Oops! A Little Melatonin Mix-Up—Here's the Fix! ☀️💊

xoxox Sarah

                                                                                                                                                            

Oops! A Little Melatonin Mix-Up—Here's the Fix! ☀️💊 Hi.  Well, I’ve got to admit—typing too fast can get the best of us sometimes, and I caught a slip-up on the checklist I sent you. Let me set the record straight! The original checklist said, "Our bodies respond to light by delaying melatonin production," but that’s not accurate! That’s a typo!! What I meant to say is that melatonin secretion increases as daylight (and indoor light) decreases, signaling our bodies to get sleepy. I’ve fixed this error in the checklist, and I’m including the correct version with this email. Now, let me dive a little deeper into why this matters, especially for those of you with ADHD. Delayed dim light melatonin onset is something many folks with ADHD experience. Essentially, it takes longer (about 90 minutes on average) for them to start feeling sleepy at night. Studies using cheek swabs have shown that the peripheral clock genes in people with ADHD respond more slowly and irregularly compared to neurotypicals. Once you hear this, it makes so much sense for how your night goes versus your partner’s night, am I right?! For all of us, though, the process starts first thing in the morning. As soon as light enters your eyes, it triggers your master clock in the hypothalamus to inhibit melatonin production until later in the day. Yes, we are always producing melatonin, but light suppresses it (fun inception/matrix-type fact: some people believe sleep is our baseline reality, and waking is the dream. But I’ll save that rabbit hole for another day… lol). The TL;DR: This is why I always tell my clients to get outside in the morning and stick to a consistent wake-up time—especially during the 12-week intensive sleep training process. It helps entrain your circadian rhythm to a regular sleep/wake pattern. I hope this clears things up, and I’m sorry for the mix-up! The corrected checklist is attached, and if you're curious about the ADHD studies I mentioned, I am copying the resources below: Wishing you peaceful, well-timed sleep, Sarah Petroski SleepFitSarah www.sleepfitsarah.com Keep Scrolling all the Way to the Bottom for the Amended Checklist pdf Resources:  Baird, A. L., A. N. Coogan, A. Siddiqui, R. M. Donev and J. Thome (2012). "Adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is associated with alterations in circadian rhythms at the behavioural, endocrine and molecular levels." Mol Psychiatry 17(10): 988-995. Facer-Childs, E. R., B. Middleton, D. J. Skene and A. P. Bagshaw (2019). "Resetting the late timing of ‘night owls’ has a positive impact on mental health and performance." Sleep Medicine 60: 236-247. Fargason, R. E., K. Gamble, K. T. Avis, R. C. Besing, C. W. Jackson, M. E. Cates and R. May (2011). "Ramelteon for Insomnia Related to Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)." Psychopharmacol Bull 44(2): 32-53. Gamble, K. L., R. S. May, R. C. Besing, A. P. Tankersly and R. E. Fargason (2013). "Delayed Sleep Timing and Symptoms in Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Controlled Actigraphy Study." Chronobiology International 30(4): 598-606. Huang, R.-C. (2018). "The discoveries of molecular mechanisms for the circadian rhythm: The 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine." Biomedical Journal 41(1): 5-8. Jangmo, A., R. Kuja-Halkola, A. Pérez-Vigil, C. Almqvist, C. M. Bulik, B. D’Onofrio, P. Lichtenstein, E. Ahnemark, T. Werner-Kiechle and H. Larsson (2021). “ Van Veen, M. M., J. J. Kooij, A. M. Boonstra, M. C. Gordijn and E. J. Van Someren (2010). "Delayed circadian rhythm in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and chronic sleep-onset insomnia." Biol Psychiatry 67(11): 1091-1096. Sarah Petroski PGDip Sleep Medicine Sleep Performance Coach Personal Trainer & Kundalini Yoga  sleepfitsarah@gmail.com

 

Sarah Petroski
PGDip Sleep Medicine
Personal Trainer and Kundalini Yoga Instructor

210 5th Avenue
5th Floor
New York NY 10010
USA

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