WHY IS SUNLIGHT IMPORTANT?
When we first hear about sunlight we often associate sun exposure with its negative effects such as skin cancers, cataracts, sunburn etc. This is of course true with excessive sun exposure (especially during the middle of the day) and a high UV index.
There is however more recent evidence, thanks to the likes of Huberman Lab and others, which shows getting daily morning sunlight in our eyes is beneficial for our health.
Sleep - One of the best ways to improve your sleep-wake cycle is by starting your morning with the sun. Early morning sun, at what's called ‘low solar angle’, sends signals from the back of our eyes (retinas) to our brains to promote wakefulness.
This signal lowers melatonin (the sleep hormone) and increases our cortisol levels (the stress hormone needed to take on the morning). When we don’t get morning sunlight, our melatonin dips slower and cortisol rises later in the day which can influence how you sleep that night.
Dopamine - Sunlight in the morning results in a spike of dopamine and an increased overall level of dopamine throughout the day. Dopamine is the brain chemical that plays an important role for our motivation, especially when it comes to pursuing our future goals and being focused on the task at hand. Dopamine is also responsible for enhancing our mood whilst offsetting symptoms such as tiredness, fatigue & low energy levels.
Morning sunlight has also been correlated to other improvements in health including increased vitamin D levels, improved appetite, immunity and more!
To get the right amount of light energy needed, Huberman Lab recommends 5-10 minutes in the morning on a sunny day and/or up to 20 minutes on a cloudy day (Bonus points for those that are also barefoot and out in nature).
It is also suggested to look indirectly at the sun (don’t stare directly at it). It is important to note that sunglasses and car windows drastically filter out light energy, but prescription lens’ do not.
Additionally, indoor lighting doesn’t produce the same quality of light energy as the sun (even sun exposure on a cloudy day has better light).
In summary, morning sunlight has plenty of benefits on both physical and mental health. Morning sunlight has a positive influence on multiple aspects of our health and our hormones which enhances our mood, sleep, focus and energy levels for the day.
References
Maximizing Productivity, Physical & Mental Health with Daily Tools - Huberman Lab
Sleep Toolkit: Tools for Optimizing Sleep & Sleep-Wake Timing - Huberman Lab Podcast
The Molecule Of More - Daniel Lieberman
Dopamine Nation - Dr Anna Lembke