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Give This a Try: Get Sunlight Into Your Eyes in the Morning

Most of us are aware of how diet, exercise, and sleep impact our family’s health. Now might want to add light to the list.

As we explain in the Embody Pillar Pathway, every cell in the human body has a “circadian clock” that tells it what to do at certain times during the day. These clocks are set by our sleeping and eating patterns, as well as . . . you guessed it: light.

When light enters our eyes, it sends signals to our brains which sends signals to other parts of the body to turn on certain things and turn off other things. Bright light in the morning and at night is key to this process.

At night, turning off bright light allows our brains to start producing the chemicals we need for nice, long sleep. And conversely, in the morning, bright light coming into our eyes leads to signals to wake up, get alert, and jump into the day.

The effects of bright light in the morning are pretty remarkable. It’s been shown to improve hormonal response to waking up, reduce depression in adults, reduce postpartum depression, and improve sleep duration and sleep quality.

How to get bright light in your eyes in the morning

1. Sunlight

If it’s bright and sunny in the morning then this is a great (and free) option. Experts suggest 15-30 minutes, without glasses or a visor. Because sunlight is less intense in the morning, you can also skip the sunscreen.

Of course, we don’t all live in perpetually sunny environments closer to the equator so luckily there are a number of different proven light therapy devices on the market.

2. Lightboxes/lamps

These devices have been used in clinical trials and shown to be effective. They can fit on a desk and can produce all the light your eyes could possibly need. Sunlight produces around 100,000 lux, while lightboxes produce around 10,000 lux. The two drawbacks are that they cost money (whereas sunlight is free) and you also miss the activity and fresh air of being outside. Here’s one lamp that gets great reviews.

3. Light therapy glasses

These are also used in clinical trials and shown to be effective. They take up much less space than a lightbox and are much more portable. They produce just as much light as lightboxes but cost a bit more. Some well-regarded brands are Ayo, Luminette, and Re-timer.

‍

Give This a Try: Get Sunlight Into Your Eyes in the Morning

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Give This a Try: Get Sunlight Into Your Eyes in the Morning

Most of us are aware of how diet, exercise, and sleep impact our family’s health. Now might want to add light to the list.

By

The Family Thrive Expert Team

December 7, 2021

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Key takeaways

1

Light that enters our eyes can have a big effect on our minds and bodies

2

Bright light in the morning can help us become more alert, sleep better later at night, improve mood, and reduce depression symptoms

3

Getting just 15-30 minutes directly in the sun in the morning without glasses or a visor can be enough to feel the difference

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Most of us are aware of how diet, exercise, and sleep impact our family’s health. Now might want to add light to the list.

As we explain in the Embody Pillar Pathway, every cell in the human body has a “circadian clock” that tells it what to do at certain times during the day. These clocks are set by our sleeping and eating patterns, as well as . . . you guessed it: light.

When light enters our eyes, it sends signals to our brains which sends signals to other parts of the body to turn on certain things and turn off other things. Bright light in the morning and at night is key to this process.

At night, turning off bright light allows our brains to start producing the chemicals we need for nice, long sleep. And conversely, in the morning, bright light coming into our eyes leads to signals to wake up, get alert, and jump into the day.

The effects of bright light in the morning are pretty remarkable. It’s been shown to improve hormonal response to waking up, reduce depression in adults, reduce postpartum depression, and improve sleep duration and sleep quality.

How to get bright light in your eyes in the morning

1. Sunlight

If it’s bright and sunny in the morning then this is a great (and free) option. Experts suggest 15-30 minutes, without glasses or a visor. Because sunlight is less intense in the morning, you can also skip the sunscreen.

Of course, we don’t all live in perpetually sunny environments closer to the equator so luckily there are a number of different proven light therapy devices on the market.

2. Lightboxes/lamps

These devices have been used in clinical trials and shown to be effective. They can fit on a desk and can produce all the light your eyes could possibly need. Sunlight produces around 100,000 lux, while lightboxes produce around 10,000 lux. The two drawbacks are that they cost money (whereas sunlight is free) and you also miss the activity and fresh air of being outside. Here’s one lamp that gets great reviews.

