The Health Benefits Of Natural Light

Have you ever noticed how much better you feel on bright sunny days? How you crave the sun on darker days? It’s not just a psychological reaction. Natural daylight is good for us and we can benefit from its effects, both physically and psychologically.

However, research suggests we spend around 90% of our time indoors, and much of that time is spent in artificially lit environments.

But even on dull, cloudy days, exposure to natural light can offer many benefits to the body and mind.

Here are just some of the health benefits of filling your life with natural light.

Lifts your mood

Long periods of dull, gloomy weather and continuous exposure to artificial light, not only makes you feel down in the dumps, but can actually play havoc with your hormones and lead to a form of depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

If you spend a lot of time indoors, an environment flooded with natural light, even on dismal days can help increase your serotonin levels. This ‘happy’ hormone is naturally produced when the human body is exposed to natural light. It will lift your mood and generally make you feel better.

Boosts productivity

Working in a room filled with natural light will boost your energy levels and increase productivity. Whether you’re working from home or at the office, reading a book or cooking in a kitchen, you’ll have more energy and enthusiasm in a naturally lit environment as opposed to artificially lit conditions.

Gives you Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential for absorbing calcium and keeping our bones strong. Vitamin D deficiency can cause weight gain and even serious illnesses so it’s important to receive enough to keep our bodies healthy.

Even if you’re indoors, a naturally lit room will help your body absorb this vital vitamin.

Helps you sleep better

Did you know the accumulation of sunlight you receive during the day can have a direct impact on how you sleep?

Artificial light can reduce the amount of melatonin produced. This hormone is essential for helping us sleep well, as well as regulating our body clocks to ensure our sleep-wake cycles are balanced. Living in a home with natural light can help keep your sleep patterns on schedule as well as improving the quality of your sleep.

Good for your eyes

Whereas artificial light from computer screens, mobiles and fluorescent lights can strain and damage your eyes, natural light stimulates the production of dopamine which helps healthy eye development, and regulates normal eyeball growth in children and adolescents.

natural light ideas

Natural views

Who doesn’t love a room with a view. Scientists believe patients with a view through a window recover from more quickly from surgery. A view of your natural surroundings, even if it’s a small garden can make you feel far better than a room with smaller windows and walls.

Natural light solutions

The Glass Room Company offers a range of natural light solutions for your home including glass rooms, awnings, verandas and textile roofs so you can enjoy your natural surroundings and reap the health benefits of natural light all year round.
Contact us today for help and advice on the perfect natural light solution for your home.