Anyone who has ever worked in an office building has dreamed of having a nice office with windows that provide a great view. Now, there is one more reason to desire an office like that. A new cross- sectional study demonstrates how lack of natural light is associated with physiological, sleep, and depressive symptoms. Never in a million years would I have ever thought that light could have such an effect on someone. Furthermore, In the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, research was printed that stated exposure to certain types of electrical light before going to bed at night can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer. It was difficult to wrap my head around my new discovery at first, so I did some additional research, and discovered even more things that natural light can affect.
Light is vital to our health and survival. With out it, we would not be able to function the same way. It seems a little crazy to think a mere thing like light plays a major role in our everyday lives. A thing that I personally believe most of us take for granted is our body’s internal clock, known as our Circadian Rhythm. Depending on the amount of light we are exposed to, our body will react differently. Here is a very informative video about light and Circadian Rhythm, and how when light is detected, it triggers a chain of events in our body. It discusses several things such as why we wake up when we do, and when we are most productive during the day. I highly recommend you all to view this, as it is a simple video packed with plenty of helpful diagrams and information. I can guarantee that you will learn at least a few new things about your body that you did not know before. I would be even willing to bet that our professor, Andrew Read, will learn something new.
Additionally, studies show that the more light we get during times of when we need to focus, such as work or school, the more alert we will become. Contrary to nighttime, where we need less light so we can relax and get ready to sleep. But of course, this has to be natural light, not artificial light. Exposure to artificial light, especially at nighttime, decreases our melatonin levels. Melatonin is key, as it helps regulate our Circadian Rhythm, as shown in the video.
To be honest, at first, I was very skeptical. I mean, I just thought that you were better off in natural light because it is natural light. Honestly, who doesn’t love going outside and soaking up some rays. But now, I understand that sunlight does directly affect us, and play a critical role in our well-being. Personally, I cannot wait for it to get warmer outside, so we can go out, enjoy some fresh air, and help regulate my Circadian Rhythm.
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/wellbeing/how-light-affects-your-health.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25424517
I find this post very intriguing! I think I am so interested because this is the first time this topic has been brought to my attention. I guess it does make sense when you start to think about it. I always would have science experiments in elementary school in which we compared two plants, one in the sun and one not, an how the plant grew and then described the petals and so forth. It does make sense that having exposure to the sun and even some fresh air can help people feel better. Sometimes when I am upset I like to hibernate in a dark room with the only light being my Netflix playing on my laptop. I guess it would improve my mood if I were to open the blinds and see all the beautiful things out in the world that are so much bigger than the minuscule assignment that I didn’t do as well as I wished I did. Researchers also proved this by researching the benefits of exposure to Vitamin D, as reported on https://www.vitamindcouncil.org/health-conditions/depression/. Thanks for sharing!