There's no doubt that we feel more alive when the sun is out and booming.
If you’re among the many who crave more sun, you’ll understand that light is essential for the development and health of every living species on this planet. In humans, natural light is necessary for vitamin D production and balancing the circadian rhythm.
The circadian rhythm is your sleep-wake pattern over the course of a 24-hour day. It helps control your daily schedule for sleep and wakefulness.
Most living things have one. Circadian rhythm is influenced by light and dark, as well as other factors. Your brain receives signals based on your environment and activates certain hormones, alters your body temperature, and regulates your metabolism to keep you alert or draw you to sleep.
Some may experience disruptions to their circadian rhythm because of external factors like shift work or sleep disorders like sleep apnea. Maintaining healthy habits can help you respond better to this natural rhythm of your body.
There are several components that make up your body’s circadian rhythm:
First, cells in your brain respond to light and dark. Your eyes capture such changes in the environment and then send signals to different cells about when it’s time to be sleepy or awake.
Those cells then send more signals to other parts of the brain, which activate other functions that make you more tired or alert.
Hormones like melatonin and cortisol may increase or decrease as part of your circadian rhythm. Melatonin is a hormone that makes you sleepy, and your body releases more of it at night and suppresses it during the day. Cortisol can make you more alert, and your body produces more of it in the morning.
Other hormones that play a role in alertness and circadian rhythm include:
Vasopression- Science has known it to play essential roles in the control of the body's osmotic balance, blood pressure regulation, sodium homeostasis, and kidney functioning,
Acetylcholine- The part of the autonomic nervous system (a branch of the peripheral nervous system) that contracts smooth muscles, dilates blood vessels, increases bodily secretions, and slows heart rate.
Leptin- Sends a signal to your brain that helps you feel full and less interested in food.
Insulin - created by your pancreas that controls the amount of glucose in your bloodstream at any given moment. It also helps store glucose in your liver, fat, and muscles.
Body temperature and metabolism are also part of your circadian rhythm. Your temperature drops when you sleep and rises during awake hours. Additionally, your metabolism works at different rates throughout the day.
Other factors may also influence your circadian rhythm. Your rhythm may adjust based on your work hours, physical activity, stress and anxiety, and additional habits or lifestyle choices.
Age is another factor that influences your circadian rhythm. Infants, teens, and adults all experience circadian rhythms differently.
Now that you understand a little about the circadian rhythm, lets go back to light!
Unfortunately, in this day and age, our bodies are severely under-illuminated. We spend so much time indoors under harsh artificial light looking at bright screens, but not enough time outdoors exposed to the natural light spectrum.
No wonder our circadian rhythm, sleep and energy levels are completely out of whack!
Luckily, there is a way to get more of the good light waves without drastically changing your lifestyle- frequent sessions in an infrared sauna!
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