Include light in your morning routine.
Optimizing the circadian rhythm is vital for every aspect of health, and light is one of the greatest cues for this internal clock. This week, try to get some bright light exposure as soon as possible after waking up.
Importance
Light is arguably the most powerful circadian cue. The first ray of light to hit your eyes when you wake up tells your internal clock it is morning and it is time to be awake. This subsequently sets off a sequence of events from hormone release to metabolism optimization; your body gets ready for the day ahead.
Exposing yourself to light first thing in the morning will therefore optimize your circadian rhythm. This has downstream benefits for almost every aspect of your health. Not only does it improve sleep quality, but it also supports metabolism, hormone regulation, gene expression, and brain function.
Implementation
As soon as you wake up, you want to get some bright light. In the summer, this is easier because the sun is up for most people by 6 am. However, in the winter months, the sun sometimes isn’t up until 9 am or even later in some countries.
If the sun is up, get outside or at a very minimum open your curtains and sit near the window. If the sun isn’t up yet, turn on some bright lights or purchase a daylight lamp.
Another way to increase your light exposure in the morning is to not wear sunglasses on the way to work. Again, in winter this probably isn’t relevant, depending on when you leave for work, but during the summer months, you can get a lot of light exposure on the drive to work if you’re not wearing sunglasses.
You want to aim for about 1000 lux of light. You can download the free app, MyLux, which will measure lux. And you ideally want to stay in this level of light all day if you really want to maximize your circadian rhythm, as light exposure has numerous benefits for our health. Light exposure during the day can boost mood and ward off depression, decrease levels of fatigue, and improve sleep quality.
Getting light exposure in the morning is a powerful practice to include in your morning routine for an optimized circadian rhythm and overall health. When you wake up each morning this week, open your curtains, get outside if you can, and turn on your lights.
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