Catch a few rays of sunshine
July 25th, 2007
There was a bumper sticker on a friend’s SUV that said, “GET OUTSIDE”. In a town that has more than its share of political bumper stickers, it was refreshing to see just this one sticker encouraging us with a simple message to go outside.
Our exposure to light - bright outdoor sunlight helps to continually set our internal clock. Disruption of this circadian rhythm is one of the hallmarks of depression. In my case I started to wake up at 4 a.m. ever morning and I couldn’t for the life of me manage to fall back asleep. It was rather strange to wake up so precisely ever day. Every time I looked at the alarm clock it was always 4 a.m. straight up. Talk about an internal clock. I think mine was atomic.
The outdoor light we’re exposed to today pales in comparison to what people got even just 100 years ago and we’re paying the price.
The circadian rhythm is believed to help in regulating:
- sleep/wake cycle
- body temperature
- appetite/hunger
- blood pressure
Unless I purposefully go outside and work in my yard, exercise, or sit on my deck, etc. the amount of direct sunlight I receive each day is limited to a few minutes I get walking to and from my car & work. Most of the time I’m in a dimly lit basement level office (the computer geeks I work with prefer this environment).
Depression can result in part by the sleep-wake cycle getting out of sync with the natural rhythm of the day. Your body and mind are cued by bright light. When your exposure falls below a certain amount, the rhythm is disturbed and sleep is too. Lack of sleep affects your mood, energy level, cognitive ability and on and on in a downward spiral.
Your goal is on the right side of the above illustration. The following list will guide you:
- Get a minimum of 30 minutes exposure a day, at one time, 5 days a week.
- Get this exposure by going outside or using a light box (high intensity light made for this)
- Schedule light exposure - do it at the same time everyday but don’t do it at night!
- Keep a written record (time of day and length of exposure).
- Don’t wear sunglasses as they interfere with the process.
Sunglasses and windows filter light and so interfere with the amount of LUX you’re exposed to. In fact sunglasses can actually cause you to sunburn easier as your body’s natural defenses are not cued when the light is filtered through them. The exposure is through your eyes - not skin, so put on the sunscreen and take off you sunglasses!
