Soft self care is a concept that I have been embracing a lot over these last few months when life has felt especially complicated and challenging. Over these next few blog posts I will share some of my favorite soft self care practices, and to start us off we are talking about sunlight, stress, sleep cycles, and energy. It seems simple, but this is one of the most transformative practices we can incorporate into our mornings.

Why Sunlight is Essential

Sunlight affects all plants and animals, and of course it affects us too. Light is what directly impacts our circadian rhythm, which is the rhythm in our body that determines when we wake up, when we go to sleep, and when we get tired during the day. More than that though, it impacts our metabolism, hunger cues, blood sugar regulation, and even hormone functions in the body.

The Purpose of Our Circadian Rhythm

Our circadian rhythms are determined by cortisol and melatonin. These two hormones live in opposite to one another, so when melatonin is high then cortisol is low, and vice versa. Cortisol is often called our stress hormone, but it also is what wakes us up in the morning. Melatonin is our sleepy hormones, so it rises in the evening to help us fall asleep.

Ideally, our cortisol rises in the morning to wake us up around sunrise, and then our melatonin builds during the day so that once the sun sets into darkness we can fall asleep easily, sleeping soundly through the night. In our modern world, we see a lot of difficulty in falling asleep, staying asleep, and waking up feeling rested and alert. This is often due to an imbalance in cortisol and melatonin. Sometimes we will see people using melatonin to improve their sleep, but it doesn’t fix the problem because melatonin only helps us fall asleep. If cortisol is elevated, then it will often wake people up in the middle of night, which is a time when cortisol should be low. While there are many things we can do to regulate our circadian rhythm, morning sunlight is one of the easiest places to start.

Benefits of Morning Sunlight

Exposing your eyes to morning sunlight affects our body and well-being on many levels, and these are just a few. A good goal is to get 15 minutes of sunlight, outside if possible, within the first hour of waking up to best support your circadian rhythm and neurotransmitters. This can look different for everyone. Maybe it is going for a morning walk in your neighborhood or maybe its curling up with a book on your patio. Think about what would feel best for you.

For an extra benefit, try getting some sunlight in the late afternoon or evening. This light exposure signals to the body that it is time to start transitioning to evening time. As it gets dark, reducing bright overhead lighting is extra helpful.

Reset The Circadian Rhythm

When we wake up in the morning, our cortisol should rise and our melatonin should fall. When we expose our body to morning sunlight, it signals our brain to pause on melatonin and increase the release of cortisol. This allows for us to have cortisol peak in the midmorning, which makes way for proper melatonin production. As a result, when we begin this practice of morning light exposure we often see a shift in the circadian rhythm, giving us more energy during the day and helping us fall asleep earlier and more easily.

Boost Mood & Reduce Stress

There are plenty of studies that have looked at vitamin D deficiency and sunlight on serotonin, which is our “happy” neurotransmitter. Many anti-depressants target serotonin production to treat depression, which is why using “happy lights” has become a common recommendation to aid with depression. Morning sunlight functions similarly, but maybe even better when you consider the health benefits of being outside hearing, smelling, and sensing nature. More studies should be conducted on morning light exposure and perceived stress, but knowing what we do about the effect of sunlight and cortisol we can suspect that perceived stress is reduced.

Optimize Sleep Quality

As mentioned earlier, morning light exposure allows for your cortisol to peak in the midday, and then slowly lower through nighttime. The rise of melatonin optimizes falling alseep quickly and easily at a reasonable hour. Then, by keeping cortisol low through the night hours, we see less middle of the night wake ups, which disturb sleep quality. To optimize sleep quality even further, it is recommended to sleep in complete darkness with blackout curtains or an eye mask.

Soft Self Care Challenge

Knowing all of this information, maybe give morning light exposure a try for a couple weeks to see how it positively impacts your stress, mood, energy, and sleep quality. More soft self care practices are in the works, so check out this collection by clicking the link below.

About the Author

Dr. Hannah is a naturopathic doctor providing whole body adjunctive healthcare to families in Southern Maine. She believes every patient has their own unique health journey, which influences her personalized treatment approach. She has a passion for helping women, mothers and families heal and thrive, all while uncovering the root cause of whatever ails them. Her goal is to empower and guide her patients on the path towards healing the mind, body and soul through natural methods of healing. Dr. Hannah sees patients locally in Portland, Maine. Through telehealth, she is happy to serve the people of Lewiston, Ellsworth, Bangor, and all the towns in between!

Disclaimer

The information provided on or through this website is for educational and informational purposes only. This information is not a substitution for proper and personalized medical diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or trusted healthcare provider before making an adjustments or changes to your healthcare regimen. Natural medicine is not inherently harmless, and therefore it is important to speak with your healthcare providers for personalized medical advice.