 percent increased risk of having a stroke, in which the blood supply to the brain is compromised enough to kill delicate brain tissue. Strokes can have lifelong effects such as paralysis, loss of ability to care for oneself and loss of mental faculties. This increased risk is heightened in young people, who have an eight times greater chance of stroke when they suffer from insomnia.

Why Do We Need Sleep?

Why do people with insomnia suffer from so many negative health effects? They miss out on the restoration that happens when we are dreaming. Our cells perform important “cleanup” work when we are sleeping, getting rid of waste products and repairing the damage from the day. People who do not get enough sleep are not getting enough of this important behind-the-scenes cleanup. Like a house that is not maintained, their bodies slowly fall into disrepair that can compromise the health of the overall structure.

The result is that people who do not get enough sleep have higher levels of inflammation and greater amounts of cytokines and other molecules that cause inflammatory reactions. They do not repair DNA as effectively. Over time, these effects can lead to long-term damage to muscles that make up the heart as well as delicate blood vessels. When these tissues break down, heart disease and stroke are the unfortunate results.

Getting the Sleep You Need for Good Health

These links between insomnia and cardiovascular disease show how important it is to get the right amount of sleep. However, this is a struggle for many people. If you are having trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, consider the following natural treatments for insomnia:

Keep a routine. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time, even on weekends and vacations.
Practice good sleep hygiene. Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex. Consider implementing a night time routine that calms you and prepares your mind to shut down.
Turn down the lights. Lighting, especially the blue lighting from devices, keeps your brain from making hormones such as melatonin that encourage sleep.
Keep a restful sleeping space. Invest in comfortable sheets and pillows. Make sure the decorations in your bedroom are restful and calming to you.
Avoid caffeine, nicotine and other stimulants in the hours before bedtime.
If stress is keeping you awake, practice yoga or meditation an hour before bed to calm your anxiety level.
Consider taking a natural supplement intended to help with occasional sleeplessness, such as melatonin.
Avoid using sleeping pills and antihistamines like diphenhydramine to sleep. These create dependence and also leave you groggy in the morning.

Getting enough sleep can be difficult in the modern world. Lights and stress never go to sleep, so it is hard for our brains to do so. However, it is important to maintain habits that allow you to shut down and get the rest you need to be happy and healthy. Maintaining a stable sleep schedule is one of the most important lifestyle choices that a person can make to encourage whole body health.

The Dangers and Side Effects of Sleeping Pills

Apr 22 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Do you occasionally have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep? If so, you are part of a silent and growing group. Up to one half of Americans suffer from a sleep concern like insomnia. While there are many sleeping pills on the market, many find that the side effects of these are not worth the temporary fix they offer. However, there is good news. If you have sleep problems and are concerned about the short- and long-term side effects of sleeping pills, there may be natural solutions.

Insomnia: A National Epidemic

Americans of every age occasionally have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, and many suffer from insomnia and other sleep disorders. Modern life is full of stress and anxiety that can interfere with sleep. In addition, we live in a world very different from that of our ancestors. There is constant light and entertainment, making it difficult to maintain a healthy circadian rhythm. Even children have plenty of worries and distractions to keep them up at night. The result is that up to half of all people suffer from insomnia and even more have occasional difficulty falling asleep, both of which can have negative effects on your health.

There are many pharmaceutical solutions to help with insomnia and other sleep concerns, but these are highly imperfect. Many people are seeking a safe and long term fix for their sleeping woes.

Are They Worth It? Side Effects of Sleeping Pills

There are many downsides to the medications available on the market to help people sleep. Sleeping pills can sedate you and make it difficult to wake up in the morning or in the case of an emergency. Accidental overdose is a very real and worrisome possibility as well. This is especially true for people with respiratory diseases such as asthma. Sleeping pills can be addictive or habit-forming as well. People who use them may find that they work at first, but that the effects become smaller and smaller. People who try them often find themselves taking increasing amounts of sleep medications to get the same or even smaller effects.

Because there are so many side effects of sleeping pills, many people try to use them only as a last resort. The FDA and other regulatory agencies actually recommend avoiding them and have made the guidelines for prescribing these medications stricter than ever before due to the dangers. Unfortunately this can mean living with sleepless nights. Is there a natural answer to occasional difficulty falling asleep and other sleep concerns?

Melatonin: A Natural Answer

Many people have been able to achieve a healthier sleep cycle using melatonin. In some cases, melatonin can be more effective and have fewer side effects than pharmaceutical sleeping pills. This is due to the fact that it is a completely natural hormone that is already made by your brain. When your body winds down at night, melatonin is released by the pineal gland in your brain to help you fall asleep. Many people have difficulty sleeping due to a deficiency of this important hormone.

Because it is a natural hormone, melatonin has very few side effects. The most common one is sleepiness, which is the very reason so many people take it. Overdoses of melatonin are so rare that they are practically unheard of and dependence is extremely rare because it is not addictive.

