Light in the Bedroom

Humans are daytime animals.  We are genetically programmed to be awake when it is light out and asleep when it is dark.  We are most sensitive to light during the hour that we awaken in the morning.  It is at this time that a dose of light in the eyes can stimulate the production of hormones that make us feel awake and begin the daily process of driving up sleep hormones that won’t be used until later that evening when the wakefulness drive naturally drops.  That is the ideal moment for sleep onset and the process of creating those conditions for sleep begins in the early morning when we wake up.  Although blue light glasses that simulate the process of getting light in the eyes can be effective, the simplest and most logical way to stimulate wakefulness and get the sleep engine going in the morning is to get adequate natural light upon waking in the morning.

Natural light in the morning has its greatest impact on the timing of sleep for the subsequent evening.  For the trial of natural light, you will examine sleep duration, timing and the Epworth scale to see if you can get improvements in those parameters.  For 2 weeks, open the curtains quickly upon waking up in the morning and then go outside as quickly as possible.  The goal is to get full natural light in the eyes for as much of the first hour after waking as possible