jandrade1997 said:So, I've been reading Dr. Peat's articles on sleep and light lately and they have me quite confused. I cannot, for the life of me, understand why he thinks we should seek to minimize melatonin levels. Melatonin has been repeatedly shown to inhibit lipid peroxidation, reduce estrogen, increase ATP production, act as a powerful antioxidant, and is inversely associated with cortisol levels.
I agree with jandrade1997 considerations. And in fact, even if I believe in almost everything written by Peat, I do take melatonin ... only 200 mcg, and only before going to sleep at night.
But there is another reason I take melatonin and in a certain way it is told by Peat in http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/stemcells.shtml.
I reports 2 points:
Women's monthly cycles, in which a [glow=red]brief estrogen dominance is followed by sustained exposure to progesterone, are probably an important factor in the renewal of the cells of the brain and other organs[/glow], as well as those of the reproductive organs. [glow=red]The daily rhythms of hormones and metabolism are known to be involved in the regulation of cell renewal[/glow].
Choosing the right foods, the right atmosphere, the right mental and physical activities, [glow=red]and finding the optimal rhythms of light, darkness,[/glow] and activity, can begin to alter the streaming renewal of cells in all the organs. Designing a more perfect environment is going to be much simpler than the schemes of the genetic engineers.
So in my opinion, but I should say in Peat's opinion, an alternance of stress (like night or estrogen) and light (or progesterone) are important for regeneration.
Even plants, in some cases, produce increased germination in the spring, only when in winter the temperature has fallen below certain specific values, otherwise the germination is much more reduced.
An italian researcher (Pierpaoli) has done a lot of studies on melatonin. The the mice rejuvenated when receiving melatonin. I think this is the result of the production of new stem cells.
I also have some personal experiences. I tried taking an aspirin before going to bed to reduce stress hormones. The first night I slept fantastically but then on the second night a little worse, the third night even worse and I finally had to stop aspirin. Same happened trying to take pantothenic acid or making 'earthing' (connecting me to the ground in his sleep). After 2 or 3 days the sleep was much worse. My opinion is that the reduction of stress produced by these techniques (aspirina, etc), inhibited the production of stem cells and then inhibited nocturnal regeneration.