Does Sunlight Help Us Function?
In the beginning of November, Daylight Saving Time began. Rather than waking up to a dark blue sky, our windows are flooded with daylight every morning. In terms of science, does this increased exposure to sunlight really help our thinking and physical health?
Effect on Productivity
Studies on the effect of sunlight on productivity date back to the 1920s, although those were focused on adults, rather than students. One conducted by scientists Tennesen and Cimprick investigated sunlight’s effect on silk weavers and found that installing an increased number of windows into one’s workplace increases productivity because sunlight causes us to be more alert and attentive and prevents us from slowing down when completing repetitive tasks, such as solving a series of math problems that involve using the same formula. The benefits of working in a space with extra windows resurface in another study from the later 1990s, where West Bend Mutual Insurance Company employees’ productivity increased by 66% (from 30% to 96%) simply after moving to a building with more windows and being given the ability for each employee to change the temperature of their own room.
Interestingly enough, using electric lights to substitute for daylight does not prove an effective solution. Researcher Apiparn Borisuit and colleagues split 25 office workers into two (uneven) groups, one where each subject worked two afternoons in a windowless room illuminated only by electric lights and the other group where each subject was given the same conditions but worked with a skylight. Although alertness decreased over the course of the day for individuals in both groups, those who were exposed to artificial light experienced more stress and felt sleepy sooner than the other group. Another study led by Dr. Mohamed Boubekri found that employees in workplaces with plenty of natural light also slept 46 minutes longer, on average, than employees working in offices without windows. Considering that one sleep cycle is 90 minutes, the addition of 46 minutes every night can really make a difference in our alertness and readiness for learning.
Circadian Rhythm
How does this increased productivity come about? An increased exposure to sunlight affects our circadian rhythm, an internal clock that causes us to wake up at a specific time every morning and causes us to secrete melatonin and feel sleepy sometime in the evening. According to a study led by researcher Gilles Vandewalle, our internal clock also enhances our productivity during what it deems is “daytime” and significantly lowers our productivity at “nighttime.” Due to the fact that our internal clock tells us to wake up or go to sleep based on when the sun begins to shine and when it sinks below the horizon (which is also why it is advised not to expose yourself to your bright-as-daylight phone screen right before going to bed), the increased sunlight we get from Daylight Saving Time is beneficial to our minds.
In addition to increasing productivity, circadian rhythm also affects our mental health. Without enough exposure to sunlight, the circadian cycle will be disrupted, causing melatonin to be secreted at irregular times during the day. As a result, people may experience illnesses such as chronic fatigue and even seasonal depression. Indeed, seasonal depression, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is mainly caused by a lack of sunlight. More exposure to sunlight also improves our mood, boosts self-confidence (according to a study led by professor Nastaran Shishegar), boosts our energy, and reduces eyestrain. Sunlight has even been found to reduce aggression, as concluded in one study led by research scientist Gerard Lambert.
So, our circadian rhythm is the largest contributing factor to the number of tasks we cross off of our to-do lists in a given amount of time. Knowing that, how can we use this to improve our own productivity?
Letting More Sunlight In
Before taking big steps such as relocating all your belongings to a whole new workspace, try changing some smaller things first to improve productivity. For one, start your work much earlier in the day, making sure to give yourself enough daytime to finish at least most of your work before sunset, since natural light is more conducive to productivity than electric light. Although this call to squash procrastination may seem impossible to achieve, just remember that, as an incentive, you’ll end up spending an overall less amount of time on homework if you start it earlier in the day versus starting it after dinner.
Another tip for increasing productivity is, if possible, relocating to an area with windows that give a more direct exposure to sunlight. South-facing windows allow sunlight in during all hours of the day, making them perfect for boosting productivity. West-facing and southwest-facing windows let the most sunlight in during after-school hours, so rooms with any combination of the aforementioned window placements are good options.
Conclusion
All in all, Daylight Saving Time can help nudge us towards getting things done in a shorter amount of time by increasing the amount of sunlight we can be exposed to, but in the end, we are the ones who must take those final steps towards increasing our productivity, such as starting our work earlier in the day (and finishing most – if not all – of it before those final minutes of daylight leave us) and doing so in locations with enough windows as to fill the room with natural light.
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