“Now it’s getting dark so early again,” you can hear many people complaining again. When the days get darker, shorter and, what’s more, colder, the mood of sensitive people drops and the immune system begins to weaken. According to studies, around nine percent of Austrians fall into a mental low every year due to a lack of light.
“The reason for this is that the inner clock, which sets the pace for the entire organism, gets confused as the days get shorter,” says Andreas Kaindlstofer, neurologist and head of the sleep laboratory at the Neuromed Campus in Linz. Our inner clock sits in every single cell of the body and makes sure that the organs work in an optimally coordinated manner. Too little light confuses them. “In the long term, this can have dire consequences – from mental illness to cancer,” says Kaindlstorfer.
Sunlight works best
On the other hand, those who spend at least half an hour outdoors every day have a better day-night rhythm, which in turn strengthens the immune system and improves mood. “Simple artificial light can never completely replace natural sunlight,” emphasizes the expert. However, special daylight lamps could help to replenish the light depot. Due to their high proportion of blue light, they are able to keep the inner clock in a healthy rhythm. “Because it stimulates the body to produce less sleep-promoting melatonin, but more feel-good hormones such as cortisol and serotonin,” explains Kaindlstorfer. For this reason, professional daylight lamps with a light intensity of at least 10,000 lux are often used to treat depressive moods.
We also need the sun to produce vitamin D, which strengthens bones, teeth and the immune system. Since this happens through the skin, which in our latitudes is covered by clothing in winter, the body cannot produce vitamin D in the dark season. Therefore, according to current studies, 60 percent of all adults in Central Europe suffer from vitamin D deficiency. “To avoid that, we should take it in the form of drops or tablets,” advises the neurologist.
Tips from the neurologist
going out: Spend at least half an hour outdoors every day. “The immune system and the psyche benefit most from daylight in the morning,” says neurologist Andreas Kaindlstorfer. So if you walk to work, you kill several birds with one stone: you fill up on light, move and thus strengthen your physical and mental resilience.
Darkness in the bedroom: In order to better regulate your inner clock, you should make sure to sleep in a room that is as dark as possible – i.e. close blinds or curtains and ban devices that emit blue light from the bedroom. In the morning, immediately after getting up, pull the curtains aside and let daylight into the room. “A study with shift workers showed how dramatically too much blue and too little daylight can affect not only the psyche but also the body,” says Kaindlstorfer. Because it was shown that shift workers have a significantly higher risk of breast cancer.
Daily Movement: It doesn’t always have to be a walk or a jog, you can go out with family or friends to play ball or Frisbee.
daylight lamp: “People who are prone to melancholy should use a daylight lamp with a light intensity of at least 2500 lux for half an hour every morning,” advises Kaindlstofer.
Source: Nachrichten