Getting the Sleep You Need

In addition to supplementing with melatonin, there are several ways that people with insomnia can get the sleep that they need. Consider making a few lifestyle changes proven to help with insomnia such as these:

1. Save the bed for sleep and romance.

People who read, study, pay bills and perform other tasks in bed are less likely to associate it with sleep and thus may have a hard time settling in for the night.

2. Do not go to bed until you are tired.

Lying awake is stressful and may actually make you stay up even longer than waiting until you are ready for sleep.

3. Meditate in the evening.

Meditation calms you down, brings down the blood pressure and quiets your mind. This is especially important for people who have trouble sleeping due to racing thoughts.

4. Go to bed and wake up at the same time.

This includes weekends. If your body gets into a set sleep-wake cycle, it will be likely to keep it. Sleeping in on weekends actually disrupts your circadian rhythm.

5. Turn down the lights an hour before bed.

This includes your phone and other devices. The blue light from these has been statistically proven to contribute to insomnia and keep your brain from releasing the melatonin that you need for good rest.

6. Consider old wives’ remedies.

If chamomile and hot milk helped your grandmother to sleep, they just might help you as well. These old time remedies are often relaxing and nostalgic, helping you to settle in.

Many people do not need sleeping pills, but rather a relaxing sleep schedule and a few natural solutions. These natural remedies are healthy lifestyle choices that will get you to sleep without the many side effects of sleeping pills.

Exposure to Blue Light Could Be Damaging Your Vision

Mar 06 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Do you spend a lot of time under artificial lights or even just staring at screens? It could be taking a toll on your eye health and vision. New studies have found a link between exposure to blue light and eye damage.

Artificial light is ubiquitous in the modern world. Not only do light bulbs and other artificial lighting sources illuminate indoor and outdoor spaces at all times of day and night, but many people are also exposed to light on computers, smartphones and other devices. This constant exposure to light is a form of pollution—light pollution—that has been found to cause serious health problems and disrupt circadian rhythms. New research on blue light and eye damage suggests that it may be bad for our vision as well.

The Difference Between Natural and Artificial Light

Humans and other living things evolved to live under an endless cycle of sunlight and darkness. Sunlight is mostly made up of white light, which contains all of the visible colors of the light spectrum. This is the reason that light beaming through a prism creates a rainbow. Artificial light, however, tends to be mainly from the blue wavelength of light. As mankind has begun to spend most of our lives indoors and an increasing amount of time in front of devices, we have increased our exposure to blue lights.

How does this change in light wavelength affect our health? According to numerous studies, the increase in exposure to blue light suppresses melatonin production, which in turn can lead to a wide variety of health problems. However, this blue light also may have a negative effect on our eyesight as well.

The Link Between Blue Light and Eye Damage

As we age, the cells in our eyes gradually become damaged and slowly deteriorate. This leads to an increase in sight problems such as macular degeneration, a disorder in which the cells of the retina that are responsible for vision lose their ability to see. Melanin, a pigment that gives our hair and skin color, protects retinal cells from some of this damage. However, we lose melanin as we age, leaving our eyes increasingly prone to damage from light. High energy blue light, the kind emitted by high-efficiency light bulbs and electronic devices, does the most damage to these delicate cells.

People who are exposed to high levels of blue light on a regular basis are more likely to suffer from a variety of vision problems. You have probably noticed that you suffer from eye strain after reading from a screen for an extended period of time. However, this is just the beginning. High exposure to blue light has also been found in several recent studies to increase the risk of macular degeneration, cataracts and other eye diseases. The effects are so great that optometrists now recommend eye protection from blue light as standard preventative eye care.

Protecting Your Vision From Blue Light

There are ways that we can protect our eyesight to support good vision over a long lifetime. Experts recommend wearing sunglasses and hats when we are in bright light, whether this is indoor or outdoor lighting. Limiting screen time is also an important way to protect your eyes. It is especially important to limit exposure to blue light in the hours before sleep so your body can begin to produce and release melatonin. Choose a paperback rather than a tablet or e-reader for your bedtime reading. Use traditional white light bulbs rather than energy efficient LED lighting in rooms where you spend your late evening hours.

It is possible to reduce exposure to high-energy blue light, but eliminating it altogether is not possible for many people. Many people work in environments where blue light in the form of lighting and screens is simply a fact of life. There are special eyeglasses that filter out blue light to reduce strain and damage, but it is also important to address the problem with good nutrition.

Supporting Good Vision From the Inside Out

Because melanin protects your eyes from some of the damaging effects of blue light, oxidative damage to melanin in your retinas is a huge risk factor for eye disease. Supplements that contain certain antioxidant nutrients such as lutein and zeaxanthin have been found to support good eye health by reducing oxidative damage to retinal cells. Taking a multivitamin is also important, as vitamin E and other nutrients act as potent antioxidants throughout our bodies.

Even if you avoid screens and electronic devices, it is difficult to eliminate exposure to blue light and eye damage that may result. Modern offices, stores and even schools are lit with bulbs emitting mainly this wavelength of light. However, common sense lifestyle changes along with supplements supporting good eye health will reduce vision damage for many people who cannot avoid exposure. While some eye damage is natural in aging, we should do everything we can to maintain good vision and whole body health throughout our lifetimes.