The Best Morning Activity to Increase Energy and Improve Sleep – Sunlight
Your morning routine can set the tone for the rest of the day, but if it’s missing this simple activity, you might not be feeling any benefits. There is one morning habit that can allow you to have more energy throughout the day and even improve sleep at night. It all has to do with sunlight.
Sunlight is vital to health. There are many ways in which sunlight influences physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. By adding sunlight exposure to your morning routine, you can drastically improve overall health. Learn everything you need to know about how sunlight influences the mind and body, plus how to safely expose your skin to the sun today!
How Sunlight Increases Energy
Sunlight helps you boost serotonin, which can help improve energy levels. Increases in serotonin produce feelings of satisfaction, reducing fatigue in the body.
Plus, light during the day is the most powerful way to increase alertness, concentration, and energy levels throughout the rest of the day. Exposure to sunlight also spikes cortisol, which sounds bad as that is a stress hormone. In reality, short bursts of cortisol, like that experienced when exercising, is good for the body and the one produced from light exposure simply provides alertness and wakefulness.
Sunlight also stimulates the production of vitamin D. Deficiencies in this important vitamin lead to pain, tiredness, aches, muscle weakness, bone density loss, and even fractures.
How Sunlight Improves Sleep
Exposure to natural light during the day, particularly in the morning, not only improves energy but allows you to get a good night’s rest.
Sunlight exposure helps reset your body’s internal clock. We run on a 24-hour cycle that is light-dependable, meaning our body needs cues from the sun to know when it’s time to be alert and when it’s time to rest.
Sunlight helps regulate hormones and sleep by influencing melatonin. This is why light exposure at night will reduce the quality of sleep and produce restlessness.
Mental Health and Light
Exposure to light can influence mental health and mood. As stated before, exposure to sunlight increases serotonin production. This is a chemical that is also responsible for elevated mood, happiness, and general satisfaction.
Plus, since the sun helps you regulate sleep, you are resting more and waking up feeling better than ever. Even vitamin D production has been linked to reduced symptoms of depression and weight management.
Physical Health and Light
Sunlight exposure has physical benefits as well. In the sun’s light, the body releases nitric oxide into the blood which can help reduce blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health.
Plus, sunlight is vital to the production of vitamin D< which protects the bones from injury and fracture. A lack of vitamin D can lead to debilitating pain and osteoporosis.
How to Take in Sunlight in the Morning
Our first instinct when we wake up in the morning is probably reaching over and check our phones. This can not only reduce mental health but does not help the body regulate, as the light from our phones is artificial and weak. Instead, try heading outside.
Bonus points if you wake up early enough to see the sunrise. Sunlight is generally the safest when the sun is low in the sky, so you can be exposed to light for longer. Even exposure to natural light, when it is cloudy, has great health benefits.
How to Safely Take in Sun in the Afternoon
As the day progresses, the sun gets harsher and more damaging. Remember to use sunscreen, particularly on the face and back of the hands, and wear protective clothing. Some sun is good, vital, and necessary, while too much sun is dangerous and harmful.
One last tip, you can influence which rays you get from the sun. Clothing and hats are important after noon when the sunlight is at its most intense. You want to avoid burning, or even tanning, whenever possible. Infrared rays, a band of light from the sun that is very beneficial, will go through protective clothing and still improve health.
The Takeaway
Sunlight is vital to our health. Sun exposure can influence mood, regulate sleep, improve feelings of joy, increase heart health, and strengthen the bones. Take in the sun, especially in the morning, to improve wellness drastically. Try to limit sun exposure after noon, as this is when the sun’s rays are harsher and more damaging. Use sunblock and protective clothing daily.
Remember that health comes from within. Taking some time to adjust your light exposure and take in the sun can have amazing effects on your mood, energy levels, and quality of sleep. Physical and mental health can be improved with a nutritious diet, healthy habits that improve mental health, and daily exercise. Fitness is a journey that relates to all aspects of health, including physical, emotional, and mental.
Eat well to provide the body with good building blocks, practice self-care, and move daily to allow overall wellbeing to flourish.
Take care of gut health as well! The gut microbiome affects muscle growth, mental health, immune system response, digestion, metabolism, and much more. Learn everything you need to know about gut microbiota today for free here!
