Science for sleep

For many scientists, research is initiated because of a question or curiosity. For University of Redlands Biology Professor Lisa Olson, it came in 2020 as a gift from her daughter - a bubble bath infused with melatonin. Though a thoughtful gift, Olson had her doubts about the product.

“The scientist part of me was like, ‘this is probably bogus, there's probably not any melatonin in this, and if there is, it's probably deactivated with heat or it doesn't get absorbed through the skin,’” Olson recalled.

In summer 2024, Olson and her students, biology majors Vanessa Sherman ’25 and Kathy Bonilla ’25, are conducting research on the product and comparing it to a melatonin-infused lotion and oral pill. As a follow-up to Olson’s 2021-2023 research which was conducted with former U of R students and will be published in an upcoming issue of Neuroendocrinology Letters, Vanessa and Kathy’s work is part of U of R’s Student Science Research program — a 10-week summer program that allows students to conduct career-relevant research alongside faculty. As part of the research, participants will take an oral pill, soak their feet in the bubble bath, or apply the lotion.

“We’re taking saliva samples for 48 hours afterwards to analyze participant’s melatonin levels,” Olson said. “We will compare all three treatments and seeing which ones make it [melatonin levels] go highest and which ones last the longest.”

In addition to both students choosing Redlands for its small class size, Vanessa was enticed by the opportunity to conduct research with faculty.

“This is something I’ve been waiting four years for,” Vanessa said. “What excites me about this project and the student science research program is sharing our progress with students on other research projects and learning about their projects.”

Ever interested in science, Vanessa is considering a research career, and hoping to gain skills in the lab that will have a lasting impact.

“We are still in the beginning stages of this project but, being fully immersed and involved in the development of the project has been my favorite part,” Vanessa said. “There are a lot of specific steps that must be taken to work with human participants and learning about them now provides valuable insight to what responsibilities my future career will entail.”

Drawn to biology for its link to the medical field, Kathy, a first-generation student, also aspires to have a research career post-graduate school.

“Some of my favorite things within this project are being able to run the treatments on myself and understand what it is like for participants to go through this process,” Kathy said. “I recently learned the process of the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), that we will be using later to do our analysis of the amount of melatonin in the saliva samples.”

Vanessa and Kathy see the importance of the study and what it means for those who use melatonin.

“Some people who see melatonin in lotion form might think it is safer to use than the pill,” Kathy said. “But what will happen if the lotion contains more melatonin than the pill?”

Results from Olson’s 2023 study concluded that melatonin levels were raised ~1000-fold for participants using a melatonin-infused lotion compared to a placebo lotion.

“This project will provide insight on the melatonin levels and linked side-effects for melatonin consumers,” Vanessa said. “With the results from this project, we aim to continue expanding our knowledge of the effectiveness and safety of these products in relation to both mental and physical well-being.”

What began with Olson’s personal curiosity during sleepless nights evolved into a comprehensive study for some of U of R’s most curious minds, and an important message to buyers of the products.

“This is important to get out there so that consumers can be cautious particularly if they're using it [the bubble bath] on kids,” Olson said. “It doesn't have any instructions other than, ‘pour a generous amount into your bubble bath.’ It doesn't say how often you should use it or how much. I think it's important for consumers to know.”

Learn more about Redlands Student Science Research program.