Exposure to daylight can lift your mood, improve your sleep and benefit your physical health – and it’s free
Whatever the time of year, the feeling of the sun’s warmth on your face is a tonic. In fact, exposure to daylight can have a positive impact on both your body and your mind. Here’s how daylight can benefit you:
1. Helps you sleep
Hormone fluctuations – including PMS, PMDD, perimenopause and menopause – can disrupt your sleeping patterns. Although taking the right dose and type of hormones can improve your sleep, some women find that using light throughout the day can help reset your circadian rhythm.
In the morning, preferably within the first hour or so of waking, get outside to let your body know you need to be awake. Your retinas have specialised light receiving cells that tell your brain to stop making the sleep hormone melatonin and light stimulates production of the hormone cortisol, which will help get your brain fired up for the day. When it’s sunny, you may only need to be outside for 5-10 minutes but when it’s an overcast day, try to stay outside for at least 15-30 minutes.
In the afternoon, your circadian rhythm usually has another dip, triggering another brief spike of melatonin, your sleep hormone. Try to get some daylight around 1-3pm but if this isn’t possible, position yourself facing a window or failing that, add some more indoor light via lamps near to your face.
2. Helps your bones
Otherwise known as the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from your gut and these nutrients help keep muscles, teeth and bones strong and healthy. Bone density starts to decrease in your 30s and the rate of decrease accelerates at menopause so it is important to ensure you are getting enough vitamin D.
You generally can’t get enough vitamin D from diet alone and your body makes most of what it needs when exposed to the sun’s rays. In the UK and many other countries, achieving adequate vitamin D levels through sun exposure alone is challenging, especially during the winter months when sunlight is limited. This makes supplementation very beneficial for many.
RELATED: All about Vitamin D, menopause and hormone health
3. Boosts your immune system
Vitamin D can improve your immune responses in your body so can improve your ability to fight infections [1]. However, sunlight has an additional role on immunity as it energises T cells (a type of white blood cell that helps to protect against and fight infection) [2]. This is important as the decline of hormones during perimenopause and menopause negatively impacts your immune system and can lead to increased inflammation, which increases your risk of developing diseases [3].
RELATED: Inflammation, menopause and hormones: what’s the connection?
4. Improves thinking
You’ve probably felt the benefits of getting some fresh air to clear your head. Research backs this up - exposure to daylight can help to improve alertness, decision making and cognitive function. One study looked at the impact of optimised daylight (and views) on the cognitive performance of office workers and found that after one day of optimised daylight, participants scored 7% higher on performances and by the end of the week, the difference in scores was 79%, suggesting a cumulative effect [4].
Brain fog was the most common symptom cited by perimenopausal and menopausal women in research by Newson Health [5], so trying lifestyle adjustments such as increasing daylight exposure, alongside HRT and testosterone, could be beneficial for many women.
RELATED: How to beat menopausal brain fog
5. Regulates your mood
A glorious day of sunshine can lift your spirits. This is because sunlight increases the release of the hormone serotonin, which helps to boost your mood and help you feel calm. When your serotonin levels dip, you may be at risk of anxiety or depression.
Some people notice a seasonal pattern to their lowering of mood – during winter they may develop seasonal affective disorder. One of the treatments for depression with a seasonal pattern is light therapy, also known as phototherapy. Light from a box mimics natural sunlight, stimulating the brain to produce more serotonin and reduce production of the sleepy hormone, melatonin.
Low mood can be a symptom of PMS, PMDD, perimenopause and menopause. Alongside speaking to a healthcare professional and taking hormones, consider limiting your exposure to UVB light exposure from artificial sources/screens at night as this can decrease dopamine levels, which can negatively impact mood.
RELATED: Am I depressed or menopausal?
6. Promotes healthy eating
Some people notice their appetite changes in seasons with less daylight, and they crave foods high in carbohydrates, which may lead to weight gain and a lack of energy. It is thought that daylight exposure levels may affect the hunger hormones leptin and ghrelin, and daily time in sunlight can help promote a healthier metabolism and body weight [5, 6].
7. Boost libido
Just as sunlight can lift your mood, it’s also thought to boost libido. A study that exposed men and women to sunlight found it increased interest in “romantic passion”. This replicated the results shown in animals that were exposed to a UVB dose of equivalent to 20-30 minutes of midday sun (where female hormone levels rose significantly and led to enlarged ovaries) [7].
So whether you are starting the day by having your cup of tea outdoors, or beating any afternoon slumps with a walk, time spent in the sun can improve your health. Just remember that prolonged exposure to UV can damage your skin so follow sun safety advice.
RELATED: How do perimenopause and menopause affect my sex drive
