By Meadowlark Monaghan, AIM Youth Advisory Board Member
When discussing mental health, we often hear the sentiment: it’s about going back to the basics.
From our primary care doctor’s office to receiving a meme from a friend—basic mental health care reminds us humans that we are just like the plants we seemingly can’t keep alive in our homes: in need of simply water, fresh air, and some sunlight in order to feel good.
While these “tried and true” answers are often easy to dismiss in search of rapid solutions that can stand toe-to-toe with same day shipping—new research is begging us to not scroll past these insights.
A new study, highlighted by Andrew Huberman in his Huberman Lab Podcast, published just six months ago, confirms that daytime sunlight exposure and nighttime darkness exposure promotes mental health and wellbeing.
This study, conducted on +85,000 individuals, shows that daytime sunlight exposure has positive effects on mental health, and reduces the symptoms of various mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety.
Furthermore, they found that darkness exposure at night (10PM-4AM) can similarly support our mental health, with specific positive benefits for depression. Avoiding light at night can prevent activation of the eye to the peri habenular pathway, which has been linked to depression.
Sure, I can feel the difference that a neighborhood walk around the block on my lunch break has on my mindset. And yet, how can light exposure be this impactful to ward off depression?
At the risk of sounding like your high school physics class: Light is electromagnetic energy measured in wavelengths. Different wavelengths have different effects on the body. For example, you may have seen the wellness industry talk about red light’s ability to stimulate collagen or seen ads about blue light wands that can kill acne-causing bacteria and make our skin luminous (all true by the way)!
Exposure to sunlight specifically in the morning can help regulate our circadian rhythm—aka our sleep and hormone balance. It is also targeted enough to be used to stimulate the function of particular organelles (“little organs”) within our cells. No other form of energy (sound, chemical, touch) can target specific locations in cells, organs, and the body just as precisely as light can. In fact, exposure to specific wavelengths of light can improve brain function and potentially prevent dementia.
Sunlight does all this and more. It can improve our immune system, protect melatonin, and increase the release of beta-endorphins—countering not only physical, but emotional pain. Morning light triggers cortisol for alertness and focus (remember: not all stress is bad stress) and sets a timer for our bodies for falling asleep later at night. An additional study found that 20-30 min of midday sun exposure for 2-3x a week increased testosterone and estrogen levels, leaving both males and females reporting increased romantic passion.
With these new insights on what we already knew to be true, here are some ideal morning and evening routine examples of how to utilize light exposure to best support you and your family’s mental wellness.
Ideal Light Morning Routine:
Using morning light to regulate our circadian rhythm and increase our mental health
- View bright sunlight early in the day (within the first 30–60 minutes after waking) outside
- Do not try to get sunlight exposure through a windshield, sunglasses, or a window; it won’t work
- Do not wear sunglasses during this time (Eyeglasses or contact lenses with UV protection are okay)
- It does not need to be a sunny day to get benefits! Even when it’s overcast, it’s much brighter during the daytime out of doors than it ever is at night or indoors. Simply adjust your timing:
- Clear day: 5 minutes of sunlight exposure
- Cloudy day: 10 minutes of sunlight exposure
- Overcast or rainy day: 20–30 minutes of sunlight exposure
- If unable to go outside, use sunlight simulators or daylight simulators (e.g., ring lights, LED panels)
- If you miss a day, try to get twice as much sunlight exposure the following day
Ideal Evening Routine:
View evening sunlight to provide a second reference point for circadian clock
- Do your best to make it as dark as possible between the hours of 10PM and 4AM
- Avoid bright artificial lights
- Dim indoor lights and use low-placed lights
- Use as little artificial light as needed for activities
- Ideally, use candlelight, red-lights, or moonlight
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About the Author
Meadowlark Monaghan (she/hers) is a consultant using her knowledge gained as a mental health professional to act as a liaison between brands, creators, + online communities with the field of psychology and mental health. She also co-hosts the personal development podcast, Thoughts May Vary. Her work has been seen with Madhappy, Local Optimist, The Mayfair Group, Lonely Ghost, AIM Youth Mental Health, NAMI San Diego and more.
