Have you ever noticed that going outside on a sunny day can make you feel happier; or how difficult it is to fall asleep after a session of screen time? An increasing amount of research studies are showing the relationship between the body’s internal clock and mental health. The body’s internal clock is called the circadian rhythm. It controls how much of each hormone is released at specific times during the day. When the wrong amounts of hormones are released at the wrong times of the day, it can cause mental health symptoms including sadness, fatigue, trouble sleeping, stress, and more!
Your body knows what time it is based on external cues. The most impactful cue is light and darkness. Exposing yourself to bright light during the day and complete darkness at night is the best way to regulate your circadian rhythm! However, it’s not always practical to do so. Here’s a list of a few easy ways to use the power of light and darkness to regulate your circadian rhythm and improve your mental health!
1. (Try to) Wake up at the same time every morning
The best thing you can do for your circadian rhythm is to wake up at the same time every morning; but trying to keep your sleep schedule consistent between weekends and weekdays is tough! Waking up early on weekends could mean saying no to late-night social plans the night before, which can also put a strain on your mental health. Research shows that waking up at the same time every day is more important than getting 8 hours of sleep, meaning that the benefits of waking up early might be worth feeling a little tired the next day; but let’s not get carried away with this! Being sleep deprived also negatively impacts your mental health! A good plan to follow is to try to wake up at the same time every morning, as long as you’re getting at least 6 hours of sleep the night before. And the good news is, in research terms, “the same time every day” means within one hour of your usual wakeup time! At least that gives you a little more wiggle room to sleep slightly later on the weekends!
2. Get sunlight as soon as you wake up
The sun is a powerful tool for regulating your circadian rhythm, and luckily, it doesn’t take much time to experience its benefits! According to research, getting just 10 minutes of sunlight as soon as you wake up is enough to help regulate your circadian rhythm. The great thing about this is that it’s pretty easy to fit 10 minutes into your morning routine. If you’re used to waking up at 8:00, just wake up at 7:50 instead! Or, better yet, try doing part of your morning routine outside. If you normally open emails and drink coffee on the couch, consider moving to your backyard. It’s best to get sunlight as soon as possible after waking, but if that’s not something you can do with your schedule, just try to do it as soon as possible. Many websites sell small portable sun lamps that you can bring to school or work if you’re in a rush!
3. Get sunlight in the afternoon also!
Ever experience that 2:00 PM energy dip? If you get tired in the afternoon, getting some sunlight is a good idea! Research shows that getting 30 minutes of sunlight between 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM can help prevent that mid-day crash. This can help you feel more awake during the day and sleepier at night. If you get a lunch break at school or work, try sitting outside while you eat. Or if the weather isn’t good, you can use a sunlamp instead, just like you would for your morning sunlight! Research shows that it’s best to use a 10,000 Lux light, 6 inches away from your face, at a 45-degree angle.
4. Block blue light at night
Blue light mimics the light from the sun, which tricks your body into thinking it’s daytime. For this reason, exposing yourself to blue light at night makes it harder to fall asleep. The most common sources of blue light are electronic screens and certain lightbulbs. The most effective way to block blue light is to turn off all electronic screens 4 hours before you go to sleep; but that’s not entirely possible for most people. Phones and TVs are an integral part of our daily lives and abandoning them after sunset can be difficult. However, there are a few ways to reduce the amount of blue light we are exposed to! The first thing you should do is check if your electronics have a ‘Night Mode’ setting on them. ‘Night Mode’ will alter the colors on your computer to less stimulating hues. In addition to this, consider buying a pair of blue light blocking glasses. An affordable, yet powerful tool, blue light glasses filter out the blue light in our environment, preventing it from reaching our eyes. However, many glasses that claim to block blue light only block between 10 and 20% of it. Try to find a pair with amber, or orange, lenses! Glasses that have these lenses typically block between 90 and 99% of blue light. Start wearing them 4 hours before you go to sleep, and take them off once you’re in a dark room!
5. Sleep in complete darkness
When you go to sleep, you should make your room as dark as possible so your brain will know that it’s time for bed. Doing this will make it easier to fall asleep, less likely that you’ll wake up during the night, and improve the overall quality of your sleep. There are many simple ways to eliminate light in your bedroom! If there are bright street lights outside of your window, consider getting black-out curtains. If you sleep with the TV on as background noise, try using a fan instead. Any small changes you can make will add up to big results!
In a perfect world, we’d all stay in bright lights during the day and complete darkness 4 hours before we sleep, but that’s just not feasible. However, even making small changes in your daily light and darkness exposure can make a big difference! Start with small changes first, and continue adding them until you’ve fully optimized your use of light and dark therapy. Remember, perfection is the enemy of good!
Support Our Campaign
We rely on the generosity of the public to fund our work and so far together we have achieved great things! Please do continue to support us so we can provide future generations in Ireland with the resources to recognise and talk about their emotions, and equip them to navigate the ever-changing world around them as they grow
