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Program 00 Circadian Rhythm Balance
Patented Protocol for Circadian Rhythm Balance and Alignment
Program # 00 incorporates exclusive patented technology into our fifth generation
MindSpa. This solid light program (non-blinking) is designed for use specifically in
conjunction with our CalmBlue open eye LED Glasses.
Our Internal Body Clock
Light is a powerful regulator of the human circadian system, the "body clock." The
circadian rhythm is the internal 24 hour clock controlling physiological changes that
occur with the natural light-dark cycle of the day.
The SCN or suprachiasmatic nucleus acts as the central processing system for our
body clock. It is located in a part of the brain, the hypothalamus, just above the point
where the optic nerves cross. Light reaches photoreceptors in the back of the eye, the
retina, generating signals that travel along the optic nerve to several areas of the brain
including the SCN, which is a non-visual part of the brain. In addition to sleep/wake
cycle regulation, the SCN also plays a primary role in hormone secretion, and body
temperature and blood pressure regulation among other daily functions.
In the presence of light, or the lack thereof, signals from the SCN travel to various
parts of the brain, including the pineal gland. The pineal gland is responsible for
controlling production of the hormone melatonin.
Melatonin is the sleep hormone. Melatonin levels normally increase in the absence of
light. Exposure to specific light frequencies suppresses melatonin production for
several hours. Melatonin makes us feel drowsy and plays a role in mood change.
However, this only begins to describe the critical role Melatonin plays in regulating
body function. We suggest further independent reading on its role. Here is one of
many links: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/melatonin-000315.htm
The Retina and our Body Clock
In just the past few years, scientists discovered a specialized set of cells in the retina
that respond specifically to the action spectrum. Until this discovery, for about the last
200 years it was believed the retina only contained two types of specialized
photoreceptors, the rods and cones.
We now know the retina contains three types of specialized photoreceptors that
respond to the visible light spectrum. Visible light ranges from approximately 370 nm
to 730 nm. These photoreceptors consist of the rods, cones and the recently
discovered light/dark receptors.
The rods are the most numerous photoreceptors and the most sensitive to light, but are
not sensitive to color. The retina contains approximately 110 - 125,000,000 rods.
They are primarily responsible for dim light vision. The rods peak in the blue range
and have almost no response to red light. Known as the scotopic photoreceptor system,
the peak wavelength sensitivity is 507 nm, the green/blue-green color range.
The cones are color sensitive and divided primarily into red and green cones with a
small percentage of blue cones. There are approximately 6.5 million cones in the
retina divided into approximately 64% red sensitive cones, 32% green cones, and 2%
blue cones. The blue cones are more sensitive to light than the red or green cones. The
cones are responsible for high resolution vision known as photopic photoreceptor
system. The cones have a peak wavelength sensitivity of 555 nm, the green spectrum.
The melanopsin receptors, also referred to as the light/dark photoreceptors, discovered
just a few years ago are sensitive to the narrow blue wavelength action spectrum.
These are independent of the classic rod and cone photoreceptors used for vision, and
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