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Light Matters: The Simple Morning Ritual That Could Transform Your Health

Explore the profound health benefits of a daily sunrise and sunset ritual.
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In our fast-paced world, with late-night scrolling, demanding work schedules, and parenting stretching into the wee hours, the temptation of the morning snooze button is stronger than ever.

For many, getting up early is unappealing, given the well-documented importance of sleep. However, new research suggests that experiencing the sunrise could be one of the most important things you do for your health each day.

Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman lists morning sunlight as one of six fundamental pillars of health alongside daily exercise or movement, quality nutrition, managing stress, healthy relationships, and restorative sleep.
“Getting sunlight in your eyes first thing in the morning is absolutely vital to mental and physical health,” he asserts in a podcast. Morning sunlight triggers a timely release of cortisol, aligning with the body’s natural rhythm. He emphasizes this practice as possibly the most critical daily activity for metabolic health, hormonal function, and positive mental health.

The Spectrum of Light at Sunrise

With the popularity of red light therapy and other light-based treatments, there’s a growing interest in artificial sources such as LEDs and lasers. While these all offer effective therapeutic effects, the sun is our primal, potent, and free source of light therapy.

At daybreak, the horizon presents more than a beautiful canvas; it offers a spectrum of light crucial for our well-being. Sunrise combines unique light wavelengths, each impacting the body differently.

Dawn brings softer, diffused sunlight, blending spectrum colors with dominant red and infrared rays. Gentler than midday sunlight, morning red light is known for its calming effects and potential to reduce inflammation and enhance circadian rhythms.

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The morning sun’s blue light also offers benefits. Unlike harmful blue light from screens, natural morning blue light is essential for waking us up by raising cortisol levels and setting our circadian rhythm for the day.

Infrared light, though invisible to the naked eye, is another component of morning sunlight. While we can’t see this light, it penetrates deep into the eyes and tissues. It is thought to have healing properties, aiding in cell repair and regeneration. This light is also crucial for the synchronization of our internal biological clocks, aligning our sleep-wake cycle with the natural day-night rhythm.

Dawn’s Early Light Syncs Our Internal Clock

Before clocks, our internal response to light served as a natural timekeeper. The brain houses light-sensitive cells in the eyes that send signals to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which acts as the central pacemaker for our internal body clock.

Our body’s sensitivity to light peaks during three key times: the first hour after waking, two hours before bedtime, and at night. Utilizing these phases of daylight helps regulate circadian rhythm.

Jay Neitz, a renowned professor of ophthalmology and a color vision researcher at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine, reminds us of the profound effect of natural light, especially at sunrise and sunset, on our brains.

Mr. Neitz’s research has revealed the role of specialized cells in our retinas, known as ipRGCs (intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells), which are crucial in regulating our internal clocks and influencing our mood and alertness levels.

These cells “do not respond to white light but are very responsive to the blue, yellow, and orange colors of the sky at sunrise and sunset,” he tells The Epoch Times. This color sensitivity is vital for resetting our internal clock each day. Exposure to the colorful dawn sky activates these ipRGCs, sending signals to our brain’s master clock to align it with the new day.

Lacking this natural reset, our rhythm can misalign, causing delayed waking and sleep difficulties.

“When the internal clock is delayed, people have to be up when the internal clock says they should be sleeping in the morning,” Mr. Neitz notes, underscoring the internal clock’s impact on sleep and well-being.

Nearly all life on Earth is deeply connected to the cycle of the sun. A University of Cambridge study reveals an early morning burst of plant activity, linking it to the sunrise. They found that within an hour of dawn, plants see a gene activity surge in light response, stress, and growth hormones. This “dawn burst” aligns plant circadian rhythms with the day-night cycle, affecting flowering and growth.

Morning Sunlight: A Natural Mood Enhancer and Brain Booster

The day’s first light significantly enhances mood and cognition. A growing body of research indicates that exposure to morning sunlight can profoundly impact our mental health and brain performance.
“Morning light improves mood by increasing serotonin levels, increasing alertness, and shifting or stabilizing circadian rhythms,” Helen Burgess, from the University of Michigan, told The Epoch Times. Studies show morning light therapy can match antidepressants in improving mood.
Mood enhancement from morning light goes beyond happiness, offering health benefits. By elevating serotonin levels, morning light helps reduce pain, she explained in a webinar.

“The circadian photoreceptors in the brain are most responsive to blue wavelengths,” which naturally occur at dawn, Ms. Burgess explained.

A study in the Journal of Sleep Research demonstrates that exposure to bright light in the morning can notably increase alertness. The research on college students found that just 1 1/2 hours of bright light early in the day not only improved sleep quality but also significantly reduced morning sleepiness, emphasizing the role of morning light in enhancing daily alertness.
Incorporating morning light into daily routines is like using a natural medicine. Ms. Burgess draws parallels between food as medicine and morning light’s potential role, positioning morning sunlight as a vital element of health.

How to Harness Morning Sunlight for Better Health

Incorporating morning sunlight into daily routines can boost health, as Mr. Huberman notes. Here are practical tips for maximizing morning sunlight benefits:
  • Aim for sunlight within the first 30 to 60 minutes after waking, ideally within five minutes of sunrise, ideally before seeing artificial light.
  • Adjust duration based on weather: at least five minutes on sunny days, 10 minutes on cloudy days, and 30 minutes on overcast days.
  • Being outside is crucial, as windows may block essential wavelengths.
  • Direct eye contact with the sun isn’t necessary; looking in its direction without directly staring at it is sufficient.
  • Use regular contacts or glasses, but not sunglasses or blue-light blockers.
  • Strive for morning light exposure on at least 80 percent of days.
  • Evening sunset viewing signals the day’s end to your body, countering artificial light effects.
  • Post-sunset, minimize bright artificial lights, opting for dim, low-level lighting.
While there’s no perfect replacement for the natural light of morning, if it isn’t readily available where you live, consider creative alternatives such as using a ring light. This practice, crucial for aligning your circadian rhythm, also significantly boosts your mood and focus. Modifying indoor lighting to mimic the natural light cycle can be a beneficial workaround in less-than-ideal conditions.
Sheramy Tsai
Sheramy Tsai
Author
Sheramy Tsai, BSN, RN, is a seasoned nurse with a decade-long writing career. An alum of Middlebury College and Johns Hopkins, Tsai combines her writing and nursing expertise to deliver impactful content. Living in Vermont, she balances her professional life with sustainable living and raising three children.
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