The Power of Daylight
Exposure to daylight is essential for our circadian rhythms. Yet many of us get very little daylight, especially during the winter. We know that daylight can shift the body clock earlier or later depending on when we are exposed to it.
Morning and daytime daylight exposure can make our physiological processess more synchronized during waking and sleeping. We also know that long-term circadian desynchronization is a big risk factor for our brain and body. What we still don‘t know is the dose – how much daylight is actually necessary, and how big is the variation between individuals. We also don’t know how this might differ across seasons.
In my research I let volunteers experience a 72-hour stay in the ‘Photon Space’ – a unique research habitat made of glass! They track their sleep timing and quality in their home one week prior the stay, during the stay, and one week after. In the Photon Space I measure overnight brain activity to see how the sleep structure differs across seasons.
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