FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 30, 2007
www.jcu.edu
Contact: Tonya Strong-Charles
                216.397.1958
                tstrong@jcu.edu

John Carroll University Scientists
Improve Sleep Disorders
With “Blue-Blocking” Glasses
*The product research is based on increasing melatonin production, which could also  possibly reduce the risk of cancer

University Heights, OH— Scientists at John Carroll University, working in the Lighting Innovations Institute, have developed an affordable accessory that has been shown to improve sleep patterns among people who have difficulty falling asleep.  The John Carroll researchers have created glasses designed to block blue light, therefore altering a person’s circadian rhythm. 
How the Glasses Work: Jumpstarting Melatonin Production
The individual puts on the glasses a couple of hours ahead of a bedtime, advancing the circadian rhythm. The special glasses block the blue rays that cause a delay in the start of the flow of melatonin, the sleep hormone.  Normally, melatonin flow doesn’t begin until after the individual goes into darkness.
*There is persuasive data that night shift workers, who spend more time under artificial light, have much higher rates of breast cancer.
Alternative Uses: Better Sleep / Depression Relief / Cancer Prevention
Major uses of the blue-blocking glasses include:

1. Providing Better Sleep
2. Avoiding Postpartum Depression
3. Preventing Seasonal Affective Disorder
4. Reducing the Risk of Cancer

An alternative to the glasses has also been developed in the form of night lights and light bulbs with coatings that block the blue light. Instead of wearing the glasses, an individual may simply turn off ordinary lights and, instead, turn on the ones with filters that remove the blue rays.  The night light is a convenient “plug-in” device.
The cost of the items ranges from approximately $5 for light bulbs and night lights to $40-$60 for glasses.
Background

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John Carroll University, located in Cleveland, Ohio, is a liberal arts university grounded in the Jesuit, Catholic tradition.  The university has some 3,100 plus undergraduates and just over 700 graduate students.  The U.S. News & World Report’s 2007 annual college guide ranks John Carroll University among the top 10 master’s-degree granting universities in the Midwest and first in average graduation rate. Originally founded as St. Ignatius College in 1886, the university was renamed in 1923 to honor America’s first Catholic bishop, John Carroll of Maryland.  John Carroll is one of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities located in the United States.

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