Do you know, there was a time when people performed all light-needed activities during the daytime? It was the 18th century when Natural Light was considered as the only source of light while at the end of the 19th century, people became familiar with artificial light due to the popularity of electricity. In ancient times people were used to worship the sun assuming it was the only source of life on our planet and civilizations of that time revolved around daylight but now scientific progress and development have introduced us to different artificial sources of light. With the enhanced use of artificial light(electricity), our modes of life have turned about 360 degrees because artificial light has ended the difference between day and night. This excess of artificial light has attracted the attention of scientists towards its harmful impacts, which is causing detriment to our physiological and mental health and the useful effects of Natural Light are discussed nowadays, to improve our lost productivity.
The Health Benefits of Natural Light
Fortunately, the research work for positive impacts of natural light has opened new horizons for mankind and studies proved that this is a source of health benefits which we may enjoy with exposure to it. It is a documented fact that natural light means Sunlight is the treasure of Vitamin D, an essential vitamin needed by your bones to get strengthen, it also optimizes your circadian cycle, improves your sleep patterns, enhances your focus, and regulates your mood but the main hurdle is your lifestyle which lessens the opportunities to get more Sunlight. Most of the time is spent indoors, so the houses should be built to get enough Sunlight. Despite much development in the field of technology, human beings are well known about the advantages of natural light.
Vitamin D Synthesis
Daylight is the ultimate source of natural light and energy but an additional benefit of Sunlight is the fundamental source of Vitamin D because it is the vital ingredient of bone composition and helps your bones to absorb calcium. Calcium is the mineral that gives strength to your bones. Moreover, vitamin D plays a vital role in your growth during infancy and its deficiency not only affects your growth but also causes obesity, multiple sclerosis( a genetic defect), and even depression. Whenever you ask about the major source to avail this miraculous Vitamin, the answer is “Sunlight”. Studies show that sunlight doesn’t give you Vitamin D directly, but it just helps your body to produce it on its own to make yourself strong. Sunlight is a blessing in disguise because it never oversupplies Vitamin D, in case of having enough Vitamin D, it automatically stops its production. It means you can have an accurately needed amount of this vitamin to get more benefits from light.
Improved Sleep Patterns
Research has shown that the human body made to be exposed to light frequently and millions of years of evolution have told us that circadian rhythm is programmed to expose the human body to light. Therefore, with the rising sun, we are supposed to get up. Natural light optimizes your internal body clock and synchronizes your sleep-wake cycle with your circadian rhythm. This improves your sleep quality. Hence you can fall asleep easily at night and feel fresh in the morning.
Increased Productivity and Alertness
Your focus on your work and tasks is the most desired requirement because disturbed focus can cause mistakes and faults in your work. Success in any job is linked with your concentration and hard work. Your supervisor judges your efficiency by calculating your work done within a given time and resources. Light can make you more productive but there is a twist, you can improve your productivity by exposure to Sunlight during your working hours. It means your workplace must have enough Sunlight. Studies show that the more you will expose to Sunlight at your workplace, more will your efficiency and less will mental absenteeism.
Get More Natural Light(7 Ways)
Choosing the right place for your residence or accommodation is a big decision because Sunlight is the most desired quality of a residential or commercial area and often you face difficulty in finding a perfect space for living with enough Sunlight exposure. Sunlight is not only beneficial for your health but it also enhances the looks of your space. So find a location that exposes to light and choose the right windows to capture more light indoors. Below, are 7 different ways to get more natural light to get more health benefits.
1:Prioritize Exposure to Morning Sunlight
Architects strive to find new architectural designs for building houses and offices, in which Sunlight exposure, especially in the morning, can be upgraded because light exposure makes a place brightening, spacious, and aesthetically adorable. You can enhance the visual appeal of indoors by making them bright with morning light. Occupants of such houses and workers of such bright offices feel more comfortable and active.
Start Your Day with Sunlight: Exposure to sunlight in the morning keeps you active and alert throughout the day. It triggers the production of a hormone called Serotonin, which is the happiness-inducing hormone and acts as a mood stabilizer. So start your day by spending some time in light so that you may minimize the risk factors of anxiety and depression. It also activates your body for the production of Vitamin D. You can add sunlight to your morning routine by walking outside or sitting beside a window for your emotional well-being.
Morning Sunlight and Sleep Patterns: Starting your day with natural light has a great impact on your sleep-wake cycle and you feel it is easy to go to bed and get up in the morning easy and pleasant. Sunlight regulates your circadian rhythm that is essential for quality sleep.
2:Maximize Window Space
Window size and spacing are the best ways to get more Sunlight indoors. Maximize the window space to make your home or workplace bright and effective for physical and mental health. Some suggestions have given below to make your windows more useful.
Positioning Furniture for Optimal Light: Place your chairs and sofas near the windows to get more natural light. Avoid blocking of natural light by placing large furniture articles in front of windows, this practice will increase the light entering your room. Use some reflective and light colors for your furniture to bounce light around your room. By positioning furniture strategically you can optimize light in your room.
Keeping Windows Clean and Unobstructed: Grime, dirt and dust in the air makes the window panes non-refractive, and light cannot pass through them. Keep your windows clean so that Sunlight may not be blocked from entering your house. Sometimes trees or shrubs in your garden are found in front of windows, making it difficult to reach light into your house, so trim these trees and shrubs to make the path clear for Sunlight. Place some reflective surfaces or mirrors to reflect the light coming from the window. This will brighten your house or workplace. Use light-colored blinds or curtains.
