Why Is Natural Light So Important To Our Lives?
Apr 28, 2023
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With the return of spring and the end of the long winter, the hours of sunshine in the northern hemisphere begin to lengthen. The bright sunshine also makes many people feel cheerful and happy.
Everyone knows that sunlight is the basic condition for the survival of all things in the world. But the effect of natural light is much more than that. Its influence and effect on our body and mind may sometimes be beyond your imagination.
Let's sort out the impact of natural light on people's mood, brain, sleep, bones and other aspects.
Control Biological Clock
It has long been a recognized scientific fact that the human body has a biological clock. The biological clock controls and influences our physical health 24 hours a day: from metabolism to sleep and rest.
Although, the body's biological clock can operate as usual without external "reminders" (for example, scientists stay in caves without natural light, and their internal biological clocks continue to operate on a 24-hour basis).
However, that doesn't mean natural light doesn't work. In fact, the human body responds very sensitively to light.
Natural light is an important signal that helps initiate numerous biological functions in the body.
Improve Sleeping
In winter, the sunshine time is short and the weather is cold. Many people feel tired all the time and don't sleep well.
In addition to the seasonal relationship, in fact, the main reason here is the lack of sunlight, which will directly lead to insufficient secretion of melatonin in the human body, which directly affects sleep.
Therefore, in addition to the function of natural light to wake people up from deep sleep in the morning, it actually helps people sleep at night.
Because an hour of sunlight exposure during the day will prime your brain and adjust your body clock, helping you feel more sleepy when you go to bed at night. You can wear a BP Smartwatch to monitor your sleep to see if your sleep quality has improved.
Some flights have begun to imitate the different lights of nature to help passengers eliminate fatigue and jet lag.
Avoid cell phone blue light
The use of electronic devices such as computers and mobile phones has become a part of people's daily work and life.
But it is now understood that the blue light emitted by these screens can affect the secretion of our sleep hormones, which can lead to insomnia.
Therefore, the relevant departments of the United Kingdom remind and call on people to avoid blue light for a period of time before going to bed at night, and to keep mobile phones outside the bedroom.
Light Affects Mood
Natural light can also improve people's mood and make them feel happier.
This is because when sunlight enters the brain through the optic nerve, the body perceives sunlight, which increases the level of serotonin, a chemical that can bring people a sense of satisfaction. So people feel better.
Conversely, people who often work shifts may be depressed or even depressed due to lack of sunlight.
In addition, there is a mental illness that is directly related to the amount of sunlight. This condition is called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
People with the disorder develop depressive symptoms as the daylight hours get shorter and shorter as autumn approaches.
A current theory believes that this is due to the decrease in sunlight time, which causes the body's biological clock to become disordered.
One way to treat the condition is to use a lamp that mimics natural light. Just 30 minutes of exposure in the morning can adjust your body clock and improve your mood.
Sunshine and Strong Bones
Vitamin D is very important to the human body as it helps our body absorb calcium and phosphate from our diet. These minerals are essential for the body to have healthy bones, teeth and muscles.
Vitamin D deficiency can lead to rickets and bone deformities.
Therefore, vitamin D is also known as the "sunshine vitamin". Fortunately, we can absorb almost all the vitamin D our bodies need from sunlight.
Most of us get the vitamin D we need when the sun hits our skin.
Of course, prolonged exposure to the sun has its dangers, so be careful with sun protection, such as using sunscreen or avoiding direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day.
When the weather is good, go out for a walk more and feel the sunshine on your body.