Melatonin News and Research

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Melatonin, also known chemically as N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, is a naturally occurring compound found in animals, plants, and microbes. In animals, circulating levels of the hormone melatonin vary in a daily cycle, thereby allowing the entrainment of the circadian rhythms of several biological functions.

Late sleep timing linked to lower BMI, poorer diet quality and lower physical activity

A new study suggests that among healthy adults with a habitual sleep duration of at least 6.5 hours, late sleep timing was associated with higher fast food consumption and lower vegetable intake, particularly among men, as well as lower physical activity.

9 Jun 2016

Melatonin can be of great value for elderly people suffering from hypertension

The older we get, the more likely our circadian rhythms are disrupted. For example, blood pressure (BP), not only tends to increase but as well become more irregular. Luckily, as we show in our research, melatonin helps to ameliorate both trends.

18 May 2016

Sleep hormone melatonin may be responsible for type 2 diabetes risk among overnight workers

A new experimental and clinical study from Lund University in Sweden shows that the sleep hormone melatonin impairs insulin secretion in people with a common gene variant.

13 May 2016

Exposure to blue light may lead to eyestrain but does not damage retina

Nearly 90 percent of adults use digital devices for two or more hours per day, according to The Vision Council's 2016 Digital Eye Strain Report, exposing consumers to blue light that some suggest is dangerous.

26 Apr 2016

Research: X and Y DNA swapping may occur more often than previously thought

It turns out that the rigid "line in the sand" over which the human sex chromosomes---the Y and X--- go to avoid crossing over is a bit blurrier than previously thought. Contrary to the current scientific consensus, Arizona State University assistant professor Melissa Wilson Sayres has led a research team that has shown that X and Y DNA swapping may occur much more often.

24 Mar 2016

Vanderbilt sleep specialist provides important tips for easing into seasonal time change

The Monday after daylight saving time takes effect doesn't have to be a heart-stressed, mad-dash, car-crash kind of a day.

10 Mar 2016

Children taught at home get more sleep than others

A new study published in Behavioral Sleep Medicine shows that children who are taught at home get more sleep than those who go to private and public schools. The findings provide additional evidence of teens' altered biological clocks and support an argument for starting traditional high school later in the morning.

3 Mar 2016

National Bed Month: Five tips for a perfect sleep routine

This National Bed Month Sleep Practitioner & Sleep Environment Expert James Wilson has shared his five steps to a perfect sleep routine which includes using nature’s most effective relaxant… magnesium.

From BetterYou Ltd 2 Mar 2016

Irregular sleep schedules linked to adverse metabolic health in midlife women

A new study suggests that frequent shifts in sleep timing may be related to adverse metabolic health among non-shift working, midlife women.

1 Feb 2016

IU researchers discover hormonal mechanism that links short winter days with increased aggression in females

Indiana University researchers have discovered a hormonal mechanism in hamsters that connects short winter days with increased aggression in females, and that it differs from the mechanism that controls this same response in males.

18 Nov 2015

Treating insomnia through a CBT device? An interview with Dr Ebrahim

Insomnia refers to a clinical condition that is characterised by one or more of the following – difficulty initiating sleep and/or maintaining sleep and/or waking up too early AND associated with symptoms the next day such as sleepiness, lethargy, loss of concentration.

16 Nov 2015

Sleep loss reduces insulin sensitivity, increases diabetes risk

A new study by the University of Colorado shows that the longer people are awake during the time their biological clock is telling them to sleep the worse their sensitivity to insulin, which is a precursor to diabetes.

6 Nov 2015

Lucimed offers Luminette light therapy glasses for people suffering from seasonally induced issues

For millions of people, the arrivalof fall and winter are unwelcome events. A change in seasons often brings a change in their physical and mental health, due to fewer hours of sunlight.

31 Oct 2015

Melatonin and the circadian rhythm: an interview with Professor Kennaway, University of Adelaide

The production of melatonin is controlled by a part of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and its timing fine-tuned by our exposure to light during the morning.

20 Oct 2015

AASM's new guideline provides updated recommendations for treatment of circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders

A new clinical practice guideline published by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine provides clinicians with updated recommendations for the treatment of intrinsic circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders (CRSWDs).

15 Oct 2015

Researchers explore how common genetic mutation influences effects of taking melatonin close to mealtime

Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and the University of Murcia, Spain, have shed new light on why people who carry a common genetic mutation may be more at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. By carefully studying healthy subjects, researchers were able to chart the effect of melatonin supplements on blood sugar control.

7 Oct 2015

Melatonin hormone can help prevent cardiovascular disease risk in children born through ART

Studies are revealing that children born through assisted reproductive technologies (ART) have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The increased risk is due to changes in the expression of the genes important for vascular health. These studies suggest that the composition of the solutions in which embryo fertilization and culturing are done is to blame.

28 Aug 2015

New study reveals effect of light exposure at night on the biology of teen sleep

A new study has an important implication for tweens and young teens as they head back to school: Taking a gadget to bed could really hurt their sleep.

27 Aug 2015

Researchers find effectiveness of ramelteon for treatment of sleep disturbances after TBI

Kessler researchers found preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of ramelteon for the treatment of sleep disturbances after traumatic brain injury (TBI). The article, "Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation on May 28, 2015. Authors are Anthony Lequerica, PhD, and Nancy Chiaravalloti, PhD, of Kessler Foundation, Neil Jasey, MD, of Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, and Jaclyn Portelli Tremont, MA, of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University.

21 Aug 2015

New York Blue Light Symposium highlights three measures to counter consequences of artificial illumination

The New York Blue Light Symposium convened in New York from June 26-27, 2015. The event was sponsored by the International Blue Light Society (Senior Representative: Kazuo Tsubota), which was founded to research and release findings on the effects of blue light on the human body.

30 Jun 2015