Sunlight is a natural stimulant, which means that it enhances our alertness by stimulating the body’s circadian rhythms. When we’re exposed to sunlight, it sends signals to our brain that tells us when we should be ready for action and when it’s time for rest. So what does this mean for sleep? Well, sunlight exposure during the day helps prepare us for a good night’s sleep at night as well as boosts our mood. And not just any light will do! You need natural daylight – not artificial light from your phone or TV screen – in order to trigger these responses from your body. So if you feel like your sleep cycle isn’t working properly or feels like it needs some optimizing, consider spending more time outside during the day! It could make all the difference!
Sunlight affects your sleep in two ways:
- Regulating our body’s production of the sleepy hormone melatonin
- Increasing our brain’s release of serotonin, a hormone that boosts our mood and helps us feel calm and focused
Natural light enhances our alertness by stimulating the body’s circadian rhythms.
Circadian rhythms are biological cycles that affect our sleep. These natural rhythms also affect our hormones and moods, which means they impact how well we sleep. Sunlight stimulates our circadian rhythm by providing light cues to the brain, which can help keep you awake during the day and make sure your body is ready to sleep at night.
Natural light exposure is important for good health.
The sun is important for good health. As humans, we need sunlight to produce vitamin D, which helps maintain bone density and may help protect against cancer, heart disease, and other chronic conditions. The amount of natural light you receive affects your circadian rhythm—the cycle that regulates your internal clock. A healthy circadian rhythm can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer at night (resulting in better sleep quality).
Natural light helps protect against seasonal depression, jet lag, and sleep disorders.
Natural light exposure is also known to be one of the best treatments for seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that’s closely tied to lack of sunlight during winter months; it’s often treated with exposure therapy—exposure to full-spectrum fluorescent lights or bright light boxes during certain times of day in order to reset your body clock and ease symptoms. If you’ve recently traveled across time zones on a long flight, being exposed to natural sunlight as soon as possible after arrival can help adjust your body clock faster so that you aren’t feeling sleepy all day long.
All that is mentioned here about how sunlight affects our sleep is also true for our babies and kids. So don’t be afraid of getting out in the sunshine with your baby, even if it’s just for 30 minutes of morning sunlight each day!
If you want to learn more about baby sleep training and learn how to foster healthy sleep habits for your child, book a FREE 20-mins discovery call with us today or you can DIY by reading our book Sleep Baby Sleep or watch our Sleep Baby Sleep Online Video program
I have met many parents over the years and while many agrees with baby sleep training, some are a bit Read more
So you may not mind waking up at night for the night time feed because it doesn’t take too long Read more
8 years ago, my twins were born and nothing could have prepared me for their arrivals. Like any first time Read more
When we’re dealing with sleep issues with our children, it’s easy to become overwhelmed trying to figure out a place Read more
