Project #0006

Electronic Sleep Aide

Denny's Designs Novel Electronic Circuits

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The following gathered statements and facts has not been evaluated by the FDA. The electronic device illustrated in these plans is not intended to diagnose, cure, or prevent any disease. The author assumes no responsibility for any adverse effect from using this electronic device.
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The electronic schematic provided in these plans will give you a method for possibly stimulating a natural increase of Melatonin production within your own Pineal gland.
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The following is information gathered from various publication sources on the benefits of the hormone  “Melatonin”.
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FACTS
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Melatonin is produced naturally  in the Pineal gland toward the center of the brain. Melatonin production in humans  is cyclical and peaks at night,  and decreases in the daytime.  Most animals produce Melatonin.  Melatonin production is most prominent during the younger years, and steadily declines into old age. Over time, the Pineal gland accumulates deposits of calcium that diminish its Melatonin production.   Melatonin was first discovered and named more than forty years ago in 1959.  Melatonin is a most ubiquitous molecule.  Research is now indicating that Melatonin secretion may have been an important evolutionary  mechanism for many of the world’s  life  forms,  from algae and protozoa, to apes and humans.   Melatonin can cross all barriers and enter any cell.  Melatonin acts as a kind of catalyst hormone by effecting other hormones.   Melatonin determines when some frogs change their color, when horses breed, when birds migrate, when dogs shed their  fur  and when humans sleep.
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Sleepy claims of Melatonin
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Accepted by most scientists as a fact is the ability of Melatonin to phase-shift, or reset the body clock.  An MIT Clinical Research Center team found that Melatonin can induce sleep at midday. This suggests that Melatonin exerts its soporific effect independent of  any effects on circadian rhythms, the daily cycles of varying body chemistry, temperature, and wakefulness.  Other scientists disagree, like Alfred J. Lewy, a Psychiatrist at the Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, Oregon.  He thinks that sleep is induced as a side effect of Melatonin’s effects on circadian rhythms.  Melatonin is being used to fool the body clock into thinking its in another time zone. This phenomenon has implications for people suffering from jet lag and people with sleep disorders.  Many blind people suffer from insomnia.  Without light to “set”   their internal biological clocks,  their circadian rhythms fall out of sync with the day - night cycle.  The elderly  loose their   ability  to produce much Melatonin and may get relief from their insomnia by taking the hormone.   Israel researchers have found that a time released Melatonin formula increases substantially the sleep elderly insomniacs attain. In the 1980’s Dr. Richard Wurtman of MIT’s Clinical Research Center gave volunteers megadoses (240mg.),  of Melatonin.   It was later found that as little as one-tenth of a milligram can hasten the onset of sleep.  Unlike all other sleep aids, there are no side effects.  Regarding side effects, government scientists attempted to find Melatonin’s “LD50”, the dose that is lethal to 50% of the animals receiving a particular chemical or drug.  In addition, human volunteers were fed six (6) grams (6,000mg.), every night for a month. The only side effects were stomach discomfort and some residual sleepiness.
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The other claims: Melatonin the Wonder Hormone
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Oxidation can cause many disabling changes in the elderly. Researchers now theorize that aging could be a lifetime’s accumulation of oxidative damage. There is strong support for this theory in a report from the August first 95, “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  Research indicates that Melatonin can drastically reduce the damage to cells caused by oxygen generated “free radicals”
---molecules or molecular fragments that have an unpaired electron. The most reactive of the free radicals are the Hydroxyl (OH), and they are the most destructive to cells.  At the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, researchers gave rats Safrole, a carcinogen that damages DNA. The Hydroxyl and other free radicals generated as a result were quenched by Melatonin. Rats treated with Melatonin before exposure to Safrole suffered 41 to 99% less DNA damage than the group without Melatonin. The more Melatonin they received, the less damage incurred.  Research also indicates that Melatonin can neutralize the hydroxyl precursor molecule. Research indicates that Melatonin is the best free-radical scavenger known.
