How Sleep Works - Part 3

Melatonin

​So, now we know that the sleep clock has two fundamental parts, the demand your body has for sleep plus the cues the brain receives from light. When these two parts are in sync, the sleep clock is set.

All that’s missing to make sleep effortless and sustainable is the sleep hormone melatonin.

Melatonin is called the sleep hormone because it creates that relaxing cascade on the way to sleep, and it also tells your body not to wake up until the repair your body needs is finished.

The wonderful news about melatonin is that you are the leading manufacturer in the world of your own melatonin, meaning you don’t need to get it from anywhere else but your own body.

Here’s how it’s made.

Melatonin is first made when sunlight interacts with the amino acid tryptophan in the retina, forming the pre-cursor to melatonin, the neurotransmitter serotonin. Much like a caterpillar turns into a butterfly, serotonin eventually turns into melatonin.

This transformation to melatonin happens once serotonin travels through the retinal pathway where it is eventually synthesized in the pineal gland and stored as melatonin.. About 2 hours after darkness arrives, melatonin is eventually released into the bloodstream and the 3 parts of sleep begin to work together as a team.

Melatonin is mainly produced and restored in 2 stages:

1. Getting sunlight through the eyes.

- Spending enough time outside

- Not wearing sunglasses

2. Blocking artificial blue light during the day when inside, and then at night with Dormi’s Glasses.

- Computer screens actually deteriorate melatonin molecules in the eye

- Blue light at night prevents your pineal gland from releasing melatonin

What I’d like for you to know is this, the 3 parts of sleep working together for you is completely possible. If they have not been working for you up until now, the problem is not you the person, it's the process you are going through.

I understand that sometimes life gets in the way of allowing these 3 parts to work in harmony but insomnia becomes a lot easier to manage and reverse when you understand that you have the ability to make this work.

Yes, emotions and confidence can act as the 4th part of sleep and interfere with the process. This can be managed though and doing so can only be be helpful if parts 1,2,3 of sleep are working as a team.

This is just one thing that is helpful about coaching, getting the support to to align your emotions with the biology of sleep. It’s a beautiful thing when this happens, and I believe that you have all the ability in the world to experience this.

If you have never had the chance to experience sleep coaching, I’d love to offer you a free session. There are no commitments or contractual obligations. Just a willingness to allow me to be curious about your sleep, and ask questions that will help you see a new perspective on how sleep is possible for you.

To schedule a call, just click on my calendar and pick a time that works!

Have Great Sleep! - Derek