Morning Sunlight

An underused but highly important health habit!

Today’s topic of conversation is all about the importance of getting sunlight in your eyes in the early hours of the day. This might seem basic but let me explain just how IMPORTANT getting sunlight in the morning is to your health and well-being. Quickly, the science behind the benefits of morning sunlight come from the fact that we (humans) have something called photosensitive retinal ganglion cells in our eyes which help control our circadian rhythm. I know that’s a mouth full but here’s all you need to take away from that: our daily functioning is EXTREMELY reliant on sunlight. You may be wondering why sunlight is so significant in the morning and I have your answer; the cells mentioned earlier (their name isn’t important to know!) are MUCH more sensitive to sunlight in the morning than they are at any other time of the day – they even become ‘inactivated’ in a sense by late morning. Interestingly, the cells become reactivated as evening rolls around which contributes to the known fact that bright lights (*cough, cough: phone screens) in the latter half of the day result in disrupted sleep. The focus of this post is on morning light exposure, however, nighttime light exposure will be addressed in the weeks to come.

Something else you may be pondering at this point is the jargon about our ‘circadian rhythm’. This is a term you’ve possibly heard but not thought about it being a critical component of our health and well-being. To summarize, circadian rhythm is a 24-hour human time cycle that influences our mood, hunger, sleepiness, hormone release, etc. A disrupted circadian rhythm is known to be a contributing factor to seasonal affective disorder as winter is a time when there isn’t much sunlight. However, the fascinating thing is that we can leverage this cycle and make it more potent by something as simple as getting outside and allowing the sun to shine in our eyes (not by directly looking at the sun) every morning for just a short period of time!

What are the benefits of viewing sunlight in the morning?

(1) It regulates energy during the day and tiredness later at night.

• If you struggle with daytime lethargy or nighttime energy, sunlight is key!

(2) It regulates hunger hormone release and appetite control.

(3) It has OVERWHELMING implications on positive mood and well-being.

• This is due to its role in cortisol, epinephrine, and dopamine release.

What does this mean for you?

• Try to get outside for 5-10 minutes (more is better in this case) within the first hour of waking up on the majority of mornings and be in an area where the sun (cloud cover is still fine) is shining. This could even mean standing on your front porch for 10 minutes drinking your morning coffee! (A morning walk would yield an extra benefit!)

  • Try NOT to wear sunglasses during this time; they block the necessary rays from the sun that are important to all the things discussed above.

• Use artificial means of light if getting outside isn’t possible due to weather.

  • This means turning on bright lights in your living space and/or investing in sunlight mimicking lights such as HappyLight ($40 on Amazon).

Believe me, I know how silly it sounds that standing outside within the first hour of wakening just to see the sun can yield huge benefits to your health because I thought the same thing… before I get into a routine of doing it consistently. To be frank, I would point to morning sunlight as quite possibly the most powerful tool I’ve adopted that has allowed me to fall and stay asleep at night, have significant energy during the day, and maintain a quality mood and feeling state.

As always, reach out with any questions you may have on morning sunlight!

Quote of the week:

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you will not see the shadows” – Helen Keller

DISCLAIMER

-       This is NOT Medical advice. Consult your medical professional before starting any supplement, diet regimen, or workout program.