Since the dawn of time, humans have worshipped the sun. And with good reason. Our biology is set up to work in partnership with it. From our sleep cycles to our immune systems and our mental health, access to sunlight is crucial for living a happy and fulfilling life. Our bodies and our brains are designed to function during the day and rest at night. But as more of us move into light-polluted cities, spending our days in dim offices and our evenings watching brightly lit screens, we are in danger of losing something vital: our connection to the star that gave us life. It’s a loss that could have far-reaching consequences for our health.

This week, I sit down with award-winning journalist, Linda Geddes, to discuss just what those health implications are. We talk about the concept of night owls and larks and examine whether getting a lie in at the weekend is really as restorative as it sounds. We discuss jet lag and Linda shares the fascinating findings of her research in this area – including her own experiment of getting rid of light at night in her own home. Finally, we discuss what we can all do to get a little more light into our days.  If you are listening to this podcast during the day, you won’t be able to resist the urge of going outside to soak up some natural light!

Disclaimer: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.*

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Watch the video version of this interview in full below.

Find out more about Linda:

Website     Twitter     Instagram

Linda’s book:

Chasing the Sun: The New Science of Sunlight and How it Shapes Our Bodies and Minds

Articles:

• Literary Hub – Why Office Workers Can’t Sleep (and why that’s bad)
• WebMD – Do You Have Social Jet Lag?
• BBC – Later School Start Time May Boost GCSE Results
• Nasa – Let there be (better) light
• New Scientist – How getting more daylight can improve your mental and physical health
• The Guardian – Disrupted sleep patterns can lead to ‘deviant behaviour’, research suggests
• The Guardian – Chasing the Sun by Linda Geddes review – why we don’t get enough natural light

Dr Chatterjee’s resources:

• Podcast – Episode 21 Why When You Eat Matters with Professor Satchin Panda PART 1
• Podcast – Episode 22 Why When You Eat Matters with Professor Satchin Panda PART 2
• Find Dr Chatterjee’s 4 Pillar of Health in The 4 Pillar Plan
• Available in the US & Canada with the title How to Make Disease Disappear
• Order Dr Chatterjee’s book The Stress Solution.
• Dr Chatterjee’s NEW book Feel Better in 5 is out now.

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*DISCLAIMER: Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.