Modern life disrupts our sleep through exposure to electric light and reduced access to sunlight.
For those who have trouble sleeping, researchers say that one week of camping, without electronics, resets our biological body clock and synchronizes our melatonin hormones with sunrise and sunset. ( this story was originally published by
Inside Science News Service.)
Scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder found that if you live
by the sun's schedule, you are more likely to go to bed at least an hour
earlier, wake up an hour earlier, and be less groggy, because your
internal clock and external reality are more in sync. The sun adjusts
your clock to what may be its natural state, undoing the influence of
light bulbs.
The disconnect between the outside environment and sleep is one reason
why even native Alaskans have problems sleeping in the almost endless
days of the Arctic summers, and get depressed during the long nights of
winters.
And if camping isn't quite your cup of tea, the team suggests getting as
much sunlight as feasibly possible, perhaps even starting your day off
with a walk outside.
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