You wake up but don’t feel refreshed.
Do you ever feel sleepy all day, or struggle to fall asleep at night?
One possible cause is not getting enough morning light.
When we get morning sunlight, our brain recognizes that “morning has come” and sets the rhythm for the day.
In fact, many studies have shown that morning light is closely involved not only in sleep but also in concentration, mood and the overall condition of the brain.
In this article, we look at the benefits morning sunlight brings to the brain.
Your Body Clock Drifts Every Day
Our bodies have an internal clock, known as the circadian rhythm.
However, this body clock does not run on exactly 24 hours.
Sleep research from Harvard Medical School and elsewhere indicates that the human body clock averages about 24.2 hours, which means that, left alone, our daily rhythm drifts a little later each day.
Morning sunlight is what resets this drift every morning.
Light entering the eyes travels to a part of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which sends the message “morning has come” throughout the body.
The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) also regards morning light as one of the most important signals for synchronizing the body clock.
Why Morning Sunlight Leads to Better Sleep at Night
The nervous system activated by morning sunlight is also closely tied to the action of serotonin.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps:
• stabilize mood
• maintain concentration
• support motivation
among its other roles.
Then at night, serotonin is used as the raw material for melatonin, the sleep hormone.
In other words,
getting plenty of light in the morning helps you feel naturally sleepy at night.
Sleep is not just a time for the brain to rest; it is also an important time to organize the information gathered during the day and consolidate memories.
Morning Light May Also Improve Sleep Quality
Morning light has also been reported to have a positive effect on sleep quality.
A systematic review published in 2022 showed that light therapy using morning light may be effective in improving sleep rhythm and sleep quality.
Getting enough light in the morning is also expected to:
• make it easier to feel sleepy at night
• help you fall asleep more easily
• help regulate your sleep rhythm
These are some of the expected benefits.
Better sleep quality can also be expected to have a positive effect on your concentration, judgment and mood the next day.
On Hot Days, Don’t Push Yourself
Even if you’re told to go outside to get morning sunlight, midsummer heat can make it hard to go out on some days.
On days like that, start by simply opening the curtains and letting natural morning light into the room.
It isn’t as bright as being outdoors, but getting morning light can still help signal to your body that morning has come.
If you can take a short walk while it’s still cool, or walk outside for a few minutes on your commute, you can expect even greater benefits.
The key is to choose a method you can keep up without strain.
Restore Your Brain with Morning Sunlight and Relaxation
Morning is the time to soak up light and wake up your brain.
And a brain that has worked hard all day also needs time to rest properly.
At La HEAD, we care for the head, neck, shoulders and arms as one connected whole, offering time for deep relaxation of mind and body.
Set your body clock with morning sunlight, stay active during the day and get enough sleep at night.
Adding time to reset your brain with a dry head spa can help you keep your daily condition in a more comfortable balance.