Melatonin
The hormone melatonin is one of the most powerful sources of antioxidants. It regulates our sleep and wakefulness and defends the body against excessive oxidative stress. Melatonin is vital for the immune system to help our body to repair and rejuvenate at the cellular level. This hormone slows down all processes in the body, helping it to recover and increases the level of serotonin in the brain. Melatonin deficiency can cause circadian rhythms disruption, sleep disorders and many serious and life-threatening mental and physiological diseases. |
Science is Clear About Characteristics And Benefits of Melatonin:
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Natural MelatoninOur bodies naturally produce endogenous melatonin. Endogenous means growing or originating from within an organism. Endogenous melatonin is at its highest level around midnight and subsides gradually to a very low level by the time we wake up in the morning. After 30 minutes exposure to daylight, or artificial bright light, it naturally subsides to its minimum daily level. It was believed the brain only could produce melatonin in total darkness until research showed that it is only the blue wavelengths of the light spectrum which suppress the secretion of melatonin. When blocking the blue light, the brain behaves as if it is experiencing total darkness and triggers the melatonin secretion. Research demonstrates that melatonin modulates brain activity in a manner resembling actual sleep although subjects are fully awake. Electric lights and electronic screens all emit blue light capable of signaling virtual daylight to the brain. Presence of blue light causes the brain to suppress secretion of melatonin, disrupting sleep and circadian rhythms associated with night. If the brain detects a change in lighting, it triggers the release of the stress hormone to quickly awaken the body. Therefore, it is important to sleep 6-8 hours a day and only in darkened environments. It is also important to have 10-11 hours of darkness for the brain i.e. lack of blue light 2-3 hours before sleep. Excessive blue light exposure and its devastating effects on our overall health is the subject of many scientific studies at the moment. |
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Synthetic MelatoninWhat ends up on pharmacy shelves is synthesized “exogenous” melatonin supplements, which means growing or originating from outside an organism. The amount of exogenous melatonin in the body has to do with dosage and the capacity of the body to absorb it. It can last way into the early hours of the next day keeping the user groggy. Given to children, its potential side effects using synthetic melatonin is even more concerning. Since melatonin is a hormone, it can affect puberty, disrupt menstrual cycles and impede normal hormonal development. Excess melatonin can induce hypothermia, as body temperatures reduce during melatonin release, and stimulate overproduction of the hormone prolactin, which can cause hormonal problems and even kidney and liver issues in men. |
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HOW CIRCADIAN EYEWEAR CAN HELP INCREASE NATURAL MELATONIN LEVELCircadian Eyewear is a natural choice for increasing the level of endogenous/natural melatonin. Our ORPHEUS lens is designed, developed and engineered to provide a balanced light transmission while eliminating the blue light. Fine-tuned in world’s leading laboratories, our lens eliminates virtually all blue light. Wearing the eyewear two hours before scheduled sleep time enables the body to produce its own melatonin hormone. By blocking the blue light, it sends a virtual darkness signal to the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the brain via dedicated photoreceptors in the retina. The master clock in turn starts the secretion of melatonin in merely 30 minutes. This synchronizes the circadian rhythms without having to compromise the lures of the night and the body will naturally get rid of it within half an hour after exposure to bright lights. |
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RESEARCH TIED TO MELATONIN AND BLUE BLOCKING GLASSESResearch from PubMed Dark therapy for bipolar disorder using amber lenses for blue light blockade Amber lenses to block blue light and improve sleep: a randomized trial Protecting the melatonin rhythm through circadian healthy light exposure Effects of blue light on the circadian system and eye physiology Melatonin and Peripheral Circuitries: Insights on Appetite and Metabolism in Danio Rerio Antioxidative effect of melatonin on DNA and erythrocytes against free-radical-induced oxidation Influence of Dietary Melatonin on Photoreceptor Survival in the Rat Retina: An Ocular Toxicity Study |