3:Incorporate Reflective Surfaces
To brighten up your space, incorporate reflective surfaces. This is an effective way to increase the amount of light entering your place. Here are some guidelines regarding this technique;
Mirrors and Other Reflective Decor: Hang mirrors or some reflective surfaces opposite to your window, the entering light will reflect from these mirrors and bounce around the room to make it brighter and lighted. This practice will brighten the darker spaces at your place. Another strategy may be helpful in this regard, you can use glass tables, and glass furniture articles to allow light to pass through them and create a sense of openness.
Using Light-Colored Paints and Materials: While painting in your place, always choose light-colored paint because it tends to reflect light. Dark-colored paints absorb light and make the environment gloomy and dark. Use high gloss finishes for ceilings and walls, this will help to get more light at your place. Incorporate shiny accents like brass finishes to reflect more light and enhance the elegance of your place.
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4:Spend Time Outdoors
Spending more time outdoors will help you to get more Sunlight for your physical and mental well-being. By incorporating more outdoor activities into your daily routine, you can get numerous health benefits. Some ways to incorporate more outdoor activities into your routine are as under;
Outdoor Activities for Sun Exposure: Perform your physical activities or workouts outdoors such as yoga or cycling in the park, so that you may get more time to be exposed to Sunlight. Include a morning walk in your daily routine. This will not only enhance the exposure to sunlight but also benefit your heart and muscle health. You can soak up more morning light by jogging outside. This will regulate your mood and increase the production of Endorphin.
Gardening and Outdoor Relaxation: Make plans for outdoor gatherings with your friends and family. It may be a get-together party, a lunch break with office colleagues, or a picnic with family. Outdoor activities like gardening and spending time with the natural beauty of plants and flowers are therapeutic ways to get relaxed. You also feel fresh by spending time at a nearby park to inhale fresh air and soak in more Sunlight.
5:Consider Light Therapy
This is a kind of treatment that involves exposure to artificial light to simulate natural light. Additionally, these therapies are more effective for treating sleep disorders or skin problems. During the darker months of the year, people use this therapy to fulfill the need for natural light to avoid limited exposure to sunlight.
Light Boxes for Indoor Sunlight Simulation: Light boxes are the most usable devices that are typically used in homes to emit white light. This device simulates the sunlight and brightens your place like natural light. This light resembles natural light and has no side effects at all. Along with light boxes, dawn simulators are also used to get natural light in dark places. Dawn simulators are typically designed to increase the intensity of light to improve your circadian cycle.
Light Therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder: Phototherapy or light therapy is generally applied to people who are affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder(SAD) and some mood disorders. In light therapy, special light glasses are worn to emit light directly into your eyes to treat sleep disorders, particularly people affected with insomnia are more interested in such types of treatments.
6:Opt for Natural Light Bulbs
Full-spectrum or daylight bulbs are known as natural light bulbs. Opting for natural light bulbs helps get more natural light because these bulbs manufactured on the principle of mimicking the spectrum of natural light and these bulbs provide more effective and balanced natural light as compared to ordinary fluorescent or incandescent bulbs.
Full-Spectrum Light Bulbs: Natural white light composed of seven lights or wavelengths and has a broad spectrum. Full-spectrum bulbs are designed to emit light having a broader wavelength like natural light. This is a light source that closely resembles natural light. This helps to improve color rendering and make the objects more vibrant and visible.
Benefits of Natural Light Bulbs: Natural light bulbs are of many types and are easily available. LED and compact fluorescent bulbs are the most popular types. This bulb works on the principle of color temperature. Natural light has approximately 5000-65000 Kelvin color temperature, so you can buy a natural light bulb of the same color temperature. You can enjoy this light as natural light and can make your place more bright and inviting.
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7:Design with Skylights or Sun Tunnel
Skylights are a more efficient tool to get more natural light as compared to conventional ordinary windows. They can’t provide the same orientation and this negative effect makes it less usable than a traditional window but if these skylights are used strategically they will provide you with maximum natural light. 
Incorporating Skylights in Design: By incorporating skylights in designs of construction while constructing a building, is an excellent way to create a bright and ventilated environment. Architects use skylights to enhance the amount of sunlight entering the building resulting in a reduction in resilience on artificial light during the daytime and ensuring a great energy saving. Skylights give an open and wide look to a place by enhancing the penetration of natural light. They also make a connection between outdoors and indoors by extending the interior and blurring the boundaries.
Sun Tunnels for Natural Light in Dark Spaces: These are the most advanced innovations for getting natural light in dark places, places at which skylights are useless, and sun tunnels are used to brighten. Sun tunnels are a modified form of skylight to capture natural light from the roof and then carry it to your room through a tubular shaft. These tunnels are engineered to capture a significant amount of light from a high roof then transmitted to a dark place and evenly distributed there.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is summarized that Natural Light has many beneficial impacts on your overall well-being including treatment of some disorders. So it’s your fundamental requirement to get more natural light to improve your health, circadian rhythm, sleep quality, and cognitive function. For this purpose, you have to adopt some ways or use some technologies which can provide you better options for getting maximum natural light. Before using any of these technologies, you must have a clear discussion with Photo-therapist to know about their side effects so that you may get more benefits and harm less.
