What is Chrono Coaching anyway? And what can we do with it?

The term “Chrono Coaching” is more exciting than it actually is. It is more or less the opposite of light therapy, while light therapy is used to treat certain medical conditions, such as seasonal mood disorders. The word ‘therapy’ is often associated with being ill.

Chrono Coaching can be used to alleviate a fatigue problem, such as the winter blues. But it is more often used to improve performance so that you can get the most out of yourself. You could see it as a form of biohacking where you achieve maximum performance in a natural way with different products.

In this article we will introduce you to Chrono Coaching, the science behind Chrono Coaching and its various applications.

What is Chrono Coaching?

Humans have a history of about 200,000 years. In that time we woke up and got up when the sun came up and went to sleep when it got dark. Our lives have only been influenced by artificial light for 300 years, evolution has given us a complex body that adapts to its environment and shapes it to its will.

The body reacts to daylight. In the morning we wake up to the blue tones of the morning light, in the evening the body reacts to the red tones of the evening light.

In today's 24-hour society where everything has to be arranged immediately, the body can protest. This is due to the perception of artificial light, which disrupts our biological clock. Artificial light also contains blue hues to which our body reacts.

Chrono Coaching restores your biological, natural rhythm through blue LEDs in the frame.

It works like this; When your rhythm deviates from the natural rhythm, a sunrise can be simulated by means of the blue LEDs, which causes your body to temporarily stop producing the sleep hormone melatonin. When blue light is blocked, the production of melatonin is stimulated, which makes you sleepy. Everything stands or falls with blue light!

What can you use Chrono Coaching for?

Chrono Coaching is widely applicable. In recent years, scientific research on various fronts has validated that the application possibilities of light therapy are very broad.

Intercontinental travel

Whether you are traveling for work or for sporting events, the first hurdle is overcoming jet lag. Anyone who travels through multiple time zones will experience jet lag. Jet lag occurs when traveling through multiple time zones, disrupting our biological clock.

Ninety percent of travelers experience jet lag when traveling east. Only ten percent of travelers experience jet lag when traveling west.

You can now influence the synchronization of your internal clock by administering blue at the right times or by filtering blue light. By means of a strict light and sleep schedule of a few days, you can easily synchronize your internal clock.

The fact that control of the biological peak moment works is not only scientifically proven , several Olympic athletes and teams have proven it by winning gold medals with the right dose of light. The only thing they need to pack extra in their luggage is the Propeaq light glasses.

Irregular shifts (night shift)

Anyone who works at night and therefore irregular shifts knows the dip: the moment when sleep threatens to strike while you are still working. Our internal clock produces that sleepy feeling under the influence of the cycle of day and night.

Daylight wakes us up and keeps us awake, when night falls the body prepares itself for sleep. When the outside temperature is at its lowest, human energy also reaches its lowest point, the moment of deep sleep. This is how our biological clock has been programmed since prehistoric times.

However, staying alert and energetic during night shifts is possible with Chrono Coaching. You don't have to use it the entire working day: 30 minutes of wearing it with the blue light switched on is enough to stay ahead of the dip. It works like this: the blue light seems like an extra sunrise to your senses. Your body responds by temporarily stopping the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. You can then perform at your level for a few more hours, as long as you have used the blue light before you feel the dip.

Winter blues or winter depression

Did you know that about 11% of the population suffers from the winter blues? In the Netherlands alone, that is more than 1 million people. A winter blues or winter depression is related to the lack of natural light in the fall and winter. The sun rises later and sets earlier, for some, commuting is even in complete darkness.

Sleep-wake rhythm improvement

The importance of a good night's sleep is often underestimated. However, a good night's sleep is essential for good health and a well-functioning immune system. By means of Chrono Coaching, a tightly regulated sleep-wake rhythm can be realized in just 30 minutes.

Expose yourself to light therapy for 30 minutes immediately after waking up. The body starts up and is ready for the start of the day. Block blue light 30 to 45 minutes before going to bed. This ensures that the production of melatonin is not hindered and that you become sleepy.

Blocking blue light can be done by switching off all artificial light. Think of phones, televisions and other bright light sources. Do you still like to watch television in bed or scroll through social media? No problem, wearing glasses with orange lenses also helps. The orange lenses ensure that the blue light is filtered.

Ongoing investigations

In addition to the proven and tested methods, there are currently several studies underway into the possible applications of light therapy.

