THE SUN IS THE BEST LAMP

Getting exposure to sunlight in the morning can help you sleep at night because it helps reset your body’s inner “sleep clock”. Light is an important cue for your body’s sleep cycle. The light you are exposed to during the day helps your body figure out when it’s time to go to bed and when it’s time to wake up, says an article in Very Well Health.

Sunrise and sunset are good therapy, says Andrew D. Huberman, PhD, Professor of Neurobiology & Ophthalmology at Stanford Medicine. It’s “the best lamp”, better than the SAD lamps some people require to combat seasonal depression, he says. It regulates not just sleep, but other aspects of your well-being.

“The yellow-blue contrast present at sunrise (& orange-blue at sunset) = the optimal stimulus for setting your circadian rhythm for quality sleep and daytime mood, focus and alertness. Even without cloud cover when it’s not perceptible it’s still there and is more effective than any artificial light.

“10-30 min daily minimum (more on densely overcast days) sans sunglasses, blink as needed to protect your eyes,” he advises.