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First of all: Thank you to everyone who filled out the feedback survey over the last 2 weeks. I’ll share the key results and a few of your comments at the end of this email!

As you may know, I live in the Southern Hemisphere, and spring is slowly drawing closer here. It’s amazing to see nature slowly waking up and the weather improving. But there’s one thing about the spring transition that I absolutely despise: the switch to daylight saving time.

We moved the clocks one hour forward this past weekend, and sunrise moved from 7 am to 8 am where I live. For the past few weeks, my kids have been leaving the house in daylight. Now they leave when it’s still dark.

Daylight saving time is a clear example where the disadvantages outweigh the benefits. The energy savings it produces are close to 0. And sure, an extra hour of light in the evening is nice, but from a neuroscientific perspective, early-morning sunlight is more important. In the days after the spring switch, there’s also a rise in heart attacks, injuries, and other health problems.

Let’s cover why morning light exposure is so important and how you can maximize it (even if the odds are against you).

Upon awakening, your body produces the cortisol awakening response (CAR), a rapid increase in your cortisol levels within the first 30-45 minutes after waking. Although cortisol has received a negative reputation due to its association with stress, the morning CAR is simply your brain's natural preparation system, and it’s both necessary and healthy.

Recent research shows that a solid CAR is associated with lower activity but increased connectivity between certain brain regions in the afternoon. It’s a sign of more efficient brain function, translating into better cognitive performance later in the day.

The first 30-45 minutes after waking are a critical period for setting the tone for the rest of the day.

Your CAR is influenced by three main mechanisms:

Every human has an internal biological clock or master clock that approximately follows a 24-hour rhythm, the circadian rhythm (“circa”: approximate; “dian”: day). It tells you when to wake up, when to go to sleep, when to be hungry, and so on.

The strongest influence on your internal clock is light exposure. The light that enters your eyes stimulates a region in your brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). This region functions as a pacemaker for your brain and body, using light cues to set daily rhythms.

Exposing the eyes to bright morning light soon after waking resets your master clock, shifting hormone rhythms and promoting daytime alertness.

When light enters your eyes in the morning, a cascade of neurochemical events starts to happen:

In sum, light exposure, especially early in the morning, is crucial for adjusting your biological clock. Insufficient morning light exposure can make you feel sluggish throughout the day and also reduce sleep quality the following night.

Expose your eyes to natural sunlight as soon as possible after waking, ideally within the first 30 minutes. Aim for at least 10 minutes of natural light exposure. On overcast days, 15-20 minutes is better. Avoid sunglasses or looking directly at the sun.

If you must get up before sunrise, switch on all your indoor lights. Standard indoor lights aren’t nearly as bright as natural daylight, so if you frequently have to rise when it’s still dark, consider purchasing extra-bright lights. Light therapy devices typically emit 10,000 lux.

Once the sun is out, get outside as soon as possible.

Warning: If you purchase extra-bright lamps, avoid using them in the evening. The bright light late in the day could interfere with your sleep.

I cover morning light exposure and several other things to help you optimize your mornings and days in my guide “The Neuroscience-Optimized Morning Routine.” It makes neuroscience applicable to your mornings and contains a flexible framework that even the busiest people can follow.

Learn more about it here:

Early-morning sunlight exposure is something you shouldn’t miss. It’s free, takes only a few minutes, and offers huge benefits for your health. If you can fit it into your routine, you should - even 5 minutes of natural daylight already helps if you cannot get more. Try it tomorrow morning!

I’m already looking forward to more natural sunlight in the morning a few weeks from now.

What else I’ve been up to:

I published a new article on Medium that covers one of the most exciting recent discoveries in neuroscience: Your brain’s own cleaning system (the glymphatic system) and how you can support it.

Read it here:

As always, there’s a friend link included at the beginning of the article so you can read it even if you’re not a Medium member.

Almost 2 weeks ago, I sent out a survey to get your feedback on my newsletter. I’m really grateful for all your amazing replies!

I wanted to share a few results with you.

1. Learning new things and getting information you can trust are the main benefits:

2. The body-brain connection is the topic most of you want to see more of, followed by aging & long-term brain health and stress, mood, & the nervous system:

3. Written comments

There were so many amazing comments! I’m just sharing 3 of them here.

“Great articles on topics I did not even consider before!”

“A weekly newsletter that is easy to digest, does not take hours of my week and helps me improve and optimize my life with knowledge backed by science.”

“I love getting research-based recommendations on daily Life & Health struggles. They improve my life a little bit.”

So again, thank you, everyone, for your feedback or simply for being an active reader. I appreciate you!

That’s it for today!

And now?

Until next time!

Best wishes,

Patricia (Dr. Patricia Schmidt) from creatorschmidt.com

P.S.:

Disclaimer:
1) This newsletter is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical or mental health advice and is not a substitute for professional healthcare. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical condition, medications, or supplements, and before making any changes to your health routine.
2) This newsletter may contain links to third-party offers and newsletters. The author is not responsible for the content, accuracy, or practices of these external sites but may receive compensation when you sign up for them, at no additional cost to you. This newsletter is free, and sponsorships, ads, and affiliate partnerships help me fund it. Thank you for supporting my writing.