NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — When most people think about health, they think about quality of sleep, exercise and nutrition. These are all wonderful pillars of health and truly important. There is a missing piece that may surprise you, though. One of the most overlooked aspects of health is usually overlooked and that is light.
Light, its source and its timing has a direct influence on our circadian rhythm, which simply put is the 24 internal clock of our bodies. Our bodies are truly incredible and respond to the light that it’s given. Morning sunlight (natural blue light) signals our bodies to wake up by naturally raising cortisol and every evening, once the sun sets, darkness increases which signals an increase in melatonin, a hormone responsible for sleep and wellness. Our hormones are what drive our circadian rhythm and they rely on the cues of light to function in sync and properly.
Are you still with me? 🙂
Here’s the problem. We are surrounded by artificial blue light 24/7. Even when our bodies need the darkness signal (lack of blue light) after the sun sets, our bodies are getting the opposite signal. Over time, this can wreak havoc on our circadian rhythm and overall health…