Benefits of Morning Sunlight through Chiropractic Care

 

 

Importance Of Morning Sunlight

Believe it or not, sunlight has a big impact on our health.

Now, direct sunlight can be applied to the skin, and most people understand that this can trigger the activation of vitamin D, a necessary vitamin that is the precursor for many hormones in our body.

But many people don't know or are unaware that you also need retinal sunlight, just sunlight exposure to your eyes in the morning.

It's nice if you can do it at different times of the day, but you only need a little, which is great.

And why do you need this activation of your eyes from sunlight?

No sunglasses; you don't look directly at the light.

Just being outside, maybe first thing in the morning after you get up, and allowing two, maybe two to 10 minutes of sunlight exposure and indirect sunlight exposure to the eyes, actually sets a clock in our brain, so every cell in our body has a clock based on our circadian rhythms.

Starts The Clock

So, when we get that morning exposure, we help our body set its clock for the day.

So, cells in the eyes interpret light coming in at different times of day and ensure that all the cells of our body are on the proper clock.

It also triggers what's called the activation of the cortisol pulse.

This is a healthy stress hormone response that is normal in the morning to activate us, wake us up, and provide a short-term immune system boost.

Getting some early morning sunlight helps start that.

Early morning sunlight also starts the clock from melatonin, the sleep hormone that helps you fall asleep.

When you get sunlight in the morning, that clock starts for the melatonin for later in the day.

It says, "Okay, melatonin will go off later."

It usually starts that process within 16 hours of you getting up, and most of the time, we recommend about two to 10 minutes in the morning.

Part Of Routine

I recommend going outside for even a few minutes if you have a short lunch break.

It's a way of reminding your eyes what time of day it is.

Even in the evening, as the sun goes down, go outside, even if it's just for a few minutes.

This can impact your brain and how you function at different times of day.

Exposure to sunlight at different times can help you sleep better at night, wake up more quickly, and function more efficiently during the day.

This is helpful for you.

I was fascinated when I started learning about this stuff, which I make as part of my routine as best I can.

I'm never 100% sure, but I'm really good about getting that morning sunlight and usually good about getting that evening sunlight.

So try to work on that.

It's a couple of minutes at a time.

Set realistic goals for yourself.

If you have that extra time, try doing this and see if it doesn't make a difference in how you function through the other day and sleep at night.

I'm Dr. Aaron Seaton with The Chiropractic Place.

 

Call our office today to schedule an appointment to kickstart your healthy life: 530-221-8443

 

 

*The transcription is auto-generated by a program and may not be accurate. In order to ensure you get all the information from the video properly, you must watch the video.