Sleep and Daily Rhythm

We tend to live inside a lot, and this can disconnect us from having healthy circadian rhythms, which can lead to sleep issues, and/or waking up issues. I consider light to be an essential nutrient, something that goes far beyond the Vitamin D you can get in a bottle. 

Light therapy can help with many things, including better sleep. Getting early morning sunlight on the face (not through glass) for 30-45 minutes, has been shown to help with insomnia. But just having a walk in the sunshine in the morning is going to help a lot. Morning light governs the release of melatonin at night, which promotes sleep. It is the yin /yang of sleep and awakeness. 

We tend to want to override the natural daily rhythms of light and dark because that is the culture we are in, and we can because of electric lights. However there are ancient evolutionary hormonal mechanisms built into our body that have responded to these cycles- both daily and seasonal- for millions of years. 

For better sleep, becoming more attuned and exposed to morning sunlight and also to darkness- in the evening and in our bedrooms at night - helps our body remember that healthy rhythm. 

It is easy to override these daily rhythms, but the body usually associates this with something stressful. 

Of course, daily habits that support this rhythm, such as getting up early to enjoy morning sunlight, and winding down in the evening with dimming lights and a relaxing routine….help us to honour this natural occurance.  These daily rhythms also provide comfort and the reassurance that we too are nature, and can help with anxiety, stress and mental health issues as well as insomnia.