8 Powerful Benefits of Morning Sunlight & How to Get More Daily

Discover the benefits of morning sunlight, from better sleep and mood enhancement to vitamin D production and weight management support.

Many of us wake up feeling groggy and disoriented. This morning fog can make it difficult to get out of bed and get on with our day. Have you ever noticed that this feeling persists even after a whole night? It can take hours for some people to shake off their morning lethargy and feel naturally alert and energized. If this sounds like you, you may benefit from increasing your exposure to morning sunlight. The benefits of morning sunlight can help you feel naturally energized, well-rested, and mentally sharp every day. This article will explore these benefits in greater detail, showing how you can harness the power of morning sunlight to improve your daily routine. So, how to become a morning person?

One way to get started is with SunSeek's daily sunlight exposure tracker. This tool can help you achieve your goals, such as feeling naturally energized, well-rested, and mentally sharp every day by harnessing the power of morning sunlight.

Overview of the Sun & Your Circadian Rhythm

sun above mountains - Benefits of Morning Sunlight

Your circadian rhythm is your body’s 24-hour internal clock. It’s modulated by biological processes, such as hormones, that respond to external cues. The most influential cue is light exposure. Humans are designed to wake when the sun rises and sleep when it has set. In other words, Before clocks were invented, this internal response to light was the primary timekeeping mechanism. In your brain, light-sensitive cells in your eyes transmit signals to the brain’s suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the central pacemaker of your internal body clock.

Optimizing Light Exposure for a Healthy Circadian Rhythm

Your body is most sensitive to light during three times of day: roughly the first hour after waking, two hours before your bedtime, and during the night. You can leverage these three phases of daylight as a way to regulate your circadian rhythm. The visible spectrum of light changes throughout the day in the natural environment. You can mimic your internal rhythm by using or limiting artificial lights that mirror the naturally occurring light spectrum to synchronize your internal rhythm.

Time of dayType of light Examples MorningWhite or blueMorning sunlight, LED lights, fluorescent lights, screensAfternoonYellow and orangeSunlight when it’s lower in the sky, orange light bulbs, lamps EveningRed or darknessRed light bulbs, candles, blackout blinds, eye masks

8 Powerful Benefits of Morning Sunlight

woman at a beach - Benefits of Morning Sunlight

1. Can Help You Wake Up

In the morning, sunlight exposure suppresses melatonin and increases cortisol. While cortisol gets a bad rap, it’s essential for feeling alert in the morning. This is known as the cortisol-awakening response. Studies have found that low waking cortisol levels are associated with fatigue. On the other hand, levels of melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone, are low in the morning, steadily rise throughout the day and peak in the middle of the night. When melatonin levels remain higher in the morning, it can make waking up difficult. This tends to happen more in winter when mornings are darker.

2. Can Improve Your Sleep Quality

By regulating your circadian rhythm, sunlight can improve your sleep. In the morning, sunlight suppresses melatonin to help cut out sleepiness. Then, as melatonin rises, you start to feel tired in the evening, helping you to fall asleep more easily. Studies have found that daylight exposure increases sleep duration, improves sleep quality, and aids in getting to sleep earlier. Plus, when you get sunlight exposure in the afternoon, you’re exposed to yellow and orange light, corresponding to the sun's position in the sky. These particular wavelengths consolidate your circadian timing, signaling to your brain that it’s time to start slowing down.

3. Boosts Mood and Mental Health

Getting morning sunlight can be very beneficial for our mood and mental health. Natural sunlight helps us stay alert, promotes vitamin D production, and boosts serotonin levels. This increased level of serotonin has been proven to improve sleep quality at night.

Balancing Melatonin for Better Sleep and Wakefulness

In addition, the morning sun helps regulate our sleep-wake cycle by regulating melatonin production. Our body starts producing melatonin, which helps us sleep when it gets dark. When it gets light in the morning, melatonin levels decrease, helping us wake up. If melatonin production is interfered with through blue light exposure through screens, you may have too much energy at night before bed.

A Natural Boost for Sleep, Mood, and Mental Health

Studies have found that even brief exposure to morning sunlight can help people suffering from sleep disorders get better rest at night, allowing them to be more rested, thus elevating their mood and improving overall cognitive function. Getting sun in the morning can be an easy way to improve our sleep quality and enhance our mood and mental health throughout the day. It’s important to remember that too much direct exposure can be harmful, so it is best to limit your time in direct sunlight during peak hours and ensure that you wear proper protection, like sunscreen or sunglasses while outdoors.

4. Bright Light Sets Your Circadian Rhythms

Sunlight significantly impacts our bodies, influencing everything from hormone production to sleep cycles. In particular, it affects our biological clock, which regulates our circadian rhythms. In other words, the morning light is critical in setting and maintaining these rhythms.

