30 Days to Better Sleep: Expose Yourself to Morning Sunlight

What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? Chances are that it doesn't involve getting prolonged direct exposure to sunlight. How might this undermine your ability to sleep? Learn how exposure to morning sunlight may help you to sleep better, especially if you have a circadian rhythm disorder. Light is the principal control of our day-night cycle, influencing everything from body temperature to metabolism to sleep. Without it, our bodies will run on a pattern determined by our genetics (called tau). This may not be quite 24 hours in length, and the daily discrepancy can add up. We also have natural tendencies that determine when we most want to sleep, with about 10 percent of people being night owls. When the timing of sleep runs counter to our social obligations, it can be problematic. Falling asleep and waking too late may represent delayed sleep phase syndrome. On the other hand, falling asleep and waking too early may characterize advanced sleep phase syndrome. Each of these conditions may be helped by properly timed exposure to light and melatonin. Light can also be helpful in people who suffer from difficulty sleeping as part of insomnia. It can help to regularize the patterns of sleep and wakefulness. How and when should you expose yourself to light? There is a growing market for artificial light boxes. Many of these provide an intensity of light of about 10,000 lux or less. For comparison, the sun's light intensity is 100,000 lux. Light boxes ...
Source: About Sleep Disorders - Category: Sleep Medicine Source Type: news