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In light of this fact, as darkness triggers Melatonin production from a signal from the eyes to the biological clock, or suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), at the base of the brain,  the messenger for that signal is glutamate. Glutamate is a free-radical inducing neurotransmitter. Younger animals have enough Melatonin to neutralize these free radicals.  As time progresses, the glutamate wins out.  The cells in the suprachiasmatic nucleus are destroyed and the Melatonin cycle wanes.  As Melatonin production reduces,  the suprachiasmatic nucleus becomes compromised further by glutamate induced free radical attack. Consequently reducing Melatonin output even further.  If this theory is true, Melatonin supplements might continue the natural rhythms of a younger person in the body of an older person.  Some scientists say that oxidizing molecules play a major role in diseases such as AIDS, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Cancer. Free radicals contribute to aging by undermining collagen proteins that support the skin, causing wrinkles and sagging chins.  Melatonin is a much more powerful antioxidant than Vitamin C and E.
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Melatonin’s antioxidant action can protect rats from ionizing radiation. The death rate can be cut by 50% from a normally lethal dose.  Melatonin’s antioxidant action can completely protect an animals lungs from the deadly herbicide paraquat. Texas researchers found that Melatonin protected fourteen of fifteen rats when given a toxic substance (BSO) known to cause cataracts.
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In 1994, immunologist Walter Pierpaoli and Vladimir A. Lesnikov proposed in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences,  experimental evidence that the Pineal gland plays some part in regulating the rate at which the body ages.  Their research is based on experiments with mice. They cross transplanted Pineals between the brains of young and old mice.  The younger mice had a reduced life span by one third and the older mice lived one third longer than normal.  Their analysis has been confirmed by other scientists.  Dr. Pierpaoli and Dr. William Regelson states in their book, “The Melatonin Miracle”, “Senescence, the downward spiral  that we have come to associate with aging,  does not have to occur”,  “Melatonin can stop the spiral”.
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Animal experiments show that  Melatonin can restore a creatures immune defenses.  Melatonin may protect the Thymus gland which produces T-Cells, one of the bodys main defense mechanisms.  The HIV virus that can cause AIDS destroys T-Cells.  Other research indicates that Melatonin can combat epilepsy. Epileptic seizures were induced in cats----and the seizures were halted in ten minutes by injecting the animals with Melatonin. Some specialists in Europe are using Melatonin to treat human epilepsy. Several studies have shown that Melatonin can slow the growth of human tumor cells in a test tube, a possible cancer fighter .  It is being investigated as a treatment for a particular depression known as winter depression or seasonal affective disorder (SAD).   And finally,  some studies indicate Melatonin can reduce cholesterol, heart disease,  and regulate blood pressure.
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Melatonin and the law, etc.
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The 1994 law passed by U.S. Congress under pressure from the health food industry----says manufacturers do not have to prove that dietary supplements are safe before marketing them.  Melatonin is a natural hormone and therefore can not be patented.  Melatonin is classed as a dietary  supplement in the U.S.A.  FDA  lacks the data  it needs to evaluate health claims arising from the new animal and clinical trials. The FDA cautions consumers that if they take Melatonin, “they do so without any assurance that it is safe or that it will have any benefit.”  The FDA as of December 1995, has received no complaints about negative side effects from Melatonin, and plans no action. Canada on the other hand has an official ban on Melatonin. Thousands of Canadians buy their Melatonin across the border in the U.S.   Melatonin is classed as a drug in Canada.
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Many books boast of Melatonins ability  to slow the aging process,  boost immunity,  lower cholesterol,  and make sex better.  They include “Stay Young the Melatonin Way”, by Dr. Steven Bock of Rhinebeck, N.Y.  and  “Melatonin: Nature’s Sleeping Pill”, by Dr. Ray Sahelian of Los Angeles.
A million bottles of Melatonin have been sold in 1995.  That is twenty times the rate in 1993. Says Russel Reiter, a University of Texas Cellular biologist, “I take a milligram or less every night”.  He has studied Melatonin for thirty years.
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Stimulate your own Melatonin Production, Expert Advice
1) Increase day time exposure to sunlight or bright artificial light, first thing in the morning.
2) Avoid bright light in the evening.
3) Eat foods rich in calcium, magnesium, Vitamin B-6 and niacinamide.
4) Eat foods rich in antioxidants, such as oats, rice, and bananas.
5) Do not smoke and drink only in moderation.