Parkinson

The Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen conducts a lot of research into Parkinson's disease. A phased study is currently underway into the possibilities of using blue light in Parkinson's patients. Blue light glasses have been introduced as a possible new method to treat sleep and mood disorders in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Assessing patient acceptance is an important first step towards formal testing and introduction into clinical practice. The results of the first phase were published in June in Parkinson's Disease (Hindawi) Volume 2019. Below is a summary and a link to the publication.

Summary

Monochromatic blue light glasses have been introduced as a potential new method to treat sleep disorders in patients with Parkinson's disease. Assessing patient acceptance is an important step towards testing and introduction into clinical practice. Fifty-eight patients with Parkinson's disease have been using light glasses for at least one week. 74% of respondents reported subjective improvements in nocturnal sleep, daytime sleepiness, depressive symptoms, motor function, or a combination of these. All but one patient want to continue using the light glasses, mostly because they consider them a useful tool.

Conclusion

Portable light therapy with monochromatic blue light appears to have a positive effect on sleep, mood and motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease. Patients generally had a positive evaluation of the light glasses as a treatment for sleep and mood disorders. Much research has already been done into the relationship between light, sleep and Parkinson's disease. The studies offer hope with often remarkable results. Light expert Toine Schoutens is involved in studies into the effects of specific blue light in the bandwidth of the patented Propeaq glasses from Chrono Eyewear BV (Propeaq). The results of the first study were published in a peer-reviewed international journal in June 2019:

Blue Light Therapy Glasses in Parkinson's Disease Patients' Experience: Hindawi Parkinsons Disease:, Bastiaan Bloem PhD, Daniel van Wamelen PhD, Katarzyna Smilowska PhD from the department of Neurology, Radboud University Nijmegen (NL) and Toine Schoutens from Chrono Eyewear BV, Tilburg the Netherlands.
Volume 2019 |Article ID 1906271 | 4 pages | https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/1906271

ADHD & Delayed Sleep-Phase Syndrome

Many people with ADHD suffer from the so-called Delayed Sleep-Phase Syndrome (DSPS), also called sleep rhythm disorder. Treatment of this is part of the field of a psychologist, psychiatrist or other specialist.

DSPS is a chronic disorder in which the client's biological clock is out of sync with the morning-rise/night-sleep pattern of most adults and adolescents. People with ADHD and DSPS typically have very late onset of sleep and also have difficulty waking up in the morning. Often, clients report that they cannot fall asleep until early in the morning, but they fall asleep at the same time every night, regardless of their bedtime. This can cause them to have problems (sleep debt) when they have to wake up in time for a normal school or work day, as they have only had a few hours of sleep.

If they can keep to their own sleep schedule and they do not have other disorders such as sleep apnea in addition to DSPS, they sleep well. They wake up by themselves and do not feel sleepy until the next night. They have a normal need for sleep in their DSPS, for example from 4 am to 12 pm. The result is that the clients receive too little daylight and suffer from a disrupted metabolism with overweight or diabetes type II.

Treatment

The treatment of DSPS is quite simple but requires a lot of resilience. It requires a different approach than the treatment of sleeplessness or insomnia (difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep due to worrying). Discipline in following the instructions is extremely important for the success of the method.

• Mild and moderate cases of DSPS can be treated by having the client go to bed 15 minutes earlier each day until the desired bedtime is reached. In the morning, light therapy with the PROPEAQ light glasses is taken for 30 minutes, for example during breakfast, preferably at a fixed time between 7 and 8 am. If you get up late, get up 15 minutes earlier each day followed by 30 minutes of light therapy. Every evening/night, go to bed 15 minutes earlier each time until the desired time is reached, preceded by wearing orange glasses for 30 minutes.
• Avoid light after 21:00, then put on the PROPEAQ light glasses (light off) with orange lenses. No screens (pc, laptop, tablet, smartphone) after 22:00 until the moment you go to sleep.
• Before starting treatment, the client is asked to sleep regularly for the week beforehand, without naps during the day, at times that feel good for the patient. It is important that the patient is well rested before starting treatment.
• Once the client has achieved an earlier sleep schedule, it should be adhered to very strictly. People with DSPS are advised not to go to bed until they are actually tired, as this usually does not result in an earlier night's sleep. They are also advised not to consume alcohol or caffeine after 8:00 p.m.
• Use a sleep diary or sleep app.
• Adjust lifestyle. Late chronotypes are often active (and creative) in the evening and night. It is advisable to slowly shift this behavior to an earlier moment if DSPS involves a decrease in the quality of life.