The human body evolved to fall
asleep soon after the descent of night’s curtain and to wake with the
appearance of the dawn. Sleep cycles were governed by patterns of light
and darkness for thousands of years, meaning that for much of history,
humanity has enjoyed nine of more hours of sleep each night. Our bodies
are naturally encoded to respond to light and dark and sleeping with the
rhythms of Mother Nature. In the present, artificial light has changed
the way we schedule our day-to-day lives, and most of us slumber for
less than seven hours at a stretch. It is possible, however, to come
back to natural sleeping cycles by making a few small changes. When our
bodies and minds are attuned to the world’s natural rhythms, we feel
calmer, more centered, and more energetic while awake. Sleep is more
satisfying because we afford ourselves more than enough time for
restoration and rejuvenation.
Our reliance on indoor lighting
further compounds our disassociation from the natural cycles of light
and darkness that would otherwise preside over our sleep. You can mimic
the passage of the day by changing the quality of the light. Sleeping
without heavy drapery or shades is best so you can wake up with the sun.
If sleeping by a window without a curtain is not an option, a dawn
simulator lamp imitates the sun by growing steadily brighter with the
coming of the height of morning.
You will likely discover that
changing your sleep patterns to be in sync with the daily cycle of light
and darkness is easy and that you feel more alive when your sleeping
and waking rhythms are in alignment to those of the earth. Nature’s own
phases will be your guide to wellness, granting you more waking hours in
the summertime when you will benefit greatly from spending time outside
and ensuring you get plenty of sleep in the winter when you likely need
it most.