Artificial Light Exposure is Messing with Your Sleep and Wellness
Why do you suppose so many of us have difficulties with sleep, chronic fatigue, mood issues and other disorders? Sure our diet and activity levels are vital determinants of our health and wellness. However, could it be that there is yet another possible cause the medical community is probably not talking enough about, and that is light exposure? Our climate controlled interiors, and days and nights spent in artificial lighting confuses the nervous system and may be responsible for a host of health issues. These could include eye strain, poor sleep quality, mood disorders, daytime fatigue, low productivity and other health problems as well.
Why we need to speak more about light nutrition.
I have been writing and speaking a lot about the light diet recently. I have discussed this in my podcasts with Ari Whitten and more recently with Roudy Nassif, who developed VivaRays, the world’s first 3-lens blue light management glasses. My friend Chad and I discuss this further in my latest podcast. The problem is that most of our time is spent indoors surrounded by various conveniences, comforts, and our many blue light emitting gadgets. We simply don’t spend the necessary time out of doors exposed to natural light as we are meant to.
Personally speaking I am as guilty of this as well. I have a hill that I can be trekking on whenever I choose, just about a hundred yards from my home. However, it takes effort and willpower to get out there and get the exercise and the sun exposure that we know is good for us! I have noted that I do not even spend as much time in my yard as I probably should. I would like to curl up in bed and watch the latest Netflix series – and let’s face it – it is difficult not to! So how do we get around the fact that there is a bit of a gulf between what we should be doing and what we actually end up doing?
Why sunsets are important.
As my discussions with various experts have revealed, light nutrition is vital for our health. We were meant to experience the gradual increase of light at daybreak and then the gradual fading of light at dusk. Chad asks an important question – we all love to watch sunsets. But maybe it is more than just the aesthetics of a beautiful sky and the sun dipping gracefully below the horizon that we love? Maybe there is a physiological and biological compulsion behind it; maybe we evolved to enjoy the sunset because there were many actual benefits of this?
Our brain, our cell mitochondria, and hormone levels are all attuned to respond to these changes in light. Our bodies and brains respond to specific lights in the spectrum: blue, red, orange, and so on. We are meant to be in the dark after sunset; instead we are bombarded with light: from fixtures, from lamps, our gadgets…
In this episode of The Adiel Gorel Show, we discuss ways to get exposure to natural light sources even in our busy lives; largely lived indoors with all our many gadgets. Join us to know how to improve your light nutrition and to get the kind of light exposure we need without compromising on the things we love.
