3 Ways Sunlight Can Help You Sleep
When I first started practising as a Hypnotherapist, I was surprised by the number of people who came to see me with sleep difficulties. The reasons for this are many but there may be some simple things you can do that would be helpful or might actually solve the problem for you.
1. Get Outside First Thing
The body has a set of biological rhythms that occur through a 24-hour period governed by what is known as the circadian rhythm. This governs the sleep/wake cycle. Melatonin production is part of this but only a part of the body’s mechanism for inducing sleep.
Dr. Roger Seheult, an American physician who has done much research on sleep says in the video listed below under ’Resources’ that it is important for us to reset the Circadian Rhythm on a daily basis for the healthy functioning of the body, including quality sleep. If we look at bright light after sundown, the circadian rhythm gets confused and thinks it is still daytime when the body should be preparing for sleep.
He suggests not only limiting exposure to screens for example after sundown, but also exposing ourselves to daylight as soon after waking as possible. This means getting daylight outside. Getting it through the windows is not the same. I personally have found that going outside first thing for a walk for 30 or so minutes gives me an invigorating start to the day and my mind is clear and alert, presumably because my circadian rhythm has been reset.
Try to find ways in which you can do this. Can you for example walk part or all of the way to work? Can you get up half an hour earlier and get outside? You may find this simple practice more helpful than you know.
2. Dim the Lights in the Evening
Before the advent of gas or electric light, our ancestors lived by the sun. They would get up with the sun and go to bed when the sun went down or at least, stop their work for the day, thus living with the body’s natural cycles.
The lifestyles we live now make it difficult for us to do likewise but we can mimic this behaviour to some extent in order to let our circadian rhythms work better for us.
Many people find they sleep better when they prepare for it and by dimming the lights in the evening as the sun goes down, we are preparing our biology for the onset of sleep when the time comes.
This also means reducing screen use whether that is phones or televisions as already mentioned, and particularly from 9p.m. onwards.
3. The Camp Fire Ritual
Our early ancestors might have spent time round the camp fire in the evenings with their families, members of their communities, telling stories perhaps or chatting and eating together.
What similar activities could you engage in in the evenings that might have the flavour of the camp fire ritual, an acknowledgment that the sun has gone down and it’s the end of the day’s activities? Spending time reading, chatting with your partner and/or family, cooking and eating together, playing board games, some time on a hobby, a beauty ritual?
Sunlight
By the way, apart from the mention I have made above of the value of getting outside for exposure to daylight first thing, regular time allowing your body to be exposed to sunlight has other health-boosting effects.
Melatonin for example that is related to sleep inducement is also a powerful antioxidant. By being in sunlight, our bodies absorb near infra-red light which is completely safe to the skin. However, near infra-red helps the cells produce melatonin for the purpose of protection through its anti-oxidant properties. What’s more, it is absorbed through clothing so getting outside any time of the year is valuable.
Resources
Here are a couple of videos on this subject by well-qualified medical practitioners. I think you will find them enlightening:
Light Therapy and Melatonin: https://youtu.be/5YV_iKnzDRg
The ‘Upgrade Your Brain’ section of this: https://youtu.be/x29hY6_8bDg