How does sunrise work

It is a daily pattern which determines when your body wants to wake up and when it wants to go to sleep. The average person will typically average about 16 hours of wakefulness, followed by 8 hours of sleep.

You spend one-third of your life sleeping. There are a series of processes that build the foundation for your circadian rhythms. Different hormones and chemicals rise and fall over the course of a day, allowing you to feel awake or tired at times that are quite predictable. If these hormones and chemicals get out of balance, then so will your sleeping habits.

This is where using wake-up lights or sunrise alarms can be extremely beneficial. One of the most common circadian rhythm disorders that people experience co-occurs with another disorder: SAD, or a seasonal affective disorder. When the seasons change, it can be difficult to get to sleep or wake up in a healthy way. After more than a few days of these disruptions, the internal body clock you have will be disrupted. Over time, this can cause signs and symptoms that are like depression and can last until the seasons change.

Each of these examples can lead to a circadian rhythm disorder, though many are short-term concerns. Each of these examples, if left untreated, can also increase the risk of developing a seasonal affective disorder. This is especially true for women who are between the ages of , though anyone can develop SAD at any time and in any season.

The human body is conditioned to wake up when the sun is providing light. If you wake up before the sun comes up, then you would be waking up early. Waking up with the sun gives you the opportunity to start your day just as the day is getting started, which is a natural experience. The modern life, however, has different demands and expectations. We are connected to one another like never before. You can start a business in your home, get a client in London, another in Singapore, and be dealing with huge time zone gaps for communication.

Many stay up late, get up early, and keep going until they can go no more. That is why wake-up lights and sunrise alarms are such beneficial products to have in your bedroom. No matter what your actual schedule may be, this type of bedroom setup can create the foundation needed to get the hours of sleep that the average adult needs for proper cognitive functioning. Social jet lag, as Roenneberg defines the term, is the constant clash which occurs between the sleep our bodies need and what our lives demand — like being on time.

A study that Roenneberg published in May studied the sleeping habits of more than 65, adults. There was at least a 1-hour disparity between how long these people slept on a workday compared to how they slept on a weekend.

This study also discovered that from , people were losing about 40 minutes of sleep, on average. They were going to bed later, but getting up at the same time as they usually did. Add in the fact that people in the study were also spending less time outside and Roenneberg believed that could account for the delay in circadian rhythms.

The solution sounds simple: rewind the circadian clock. Keep it operating on a cycle of 24 hours, based on the reset of light and darkness. In reality, that can be almost impossible to do for people who work alternative schedules, have young children, or are dealing with a complex health issue like SAD. That is why wake-up lights and sunrise alarms are so important to have in the bedroom.

When Dr. David Avery discovered that the circadian rhythms of animals were sensitive to dim lights that would gradually rise in strength, signaling a dawn and the end of night, the popularity of the product began to increase dramatically.

The goal of an artificial dawn is to advance the biological clock of a person who has an unbalanced circadian rhythm. Once the balance is achieved, continuing to use a wake-up light or sunrise alarm can maintain that balance so that better, longer sleep cycles can be achieved. This process can achieve results because of the phase response curve. When the simulation is naturalistic, it can be effective in any season.

All a person needs to do is sleep in a darkened room. By running the sunrise simulation, a springtime body response can be achieved even on the shortest sunlight days of the year during the Winter Solstice. In return, better sleep can be achieved.

This can help to lessen the signs and symptoms of a seasonal affective disorder over time. Those who work atypical shifts —second, third, graveyard, rotating, or even call coverage—are subject to many sleep problems.

When the desire for sleep and wake is forcibly misaligned from the patterns of darkness and light, it can be difficult to function optimally. This may lead to increased errors, accidents, and health problems including a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, weight gain, and breast and colorectal cancers.

Artificial light, if properly timed, may help to alleviate some of this misalignment. For every one time zone crossed, it can take one day to adjust the circadian rhythm.

Traveling across a continent, or an ocean, can lead to significant disruption. The use of a sunrise alarm clock may make this transition from jet lag easier. The optimal timing of this light exposure will depend on the distance traveled, and whether preparation was made prior to departing on the trip. Finally, those with a hearing impairment may benefit from using a light to wake, rather than an audible alarm. The deaf may otherwise need to rely on others to wake on time.

The use of a sunrise alarm clock may provide a new degree of independence. Many people will be attracted to the possibility of easing insomnia and waking and getting up easier. Not everyone may want to use a sunrise alarm clock, however. There may be a handful of alternatives to consider. Consider how these additional options may make it easier to wake in the morning.

Throw the window shades open in your bedroom before retiring for the evening. This will let in natural light. After sunrise, the light will be able to stream through the windows and promote wakefulness. Unfortunately, this may not be ideally timed during certain times of the year. Consider a light box with 10, lux of intensity. It is powerful enough to shift the circadian rhythm, benefiting seasonal affective disorder as well. For those with a little extra buying power, light therapy glasses are a convenient and effective option.

With a lower amount of light shone directly into the eyes, these glasses can make it easier to wake after getting out of bed. A cup of coffee or tea can make it easier to get the morning started. Caffeine blocks adenosine, a signal for sleep, within the brain. With a half-life of 4 to 6 hours, it can get you through the morning.

Consider ways to motivate yourself out of bed. Morning exercise, quickly hopping in the shower, a special breakfast, or stepping outside to enjoy the early light may be helpful.

In some cases, scheduling something you really enjoy for first thing in the morning may do the trick. There are many effective ways to wake and feel refreshed. A sunrise alarm clock may help to ease the transition to wakefulness. If you consistently struggle to wake, or have poor quality sleep, consider getting evaluated by a board-certified sleep physician. Sleep disorders can be effectively resolved to the benefit of your health and well-being.

Tossing and turning night over night can have a big impact on your quality of life. Our free guide can help you get the rest you need. Sign up for our newsletter and get it free. Effects of dawn simulation on markers of sleep inertia and post-waking performance in humans. Eur J Appl Physiol. Ontogeny of circadian rhythms and synchrony in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. J Neurosci. Dawn simulation light: a potential cardiac events protector.

Sleep Med. Nesbitt AD. Delayed sleep-wake phase disorder. J Thorac Dis. Light therapy for preventing seasonal affective disorder. Try this! Shine a flashlight on the side of a ball and rotate the ball counterclockwise.

You can figure out which way to turn it by looking down on the ball from above and thinking of a clock face. Watch what happens to the light and dark areas as the ball turns. This is what happens on the earth as it rotates toward the east counterclockwise. Back to Beginning. All rights reserved.