‘Paleo lighting’ can fix your brain’s clock after daylight savings
The clocks falling back this weekend gives you the opportunity to sleep like a caveman
The recent "fall back" of clocks this weekend offers an opportunity to realign one's sleep schedule with the natural cycles of light and darkness. As the sun rises closer to the time people typically wake up, this alignment benefits the body's internal clock, known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) located in the hypothalamus.
The SCN controls various physiological processes, including the release of melatonin, which signals the body to prepare for sleep. Disruptions to this natural alignment can lead to a range of health issues, such as weight gain, impaired glucose control, and increased inflammation.
Simple measures, such as exposure to bright light in the morning and minimizing light exposure at night, can help maintain optimal functioning of the circadian rhythms. These actions do not require expensive products or technologies, as the effects can be achieved through natural light exposure. For instance, research has shown that even brief exposure to light early in the day can help reset the body's sleep-wake cycle, while nighttime light exposure can disrupt melatonin production and lead to metabolic and immune system disruptions.
Written by urgent.news from Scientific American's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
