When designing a new home, people often overlook the benefits of natural lighting. It’s a subtle detail, yet essential to happy, healthy living. Here are 3 reasons why you should maximize the natural light in your new home.
Have you ever spent a considerable amount of your waking day in a room isolated from natural light? It might be the cubicle at your office, the dark family room in your home or maybe even the basement. It was probably artificially lit, but what I’m talking about is that natural, vitamin D sunlight.
For most of us, getting sun on our skin is a good thing and something we seek on a daily basis. There’s both physical and mental health benefits when we catch some rays. So, let me ask you this. If you’re building your next home, why in the world wouldn’t you take advantage of harvesting natural sunlight? We’re going to give you a few reasons as to why it’s a good idea to invest in natural daylighting when building your next home.
Increase Your Productivity, Sleep, Energy Levels and Happiness
A study from Northwestern Medicine and University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana revealed that when people have more exposure to natural light during the day in the workplace it increases your alertness, metabolism, mood, causes you to have longer sleep duration, better sleep quality, more physical activity and better quality of life. Ivy Cheung, the co-lead author and Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience in Zee’s lab at Northwestern said,
“Light is the most important synchronizing agent for the brain and body. Proper synchronization of your internal biological rhythms with the earth's daily rotation has been shown to be essential for health.”
Reduce the Risk of Depression
Increasing natural light in your home can have a direct impact on fighting seasonal depression. The Mayo Clinic states that the causes behind seasonal depression are:
- The reduced levels of sunlight can disrupt your internal clock which leads to feelings of depression.
- Reduced sunlight can also cause a drop in your serotonin levels which can affect your mood and cause depression
- The change in seasons also can create an unbalance in your body’s level of melatonin, which affects your sleep patterns and mood.
Think back to last winter, about January 15. Everything is cold and gray. The sun is nowhere to be found and it looks like the artic tundra out your front windows. Where does your mind go? If it’s me, I’m sitting on a beach baking in the sun and nursing one of Mexico’s finest cerveza’s. Our bodies crave natural sunlight, and these studies show you the biology behind why it’s crucial.
Create Warmth and Comfort
A home that has lots of natural light creates a sense of comfort for your family as well as your guests. I think about all the homes I’ve been in and the ones that stick out the most are those that felt warm, were well lit and had gorgeous views to the outdoors. When planning the layout of your new home, work with your designer to, as best you can, orient the layout of your home to maximize natural daylighting and properly place windows and doors.
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Resources:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/basics/causes/con-20021047
https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2014/08/natural-light-in-the-office-boosts-health