Enhancing Skin Health and Regulating Circadian Rhythms

The sun’s ultraviolet rays stimulate melanin production, the pigment that gives color to our skin cells. This increases the protection level against further damage from future exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The sun’s rays also have an anti-inflammatory effect on the skin, helping to reduce redness, itchiness, and other signs of inflammation caused by various skin conditions. Bright morning light exposure helps reset the circadian clock to synchronize with the natural day-night cycle. This is why getting direct sunlight when you wake up can benefit your sleep patterns. It’s important to note that the same amount of sun isn’t necessary for everyone; some people may be more sensitive to its effects than others.

5. Heals Skin Conditions

Sun exposure is a great way to benefit our skin’s health. Morning sunlight, specifically, can be a valuable source of light exposure and helps to protect our skin from potential damage. Not only does it provide us with vitamin D, but it can also help heal any skin conditions we may have. In addition to sunlight, a nighttime skin routine is crucial for maintaining healthy skin. It involves cleansing to remove impurities, using moisturizers to hydrate and nourish the skin, applying targeted treatments for specific concerns, and getting enough sleep to support the skin’s natural repair processes.

6. Supports Healthy Weight and Metabolism

Bright light, such as outdoor sun exposure, can have many health benefits. One of them is its ability to support healthy weight and metabolism. Light therapy is the most effective way to synchronize your body’s internal clock, which is vital for regulating hormones related to appetite and metabolism. Sunlight also helps with the production of Vitamin D, which can help regulate melatonin production at night – making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. Research has shown that regular exposure to bright light in the morning or early afternoon, combined with Vitamin D supplementation, may positively affect your weight, metabolism, and overall well-being, leading to a better sleep quality throughout the night.

7. Improves Vitamin D Production

One of the key benefits of getting morning sunlight is that it helps to produce vitamin D. This is because exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun helps your body convert certain chemicals in the skin into a form of vitamin D. A regular morning routine including a few minutes of sunshine can increase your vitamin D levels and benefit your health. It’s important to note that if you have low levels of vitamin D, it can lead to fatigue, depression, and a weakened immune system. Therefore, adding more sunshine to your morning routine could help improve your overall health and well-being. Although food intake still plays a vital role in maintaining healthy vitamin D levels, exposure to UV light from the sun is essential for adequately producing this nutrient.

Boost Vitamin D, Improve Sleep, and Support Weight Management

When compared with those whose weights fall within the range regarded as having a “normal” body mass index (BMI), those who are overweight or obese appear to have a greater likelihood of having low levels of vitamin D. As a result of this, there have been some who argue that low amounts of vitamin D may cause weight gain. Therefore, if you want to get the most out of your day, it’s advised that you incorporate some sunlight into your morning routine. Not only will this help ensure you’re getting enough vitamin D, but it could also improve your sleep quality at night and provide other benefits such as improved mood and energy levels throughout the day.

8. Increased productivity

Exposure to natural light, especially in the morning, has been shown to improve focus, concentration, and overall productivity. This can be especially beneficial if you have tasks or responsibilities that require mental clarity early in the day. Incorporating morning sunlight into your routine benefits your physical health and positively influences your mental and emotional well-being. Whether it's a leisurely walk, outdoor exercise, or simply spending time on your porch, the morning sun can set the tone for a productive and uplifting day.

5 Tips to Get More Sunlight (Even In Winter!)

natural sunlight - Benefits of Morning Sunlight

1. Open Up to the Outdoors

When you wake up, bring as much light as possible into your environment. Open your blinds or curtains to let the natural light flood your space. The more sunlight you can soak up indoors, the better.

2. Start with 5 Minutes

Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, PhD, recommends getting 5 to 10 minutes of sun exposure on a sunny morning and 15 to 20 minutes on a cloudy day. On dark mornings with inadequate light, turn on as many bright indoor lights as possible to mimic the effect.

3. Soak Up Sunlight Early

Huberman recommends getting your morning sunlight within 30 to 60 minutes of waking. He also suggests repeating this protocol in the late afternoon for orange/yellow light exposure to trigger the release of melatonin.

4. Use a Sunlight Alarm

Consider using a sunlight alarm if you struggle to wake up early and get morning sunlight. Early risers can also try leaving their blinds or curtains open at night to wake up naturally at sunrise. During the shorter winter months, there may not be enough morning light to wake you up. Sunlight alarms are good alternatives, mimicking sunrise at your chosen time.

5. Take Your Morning Outside

Try to “stack” your habits so that you can do multiple things at once outdoors. For instance, take your morning work call or drink your first cup of coffee outside. Whether stretching, journaling, or eating breakfast, try to take it outdoors to make the most of it.

Download Our App to Track your Daily Sunlight Exposure Today

SunSeek helps you optimize your daily sunlight exposure by tracking and providing personalized recommendations based on your location, skin type, and health goals. The app combines real-time UV monitoring with guided outdoor activities to help you improve sleep, boost energy levels, and maintain optimal vitamin D levels throughout the year.

Optimized Sunlight Exposure

By aligning your daily routine with natural light cycles, SunSeek makes harnessing sunlight's health benefits easy while ensuring safe exposure through personalized timing recommendations and cloud coverage forecasts. Download our app today to track your daily sunlight exposure!