How staying indoors is ruining not just your sleep

Today, I woke up and after my usual morning dog walk, I decided to take my "office" outside to write my weekly newsletter and whilst sitting on my patio, I'm thinking about how important natural daylight AND walking is for our bodies - not just for sleep but for every aspect of our health.

There is so much sleep and health advice online and for many of us, it can get really overwhelming. We obsess about which diet is the best or what supplement we should take.

But we forget the basics and the foundational element of our daily routine that keeps our bodies regulated, both pyhsically and mentally: spending time outside.

There is research indicating that most of us spend anywhere between 85-90% of our time indoors, whether it's at home, at work, in school or for leisure activities.

This is bad - not only for our physical but also our mental health.

The negative effects of not going outside

A lack of natural daylight and staying indoors can lead to:

• lower vitamin D levels contributing to immune system, bone issues and increased risk of chronic diseases

• allergies and respiratory problems, particularly in poorly ventilated spaces

• increased stress, anxiety and depression

• reduced cognitive performance and productivity

• increased mental fatigue and reduced creativity

But more importantly - in the context of sleep - it weakens our circadian rhythm, the internal body clock that regulates when we feel alert and awake and when we feel sleepy (amongst other bodily functions).

Daylight exposure is the single most important factor in regulating our circadian rhythm and by spending most of our day indoors, we confuse our internal clock and make it so much harder to fall asleep at night.

Maybe your day looks something like this:

• Get up

• Get ready for work (get your kids ready for school)

• Go to work by car or public transport

• Work (in an office, hospital, school or other building)

• Get home

• Make dinner

• Watch TV or doomscroll

• Go to bed

Maybe you go to the gym but that's still an indoor activity and exposing you to more artificial light.

We often don't realize how little time we spend outside and then we wonder why we feel wired at night and can't sleep.

Benefits of spending time outside — especially walking

I believe that going on a walk is the best way to start your day.

• It's great for your mental health and reduces stress

• It can help you be more creative and improves problem-solving

• It's the easiest way to get exercise when you have a busy schedule

• It makes you sleep better and increases melatonin production in the evening

• It also helps you feel better after a bad night's sleep.

Now you might say that you don't have time to go for a long walk in the morning or that getting sunlight before work is impossible where you live. As someone who lives in the UK, I know how much harder it can be to get sunlight everyday compared to someone living in Spain or California, especially in the winter months.

But that doesn't mean it's impossible! Even small improvements can make a big impact.

How to get more sunlight with a busy schedule

Here are a few simple actionable steps get more daylight exposure and movement into your day:

• Open the curtains and your window as soon as you wake up

• Stand or sit outside, on your patio, balcony, in front of your house - for example as you're having your breakfast or morning coffee

• If you really can't get natural daylight first thing in the morning due to your schedule or where you live, try a light therapy box or SAD lamp

• If you take public transport, get off 1 stop earlier and walk the rest of the way

• If you drive, park further away from your office

• Take 10-15 mins during your lunch break to walk around the block

• If you work from home, take meetings outside (walking or sitting in your garden/ on your balcony)

• Go for a short evening walk to wind down before bed

For me, going out for a walk with my dog every single morning, no matter the weather, has had the biggest impact on my health and sleep than anything else I've tried.

I used to hate getting up in the morning - when I was younger, my mum had to literally drag me out of bed to get me ready for school.

Even when I was working in an office commuting into central London everyday, I would snooze my alarm about 5 times before getting up and rushing to get the train and I felt dreadful every day.

It took me years to understand that I naturally feel a bit sleepy when I get up, no matter how much sleep I get and that this is pretty common for someone with ADHD - it's called sleep inertia.

So instead of focussing on how tired I am and feeling sorry for myself, I know that if I just get up and go outside and get walking, I will feel much better.

It might take you some time to get into the habit but it's worth trying - one of my clients has described incorporating morning walks into her routine as "life-changing".

So why not try it tomorrow morning? Let me know how it goes 😊

Until then - sleep well and sweet dreams,

Anne - The Sleep Nerd ⭐🛌😴