6) Avoid night-shift work and travel that involves frequent crossing of time zones.
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Published Sources of Information (Bibliography)
American Health, vol. 13, page 34, July/August 94, (Natures Sleeping Pill?)
American Health, vol. 14, page 64 to 65, November 1995, (Melatonin mania!)
American Health, vol. 15, page 72, January/February 1996, (Melatonin, the hottest hormone of all), by  E. DeVita
American Health, vol. 14, page 57, July/August, 1995, (An antidote to jet lag), by L.M. Kase
Discover, May 1995, Sleep of the Blind, (Brain)
Longevity  magazine, November 1993
Maclean’s , December 18, 1995, page 74, Health Watch, Backpack, “The Ban Busters”
Newsweek,  August 7, 1995,  Melatonin by Geoffrey Cowley (Lifestyle),  Page 46
Newsweek, vol. 106, page 93+,  November 25,1985,  (Dracula of Hormones, by S. Begley
Prevention Magazine, Vol. 44, page 28, October 1992, (Sleep Machine: Radio-wave-emitting device to treat insomnia), by Milton K. Erman
Prevention Magazine, December 1993,volume 45, page 24, Melatonin, (Bag the Lag), by Al Lewy
Science News, May 13, 1995, vol. 147, page 300, (Drug of Darkness)
Science News, September 9, 1995, vol. 148, Page 175, Hormones help elderly sleep
Science News, August 14, 1993, vol. 144, Oxidation strongly linked to Aging, page 109, and but quenched by ubiquitous hormone, page 109.
Science, vol. 253, page 795 to 797, (Melatonin, Photoperiodism and effects of indoleamines in a unicellular alga., by R Hardeland.
Science, vol. 269, page 1220 to 1221, Sept. 1995, (Can resetting hormonal rhythms treat illness?by W. Roush.
Science, vol. 270, page 1681-3, December 8,1995, (Pineal Serotonin N-acetyltransferase expression cloning and molecular analysis, circadian rhythm in Melatonin, by S.L. Coon and others
Science, vol. 231, page 491-3, January 31, 1986, (Genetic Control of Melatonin synthesis in the Pineal gland of the mouse), by S. Ebihara and others
Science, vol. 227, page 714-20, February 15, 1985, by L. Tamarkin and others, (Melatonin: a coordinating signal for mammalian reproduction?)
Time magazine, vol. 147, page 61, February 5, 1996, (Lost Fountain of Youth: F. Turek debunks claims made  for  Melatonin) by  C. Gorman
US News and World Report, October 16,1995, page 95 Health,  “A  natural wonder drug?”
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The Electronic Sleep Inducer
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by Richard D. Gregg
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Research  in Europe and from the Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California indicates that insomnia can be reduced by stimulation of the Pineal gland.  The stimulation is accomplished by sending pulses of low-level (27 MHz), electromagnetic radiation (RF), to the brain. They called it “low emission therapy” or LEET.  They inserted a lollipop shaped metal device on the tongue for 20 minutes before bedtime. This device transmitted the 27 MHz electromagnetic radiation through the brain, and apparently stimulating an increase in Melatonin production within the Pineal gland.
This device has been tested on 120 chronic insomniacs, ages 21 to 50.  80% fell asleep sooner (an average of 52 minutes sooner), and they slept longer ( an average of 1.5 hours longer).  There were no reported side effects.
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Below illustrated in the Schematic (fig.1),  is my version of the 27 MHz low level electromagnetic sleep inducer.  The device has a current draw of only 400 micro-Amperes from a 1.5 volt alkaline (AAA), battery cell. The battery should last a long, long time, when used only 20 minutes per night.  It should last several months. If this device solves your insomnia problem, then you can save much money by not having to purchase Melatonin supplements or any other kind of sleep inducing  medicine.
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The device I built is a crystal controlled oscillator that is pulsed on and off by a free running multivibrator which is identical to a  flip-flop that repeatedly triggers itself. Q1 and Q2 are general purpose PNP transistors (MPS3638A, 2N2907, etc.). Potentiometer R1 controls the  “on-off” pulse rate of the oscillator.  Experiment with the pulse rate of the oscillator by adjusting R1, until you get good results with a longer and better nights sleep.
 

Figure 1

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Various values for L1 (fig. 1, above), will work in this circuit. I chose a 42 micro-henry coil from a pack of miscellaneous coils sold by Radio Shack. The color coding is the same as for resistors (yellow, red, black). I built the circuit on a small piece of perf. board about 1 inch long by 3/4 inch wide. I glued it to a clear transparent plastic disposable spoon. I glued the AAA battery cell holder (available at Radio Shack), to the handle of the plastic spoon (as illustrated below, fig.2).  After the glue was dry, I filled the spoon with hot paraffin wax (below, fig. 3),  completely submersing the electronics.  Insert the AAA battery cell and put spoon in mouth for 20 minutes when ready to go to sleep.

 
 
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Figure 2

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Figure 3