Light is a messenger.
Our pineal gland relies on signals from light to regulate hormones, like melatonin and serotonin.
Sunglasses, screens and artificial lighting distort the signal, causing hormone imbalance.
Don’t kill the messenger.
Minimize the use of these circadian disrupters and let the natural light in.
Our hormone levels fluctuate based on light-dark cycles and in turn affect metabolism, immunity, activity, rest, mood, focus, fertility and reproduction.
Americans spend 90% of their lives indoors, drastically limiting their exposure to natural light during the day and substantially increasing their exposure to artificial light at night.
Our relationship with light has been flipped on its head, and consequently, so has our health, happiness and vitality.
Simply put, we need to return to a life that’s light when it's light out and dark when it's dark out.
To help regulate your body’s sleep-wake cycle, consider incorporating the following into your daily routine:
Upon waking, go on a walk outside and expose yourself to the morning light.
Around noon, take another walk and allow your body to register the midday light.
Stop wearing sunglasses and let your eyes receive all the natural light possible.
These small breaks of light exposure will provide a timestamp for the light receptors in your brain and help establish chronological sequencing markers that orchestrate the physiological rhythms of your body.
Artificial light at night is an endocrine disruptor and has been associated with diseases including metabolic syndrome, obesity, depression and cancer.
In the evening, keep artificial light to a minimum by lowering lights with dimmers and turning off any lights that aren’t necessary.
Wear blue-light blocking glasses once the sun goes down in the presence of any light pollution to support the nightly release of melatonin.
Stop looking at screens (phones, televisions, computers, tablets) at least two hours before bed.
Following these simple steps every day and night will go a long way toward establishing a healthy circadian rhythm.
In doing so, your body’s hormones will become more aligned with the natural cycles of the days, months and seasons.
When we align ourselves with nature, our body is able to tap into the innate wisdom and knowledge genetically programmed into the evolutionary blueprint of our DNA.