Javascript is not enabled.

Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.

Skip to content
Content starts here
CLOSE ×
Search

UHCRA

Prudential

One Pass

MS15

Leaving AARP.org Website

You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.

Rise and Shine

Morning light may help you sleep better — and feel better!


A woman smiling as the sun shines on her
Tim Robberts/Getty Images

Quick Win

Spend 15 to 30 minutes outdoors soon after you wake up. Sunshine triggers brain chemicals that can help regulate your sleep-wake cycle — a.k.a. your circadian rhythm — and your mood.

Try This Today

  • Head outdoors. Within an hour of waking up in the morning, go outside for 15 to 30 minutes. You could sip coffee or eat breakfast on your porch, take a stroll around the block or just sit and listen to the sounds of morning. Bundle up if it’s chilly!
  • Skip the sunglasses. Sunglasses can diminish the intensity of the light entering your eyes. Shades help protect your eyes during a day at the beach, but full-strength rays are best for your morning “dose” of sunshine.
  • Add a midday outdoor break. Afternoon sunshine helps regulate your sleep cycles, too, and if you experience a post-lunch energy slump, a walk outside may help perk you up.

Why

Technology may dominate modern life, but most of our body’s needs are decidedly low-tech. Sunlight in the morning is a case in point. When it enters your eyes, it triggers production of the mood-regulating chemical serotonin in the brain, as explained in a 2019 report in the journal Somnologie. Sunlight also suppresses melatonin — a hormone that makes us feel sleepy — something we only want at bedtime. This process helps to set people’s circadian rhythms for the day, supporting a healthy sleep pattern, according to Michelle Drerup, director of behavioral sleep medicine at Cleveland Clinic. “I typically recommend 15-30 minutes,” Drerup says. “But anything is better than nothing.” Spend more time outdoors if you can; research suggests that sunlight throughout the day helps regulate your sleep pattern, too — and midday light may be as effective as a nap at restoring alertness during a post-lunch energy dip, according to a study of 25 adults 18 to 30, reported in 2015 in PLOS ONE

You’ve reached content that’s exclusive to AARP members.

To continue, you’ll need to become an AARP member. Join now, and you’ll have access to all the great content and features in Staying Sharp, plus more AARP member benefits.

Join AARP

Already a member?