Stay Healthy This Winter

 Those of us who are lucky enough to live in California are blessed with an abundance of sunlight. And innumerable studies and research papers prove that natural daylight is a vital factor in improving human creativity and productivity. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why California is an epicenter of both creativity (Hollywood) and productivity (Silicon Valley). Unfortunately, California has a winter, and while it is not so severe as in other parts of the country, there is a significant change in the weather, and access to sunlight is reduced. Add to that the increasing work pressure many people are under and the way the ability and opportunity to get out into the sunlight is reduced. But does this really make a difference in our lives? Here is what established scientific and medical opinion has to say about it:

Loss of Vitamin D

This is a vital component of well-being and plays a major role in the functioning of the body. Among other things, it helps to reduce inflammation and control cell growth and regeneration. It is also critical for the health of the skeletal system. People talk about the importance of calcium, but vitamin D promotes bone strength and helps to prevent degenerative diseases like osteoporosis and rickets. The quality of your smile depends on the health of your teeth and vitamin D keeps them strong.

Lower Quality Sleep

Many factors influence the quality of sleep. One is the body’s ability to produce melatonin which is a chemical in the brain that helps you to relax and lulls you into sleep. Exposure to sunlight is essential for the body to produce melatonin. You need a dark room to fall asleep, but you need sunlight to help you to sleep well.

Better Moods

A person who is generally in a good mood and has a positive attitude is said to have a “sunny disposition.” The phrase is far more accurate than you may realize. Exposure to sunlight has a far greater impact on a person’s mood than other environmental factors like rain, temperature, etc. Being in sunlight gives you the ability to clearly see the world around you and the more clearly you can see, the less uncertain you are. Additionally, exposure to sunlight increases the body’s ability to produce serotonin, a naturally occurring chemical in the body that boosts mood and encourages mental positivity.

Lower Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a contributor to cardiac disease which is a major cause of premature deaths worldwide. Sunlight is not a silver bullet that will keep you safe, but when the sun hits your skin, it causes a chemical called nitric oxide to be released into your blood. This helps to control blood pressure. Also, the better sleep and moods that sunlight helps to generate contribute to lower stress levels which in turn help to bring down high blood pressure levels.

Getting the Sunlight You Need

There are many other benefits of exposure to sunlight. The problem many of us face is finding the time to get outside into the sun. Work, domestic demands and other factors work to keep us indoors. But that does not mean that we have to accept not getting the sunlight exposure we need. There is a way to increase the sunlight available indoors and so get the benefits of natural light even when restricted to the house or office.

Of course, opening curtains and shades to allow sunlight into a room helps, but this is often not enough. Even if the light does enter, it will be limited to part of the room and it will keep shifting and the sun’s position in the sky changes. You can’t keep moving your table or chair every few minutes to stay in the sun.

The right way to allow the maximum amount of sunlight into your ho or office is to install a daylighting system. These will diffuse natural sunlight through a room throughout the day so that even when you are forced to be indoors, you are not denied the benefits of sunlight. The leader in daylighting systems is Solatube and Sunlight Concepts is proud to be the Premier Solatube Dealer in the San Francisco Bay Area. Visit our website to learn more about daylighting systems, the tax rebates available for installing them and to get a free consultation where your lighting needs will be evaluated and all your questions will be answered.