Bright lights, big sleepy: Good helping of light could aid sleep and better depression

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-07-18 01:00

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US researchers say getting some bright light into your day could have a positive effect on a more regular sleep schedule, and in turn, help lower symptoms of depression. The researchers looked at survey data for over 6600 people and found people who had a greater exposure to bright light to have fewer depression symptoms, as well as having a more regular sleep schedule. They say more vitamin D was also associated with more regular sleep, but not with fewer depression symptoms. However they do note that a better sleep schedule is associated with lower depression. While this kind of study cannot directly prove light's effect on depression, they suggest getting some bright light in your day could improve numerous mood outcomes, even if it is a by-product of its effects on sleep and our circadian rhythms.