4 Proven Benefits Of Sunlight: Get Outdoors Now!!!
It is all about bringing a bit of balance to your life
and also to your skincare routine.
When it comes to relishing the sunlight, having a proper balance is the most important rule.
Now you might have the question: How much sun is also good for you in terms of your mental & physical health?
We have compiled a list of benefits that the sun can provide and then it’s up to you to decide if you’re getting the right doses of sunlight that you require.
Top 4 Benefits Of Sunlight That You Should Know
Top 4 Benefits Of Sunlight That You Should Know
We have compiled a short but crisp list of benefits that you can acquire from sunlight.
1: Improving The Quality Of Sleep (Circadian Rhythm)
You will obviously feel more energetic during the summers, which can eventually push you to be more adventurous. This is where sleep takes the back seat. But did you know that sunlight might actually get you better sleep?
This is because of the circadian rhythm.
Need clarification?
Your body’s circadian rhythm works almost like its master clock. It uses sunlight to align your sleeping and waking hours with the change in day and night.
Several studies have shown that not getting enough daytime sunlight can affect your sleep cycle negatively. So, get the correct exposure to sunlight to keep your circadian rhythm right on time.
2: Making You Feel Better
You would have observed it yourself, but summer vacations were always linked with sheer joy, happiness and adventure. Going out in the sun feels great, but do you have any idea about what actually goes on?
This “happy” feeling is all because of a hormone. Beta-endorphin levels were seen to be elevated, as per a recent study. The hormone also worked as a mood booster and natural painkiller.
This is not a temporary solution as it bears some long-lasting mental health benefits, too. Sunlight influences the levels of serotonin that are produced by your brain. Serotonin, in simple terms, is the hormone that makes you feel good. When you’re having a balanced serotonin level, it will help you feel happy, focused and calm in your everyday activities.
3: Give Your Body A Boost Of Vitamin D
Vitamin D, also known as the ‘sunshine vitamin’ is quite important for your health. The cells of some of your organs have Vitamin D receptors, demonstrating its importance concerning your skin. Several severe health disorders are also linked to the deficiency of Vitamin D.
Are you awaiting some good news?
Well, your body can produce Vitamin D on its own, with the help of sunlight. The primary source of Vitamin D production in the skin is owed to UV-B rays, which makes it the primary source of Vitamin D for your body.
About 90% of our daily requirements are met, by spending some quality time under the sun.
The other 10% can be met with antioxidant supplements to attain an optimum level of skin health. These supplements are usually formulated with Vitamin D and the boost in radiance is just a bonus.
4: Improving Some Of Your Skin Conditions
The sun is one of the culprits that cause the skin to age prematurely, but it’s not bad news at all. Certain skin conditions actually improve when it receives the proper exposure required from the sun.
If you consider acne, sunlight helps clear up acne, but it’s temporary. All you need to do is to remember to carry your broad-spectrum sunscreen. This becomes even more important when some of your medications make your skin sensitive to the sun.
How Much Sunlight Do You Require Each Day?
This is a tough nut to crack!
The perfect amount of sunlight that you need depends on several things like your skin tone, your geographical location and even your lifestyle.
You need to maintain a perfect balance, as getting too much or too little sunlight can be harmful to your overall health. Your skin has a factor that it can memorise, which means that it tallies up the time spent under the sun. If you stay under the sun for long durations it adds up to the risk of contracting skin cancer. If your skin is not used to being under the sun, then the risk of getting sunburnt and contracting cancer increases exponentially.
All you need to do is to catch enough sunshine, to collect all the Vitamin D your body requires, in order to balance the circadian rhythm. But this too varies from person to person, which makes this a difficult question to answer generally.
How Much Time Should You Spend Under The Sun
Decide what is best for your skin type:
–People who always have sunburns: They can get the necessary Vitamin D in a year by catching the sun on the face and limbs for about 15 minutes, 2-3 times a week, sometime between 11 am to 3 pm.
–People with higher melanin content: They need more time under the sun to meet their bodily quota for Vitamin D.
-People with an indoor lifestyle: They, too, need more time under the sun, as compared to what they get on a daily basis.
-People with fair skin: They need to spend less time under the sun as their skin burns quite easily.
Some Tips About Correct Dose Of Sunlight
It is quite important to go outside and live the best of your life.
You need to keep your “skin cancer” fears in the backseat and drive to your destination yourself.
In order to be this free, you need to use a high SPF sunscreen, regularly, that would protect your skin. You need to reapply it on an hourly basis. Along with this, you need to pull out an antioxidant supplement, that would assist you on the hotter days.
There is one last thing to remember, studies have suggested that getting sunlight regularly is much healthier than random, short bursts of sun exposure.
Now you can go out and enjoy the sunshine that is found in abundance!!