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Krista Reuther is the Assistant Director of Ohana’s Community Health and Prevention Program. She received her Masters in Public Health and Social Work at UC Berkeley. She comes to this position after 14 years of clinical social work experience at Stanford Children’s Hospital in pediatric oncology, critical care, and bereavement. Her goal is to reduce the incidence of mental illness in children and adolescents in Monterey County.
Dr. Guss is a 35-year veteran educator with a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership. She served as a classroom teacher for 10 years, including two years as a teacher in a bilingual program in South Central Los Angeles. She has also served as a college professor, mentor teacher for new teachers, and a master teacher for teacher candidates completing their student teaching experience. She continues to be a strong advocate for the teaching profession.
Fellowship: Stanford University School of Medicine (1994) CA
Michael G. Thompson, Ph.D. is a consultant, author and psychologist specializing in children and families. He is the supervising psychologist for the Belmont Hill School and has worked in more than seven hundred schools across the United States, as well as in international schools in Central America, Europe, Africa and Asia.
is 15 years old and a sophomore at Marina High School in Marina, CA. Her academic interests include math, history, and psychology. She joined the AIM Ideas Lab in 2021 because she wanted to be a part of something that could have a great impact on her community. Marwa is interested in youth mental health because she has always been fascinated with the human mind and she wants to support those that are suffering who may feel like their challenges in life aren’t important enough or are too afraid to seek necessary help.
Giovanna Panetta is a 16 year old junior at Carmel High School. She has always been called to STEM subjects, specifically biology. The AIM Ideas Lab instantly attracted her attention as a research opportunity. Gia has always comprehended the importance of mental health. She knows that COVID only exacerbated previously existing problems, and that as a community we can try and find the root of those problems. Mental health is an integral part of life, and can impede a body’s ability to be healthy. She strongly believes that life is worth living, and she wants to help anyone that thinks otherwise.
Dr. Friedman completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology from University of California San Diego (UCSD). She went on to complete her masters and doctorate degrees (Ph.D.) in Clinical Psychology from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science/Chicago Medical School. Dr. Friedman completed her pre-doctoral internship at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, and her post-doctoral fellowship training at the VA San Diego Healthcare System. Her clinical training and experience has been focused primarily on comprehensive assessment and effective treatments for anxiety, mood and related disorders. Dr. Friedman has extensive experience in providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapies for anxiety disorders (e.g. worry, OCD, social anxiety, phobias and PTSD), depression, adjustment disorders/life stress, insomnia and body-focused repetitive behaviors (e.g. Trichotillomania and skin picking). She has received training in evidence-based interventions for a variety of specific problems, including exposure with response prevention (ERP) for treatment of OCD, Prolonged Exposure (PE) for treatment of PTSD, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I). Moreover, she has specialty training in the treatment of childhood anxiety and related disorders, such as ADHD, selective mutism, separation anxiety, PTSD, depression and specific phobias. In addition, Dr. Friedman has developed an expertise in research on Trichotillomania and body-focused repetitive behaviors, which has led to numerous local and national presentations. Dr. Friedman regularly attends local and national conferences, training seminars and workshops in order to stay informed on the most up to date treatments and apply state of the art science into her clinical practice.
Dr. Piacentini is a board-certified clinical child and adolescent psychologist and Professor in the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences. He directs the UCLA Child OCD, Anxiety, and Tic Disorders Clinic and Tourette Association Center of Excellence which provide diagnostic evaluation and treatment (both therapy and medication) for youth with the above problems. He also directs the UCLA Center for Child Anxiety Resilence, Education, and Support (CARES; carescenter.ucla.edu) which provides education and programming to parents, teachers, and clinicians about anxiety prevention and management.
Citlalli Nava is 18 years old and a first year majoring in Psychology at Hartnell Community College in Salinas, CA. She is passionate about understanding how mental health affects how youth think, act, and feel. Citlalli joined the AIM Ideas Lab in 2021 after witnessing the increase in mental health challenges in teenagers and considering the mental health issues they are facing. Citlalli is interested in youth mental health because it is a real problem faced by her generation.
Clinical and community psychologist and health care innovator Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, is CEO of the American Psychological Association, the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. With more than 146,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students as members, APA promotes and disseminates psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve lives – a mission consistent with Evans’ life work.
