Exposure to light is one of the main ways we can guide our circadian rhythm.
Melatonin is a hormone that, in layman’s terms, makes you sleepy. Our brains produce melatonin, but far less quickly when there’s light to our retinas. So, sunlight wakes you up, while in darkness, you feel sleepy.
“If you want to be alert and not sleepy, expose yourself to lots of light,” Blunden says.
“Between 6am and 9am is the best light for this. Open the curtains; have breakfast outside; get out into the air. Walking to work at that time does wonders. Light and exercise is a great way of regulating your rhythm.”
At the same time, you can reduce your exposure to bright light at night. Unfortunately for modern lifestyles, Blunden says the light of things like computer screens, tablets and phones is typically bright enough to inhibit production of melatonin.
“Gadgets confuse your rhythm,” she says. “They mean you won’t get sleepy as quickly as you would otherwise.”
The average adult needs between seven and nine hours sleep.
Different people have different sleep needs, and there’s no point in fighting that, Dr Blunden says.
“If Joe Blog sleeps 7.5 hours a night and wakes up shattered, but Joe Smith wakes up after seven hours feeling terrific, does that mean Joe Blog is lazy? Certainly not.
“We need to understand that sleeping is not laziness. It’s a physiological drive. The big bad world might give out badges of honour to people who sleep less and work hard, and that needs to be reassessed.
“While we can all ‘cope’ on less sleep than we need, in the long run, sleep is the foundation of all health. If you’re tired, your mental health and cognitive capacity suffers. You’re not likely to be doing your best.”
Myriam Robin is a reporter for SmartCompany and its sister site LeadingCompany. She has degrees in economics, international studies and journalism. She likes writing about businesses taking risks and doing new things.
