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Why Sleeping in Darkness is Important for Health

Why Sleeping in Darkness is Important for Health

How many of us think about the light that we are seeing during the day or the darkness at night? Before  electricity was invented people were very much in touch with the light dark cycle of the day. When the sun rose people would get up and work and play in the daylight and as the sun set they would wind down and fall asleep in darkness. Well it turns out that how and when your body sees light and dark plays an important role on the production of a hormone called Melatonin. In contrast to our ancestors- in todays world it is very possible for someone to wake up to the sound of an alarm, get ready for work, get in their car and drive to work, spend the day inside with artificial lights and computers, drive home and sit inside with artificial lights , television and or computer or phone screens until bed. What about our children? Do they fall asleep with the television or computer screen or do they have a nightlight on in their room?

Exposing yourself to artificial light at night shuts down your body's production of an important hormone called Melatonin. Can reading yourself to sleep or looking at your phone into the wee hours decrease your bodes Melatonin production? Yes it can! Why is this important? Melatonin leads to a healthy immune system, it is a powerful antioxidant and free radical scavenger that helps combat inflammation. when your body stops producing adequate levels of melatonin you are putting yourself at risk for sleep problems, weakened immune system which sets the body up for disease.

Benefits of Melatonin

- Natural Sleep Aid
- powerful antioxidant
- Potential treatment for breast and prostrate cancer, as well as protection from getting cancer
- Decrease in Negative symptoms associated with menopause 
- helps with chronic pain and fibromyalgia
- Immune system strengthener
- Helps brain health by reducing inflammation 
- Eases Jet leg
- better outcome for children with autism

Start each day with natural outdoor light either go for a walk outside or simply sit outside and have your morning water it just takes 10--15 minutes of this outdoor light without sunglasses to trigger your pineal gland in your brain that it is daylight. When it gets dark outside it is best to have low wattage or on a dimmer yellow, orange or red bulbs, this is where a Salt Lamp is great. Avoid the TV or computer and phone for at least an hour before bed. The pineal gland will want to start its melatonin production between 9:00 and 10:00 p.m. If you are looking at blue lights it will interfere with this. make sure your room is dark, if you must have a light on use a salt lamp. Keep your bedroom between 60 and 68 degrees this is the optimum sleep temperature (no warmer than70). I like to go to bed early so I haven't needed these amber glassesamber+glasses+to+block+blue+light I am ordering them today for my husband and kids who both like to stay up late looking at their blue light devices. Also while on amazon you will see yellow bulbs on sale and here is the salt lamp I like Himalayan salt lamp Here is to Happy and deep sleeps with lots of melatonin production! In good health corrie

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