Spend Time In The Sun

Spending time in natural sunlight isn’t just refreshing, it’s essential for your overall health. Sunlight impacts your circadian rhythm, hormonal balance, and mental well-being in ways that are especially important for women. Prioritizing sunlight exposure can improve sleep, boost your mood, and enhance immune resilience.

When you get sunlight, especially in the morning, your body gets a clear signal to wake up and start the day. It helps regulate your circadian rhythm (your internal clock), which controls when you feel awake, when you get hungry, and when you feel sleepy. For women, this is particularly important because your hormones (cortisol, melatonin, and serotonin) are tightly linked to your circadian rhythm.

Sunlight in the morning tells your body to:

• Boost serotonin: This is the "feel-good" hormone that improves your mood and helps you feel focused and calm.
• Prepare for restful sleep later: Serotonin turns into melatonin in the evening, which helps you fall asleep and stay asleep.
• Regulate cortisol: The morning dose of sunlight helps align cortisol (your stress hormone) with your natural energy patterns, giving you a steady start to the day without stress spikes.

Now imagine you skip sunlight. Maybe you’re inside all day. Without that sunlight cue, your body gets confused. Your circadian rhythm starts to drift, and your hormones fall out of balance:

• Serotonin levels drop, which can make you feel moody or anxious.
• Melatonin doesn’t get triggered properly, so you have trouble sleeping, leaving you exhausted the next day.
• Cortisol might spike at the wrong times, leaving you stressed out when you should be relaxed.

For example, if you’ve ever felt groggy after staying indoors all day or noticed your mood dip during winter months, that’s your body missing its "sunlight conductor."

Spending just 10–15 minutes outside in the morning can help your body get back in tune and make you feel more energized, focused, and balanced throughout the day.

Why it matters

Your body relies on sunlight to maintain its internal rhythms and energy. Here’s why getting regular sunlight exposure is vital:

1. Regulates Your Circadian Rhythm
   • Your circadian rhythm is your body’s internal clock, controlling when you feel awake, energized, and ready for sleep. Natural sunlight – especially in the morning – sends a powerful signal to your brain to reset this rhythm, helping regulate hormone release, energy cycles, and cellular repair.
2. Supports Vitamin D Production
   • Sunlight triggers your skin to produce vitamin D, a nutrient essential for bone health, immune function, and mood stability. Vitamin D deficiency is common, particularly in women, and can lead to fatigue, poor immunity, and even increased risk of depression.
3. Improves Mood and Mental Well-Being
   • Exposure to sunlight stimulates the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that enhances mood, focus, and mental clarity. Serotonin also acts as a precursor to melatonin, which helps you fall asleep at night.
4. Reduces Stress and Cortisol Levels
   • Natural light exposure in the morning helps regulate cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone. It also signals your body to relax and prepare for sleep as the day transitions to evening.

The science behind it

• Morning Sunlight and Serotonin Production
  • Morning sunlight activates specific photoreceptors in your eyes, stimulating serotonin release. This creates a cascade of benefits: improved mood, better focus, and a smoother transition to restful sleep.
• Vitamin D Synthesis
  • UVB rays from the sun interact with cholesterol in your skin to produce vitamin D, which:
    • Strengthens bones by aiding calcium absorption
    • Supports the immune system by reducing inflammation
    • Enhances mental health by regulating mood
• Light Exposure and Hormone Regulation
  • Balanced exposure to sunlight helps maintain hormonal rhythms, particularly cortisol and melatonin, reducing stress and improving recovery. Conversely, overexposure to artificial blue light at night disrupts this balance.
• Chronic Stress Reduction
  • Sunlight exposure helps regulate cortisol levels and counteracts the effects of prolonged stress, which can disrupt hormone production and metabolism.

Start here

• Morning Sunlight: Spend 10–15 minutes outdoors within an hour of waking up. Walk your dog or enjoy a morning beverage outside. Skip sunglasses for this brief period to maximize light exposure to your eyes.
• Midday Sunlight: Take a 10-minute walk during peak sunlight hours (late morning to early afternoon) to optimize vitamin D production. Aim to expose your arms and legs when possible.
• Evening Routine: Limit exposure to artificial blue light from screens (phones, laptops, TVs) 1–2 hours before bedtime. This helps your body naturally wind down and produce melatonin for sleep.
• Weekend Outdoors: Plan outdoor activities like hiking, gardening, or going to a park for a picnic. These not only increase sunlight exposure but also offer physical activity and a mental reset.

Pro tip

In colder months, take a brisk walk outside or step into the sunlight while sipping your morning tea. During warmer months, consider journaling, meditating, praying, or enjoying your breakfast in the morning sun.