Natural light is good for the body, mind and soul. It lifts our spirits, improves our productivity, and it gives us a light that requires no use of electricity or nonrenewable resources. Natural light is good for us all.
When you build a home, create a commercial structure or remodel your existing structure, it’s important to find ways to integrate natural light into your plans. The more natural light you can integrate into your day-to-day life, the better.
How Humans Benefit from Exposure to Natural Light
Humans benefit from exposure to natural light in ways that are psychological and physiological. Natural light is associated with enhanced morale, reduced fatigue, reduced eyestrain and improved mood.
Why?
Because the body uses light to propel metabolic processes and stimulate essential biological functions. Exposure to natural daylight helps regulate our bodies. It stimulates the development of serotonin, the hormone that helps regulate mood and happiness.
Exposure to daylight also helps stimulate the creation of melatonin, the hormone that promotes sleep. As backwards as this may sound: exposing your body to natural light during the day promotes a normal circadian rhythm and improved sleep at night. This is why lowering the lights and avoiding exposure to blue light before sleeping can help your body wind down.
There are many other benefits to daylight exposure, as well.
- Boost to immune system. Natural light naturally promotes development of a robust immune system. While a little exposure to natural light is unlikely to affect your overall health, regular exposure to daylight can improve your ability to fight infection and may even reduce symptoms from chronic conditions and disease.
- Production of vitamin D. Vitamin D promotes good bone health and bone growth. The body produces its own vitamin D when it’s exposed to daylight.
- Improves blood pressure. Some studies show that exposure to sunlight throughout the day can reduce blood pressure as well as risk of stroke and heart disease.
- Prevents seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Seasonal affective disorder is a condition that affects many people at times of the year when the days are short and the nights are long. The more exposure to daylight at this time of year, the better.
- Encourages weight loss. A little extra sunshine helps some people lose weight, especially when coupled with eating a healthy diet and exercising.
Overall exposure to natural light can help your body and mind perform at its peak. Whether you’re in a workplace, at school or in your own home, exposure to natural light is good for you, and good for the other members of your household and the people who work in your building.
Skylights and Their Effect On Your Health
Now that you know the importance of daylight and its effect on your health, it’s important to find ways to integrate daylight into the design of your home and commercial property.
Skylights allow natural light to enter structures, which in turn makes indoor spaces lighter, brighter, healthier places. The best skylights are also a durable, energy-efficient addition to your structure. VTECH skylights are solid-state, meaning the glass and frame are fused together in a single piece. They’re leak-free, nearly unbreakable, and they’re made from Cardinal LoE-366.
Installation of VTECH skylights in your home or commercial building can improve the value of your property, and can improve your health. To learn more about installing VTECH skylights in your structure, contact us today.