Why You Need More Natural Light

Whether it comes to your own house or your workplace, you’d be surprised at how many people are now placing greater importance on natural light. One recent study from Future Workplace showed that out of over 1,600 employees, natural light and views of the outdoors was ranked as the top desire they had for a workplace environment.

To put it in perspective, this actually places natural light over on-site perks like childcare or a fitness center. In some cases, people are thinking mainly about aesthetics, but there are in fact a lot of concrete reasons why natural light is beneficial for your everyday life. 

Physical Health

Here are some of the perks of getting more natural lighting in to your home. As a starter, we all naturally need vitamin D, an ingredient that is difficult to get strictly from a diet. Our primary source of vitamin D is sunlight, and this essential nutrient provides a lot of key health benefits.

For one, it supports our bones by minimizing the amount of bone loss that we experience (this is especially of importance to older people). In addition, studies have associated proper vitamin D intake with lower risk of heart disease and weight gain. Supplements can help, but a natural source is even better.

Mental Health

Another potential health benefit of daylight is on mental health. We’re getting into summer now, but for some people, the transition between summer and fall or fall and winter can be a difficult time. This is due to a condition called seasonal affective disorder, also best defined as a serious depressive disorder that tends to occur when the fall begins. 

Depressive disorders like these are far more serious than just feeling down on occasion, as they can have added impact on your productivity and relationships. Roughly 6% of the population deals with seasonal affective disorder at some level. Another 14% deals with “winter blues,” which is similar to seasonal affective disorder but happens on a smaller scale. Getting more natural light and helping your vitamin D levels can be a major asset here.

Another mental health benefit that comes with getting more natural light is supporting your sleep habits. In one study of office workers, natural light exposure correlated with a better sleep experience. For those struggling getting off to a proper start in the morning, this may be exactly what you need. 

How to Get More Natural Light

With the benefits of natural light established, how can you get more of it in your home or office space? There are a lot of options on hand for these purposes. One simple place to start is placing a mirror in certain areas. Sunlight from a mirror can reflect what you get through windows, adding natural light to areas of your workplace or home. Some people with a knack for design will take this even further by using items with a metallic shine around the mirror, like brass or silver.

Something else worth mentioning is what you can remove to let more light in, namely, heavy curtains. While these have their aesthetic appeal, if you forget to pull your heavy curtains back when the sun is out, you could be missing out on a lot of natural sunlight. This also circles back to getting a good amount of rest. Letting the sun serve as your alarm rather than relying on a clock or phone, you will find it easier to get your circadian rhythm in proper sync. For those who are concerned about too much sun exposure while sleeping, simply keep your blinds raised during the day then pull them shut at night.

For rooms with little amount of windows, a light tunnel is the perfect sollution to permentantly bring in more natural light to your room. Light tunnels are easy to install in a range of roof types. To find out more, book a consultation today.

For more tips on capturing more natural light inside your home, take a look at our daylighting online brochure.