In the pursuit of quality sleep, the crucial role of melatonin production cannot be overstated. However, the pervasive exposure to blue light, particularly from electronic devices in office settings, poses a significant disruption to this delicate balance.
Professor Dr. Çağlar Çuhadaroğlu, vice president of the Turkish Thoracic Society and Member of the Sleep Disorders Working Group, underscored the paramount importance of regular and quality sleep for overall health.
Describing sleep as a process that refreshes heals, and prepares the body for the day, Çuhadaroğlu pointed out that when quality sleep is not obtained, individuals wake up more tired in the morning, cannot be productive during the day, struggle in social interactions, and have difficulty concentrating.
He emphasized the importance of deep sleep, known as "REM" in medicine, for the rest and renewal of the body and brain, stating: "For quality sleep, we generally recommend going to bed around 11 p.m. to midnight and getting six to seven hours of sleep during the day for adults. It should not be fragmented."
Dividing sleep into "REM" and "non-REM," he said: "A person needs to experience both of these sleep stages to a certain extent. A person should spend a quarter of their sleep in the REM stage. REM sleep is the time when predominantly dreams occur toward morning. REM sleep is a period where what is learned during the day is assimilated and archived in the brain. For example, it is not recommended to go to an exam in the morning without sleeping because the information is not archived. Sleeping too little is also not recommended because it means sacrificing the process of embedding essential information into the brain. The first three to four hours are a period that primarily rests the muscles. Therefore, 'REM' is indispensable for sleep."
Çuhadaroğlu also emphasized that sleep disorders can be a problem for transitioning to deep sleep and stressed the importance of identifying and treating them. "Sleep apnea, snoring, involuntary leg movements, and restless leg syndrome can make it difficult to enter deep, or REM, sleep," he said.
Çuhadaroğlu highlighted that individuals with sleep problems can use various supplement products but emphasized that they should be used under medical supervision only after a specific diagnosis.
One of these supplements contains the active ingredient melatonin, a hormone that facilitates the transition to sleep, according to Çuhadaroğlu.
"It is not correct to use these supplements randomly; it is wrong. However, due to the increasing urban lifestyle, high stress, and increasing number of stimuli, unfortunately, the number of people experiencing sleep problems is increasing. Problems in melatonin production have begun to occur due to exposure to external factors. When daylight is received during the day, melatonin is activated in the brain, but when working in office environments or plazas for long periods among tall buildings, not seeing daylight, being exposed to blue light emitted from devices such as computers, mobile phones, and televisions disrupts melatonin metabolism. Therefore, we can say that modern life disrupts melatonin production and usage," he added.
He emphasized the necessity of using melatonin supplementation from external sources if needed, stating: "This should be used under medical supervision and recommendation. Especially in the U.S., capsules with increasing doses of up to 20 milligrams are available. Such high doses should not be used."
