Bringing Natural Light into Your Home as Fall Turns to Winter
As summer turns to fall and the days grow shorter, our bodies attempt to adjust to the decreasing daylight. While the exact amount of daylight you lose depends on where you live, it’s astonishing to realize that from the first day of fall to the end of the year, many in Minnesota will experience over three hours of diminishing light.
So, what does this reduced light do to our bodies? For many of us, decreasing sunlight disrupts the internal time clock known as the circadian rhythm. For those who are susceptible in St. Paul/Minneapolis, MN, lack of adequate sunshine can lead to seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression associated with chemical changes occurring in the brain due to less daylight.
Here, we’ll explore the circadian rhythm, how the body responds when it’s disrupted, and the lighting technology that can bring your body back into balance as the seasons change.