3. Light therapy glasses

These are also used in clinical trials and shown to be effective. They take up much less space than a lightbox and are much more portable. They produce just as much light as lightboxes but cost a bit more. Some well-regarded brands are Ayo, Luminette, and Re-timer.

‍

Most of us are aware of how diet, exercise, and sleep impact our family’s health. Now might want to add light to the list.

As we explain in the Embody Pillar Pathway, every cell in the human body has a “circadian clock” that tells it what to do at certain times during the day. These clocks are set by our sleeping and eating patterns, as well as . . . you guessed it: light.

When light enters our eyes, it sends signals to our brains which sends signals to other parts of the body to turn on certain things and turn off other things. Bright light in the morning and at night is key to this process.

At night, turning off bright light allows our brains to start producing the chemicals we need for nice, long sleep. And conversely, in the morning, bright light coming into our eyes leads to signals to wake up, get alert, and jump into the day.

The effects of bright light in the morning are pretty remarkable. It’s been shown to improve hormonal response to waking up, reduce depression in adults, reduce postpartum depression, and improve sleep duration and sleep quality.

How to get bright light in your eyes in the morning

1. Sunlight

If it’s bright and sunny in the morning then this is a great (and free) option. Experts suggest 15-30 minutes, without glasses or a visor. Because sunlight is less intense in the morning, you can also skip the sunscreen.

Of course, we don’t all live in perpetually sunny environments closer to the equator so luckily there are a number of different proven light therapy devices on the market.

2. Lightboxes/lamps

These devices have been used in clinical trials and shown to be effective. They can fit on a desk and can produce all the light your eyes could possibly need. Sunlight produces around 100,000 lux, while lightboxes produce around 10,000 lux. The two drawbacks are that they cost money (whereas sunlight is free) and you also miss the activity and fresh air of being outside. Here’s one lamp that gets great reviews.

3. Light therapy glasses

These are also used in clinical trials and shown to be effective. They take up much less space than a lightbox and are much more portable. They produce just as much light as lightboxes but cost a bit more. Some well-regarded brands are Ayo, Luminette, and Re-timer.

‍

Most of us are aware of how diet, exercise, and sleep impact our family’s health. Now might want to add light to the list.

As we explain in the Embody Pillar Pathway, every cell in the human body has a “circadian clock” that tells it what to do at certain times during the day. These clocks are set by our sleeping and eating patterns, as well as . . . you guessed it: light.

When light enters our eyes, it sends signals to our brains which sends signals to other parts of the body to turn on certain things and turn off other things. Bright light in the morning and at night is key to this process.

At night, turning off bright light allows our brains to start producing the chemicals we need for nice, long sleep. And conversely, in the morning, bright light coming into our eyes leads to signals to wake up, get alert, and jump into the day.

The effects of bright light in the morning are pretty remarkable. It’s been shown to improve hormonal response to waking up, reduce depression in adults, reduce postpartum depression, and improve sleep duration and sleep quality.

How to get bright light in your eyes in the morning

1. Sunlight

If it’s bright and sunny in the morning then this is a great (and free) option. Experts suggest 15-30 minutes, without glasses or a visor. Because sunlight is less intense in the morning, you can also skip the sunscreen.

Of course, we don’t all live in perpetually sunny environments closer to the equator so luckily there are a number of different proven light therapy devices on the market.

2. Lightboxes/lamps

These devices have been used in clinical trials and shown to be effective. They can fit on a desk and can produce all the light your eyes could possibly need. Sunlight produces around 100,000 lux, while lightboxes produce around 10,000 lux. The two drawbacks are that they cost money (whereas sunlight is free) and you also miss the activity and fresh air of being outside. Here’s one lamp that gets great reviews.

3. Light therapy glasses

These are also used in clinical trials and shown to be effective. They take up much less space than a lightbox and are much more portable. They produce just as much light as lightboxes but cost a bit more. Some well-regarded brands are Ayo, Luminette, and Re-timer.

‍

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