Natural light gives us all a buzz. After long winters in the UK, it's not surprising so many of us seek out some winter sun, or dream of lying on a sunny beach. Natural light is energising. And according to studies by the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Lighting Research Center in New York, some teenagers who lie in all weekend or are just impossible to get out of bed may not be inherently lazy. The research suggests they simply may not be getting enough sunlight.
It's hard enough being a teenager without being accused of being a lay-about. But there's no doubt teens have attracted a reputation for being lazy. The solution to inactive teens could be as simple as installing frameless glass doors onto your balcony to help encourage natural light to flood into the family home. If you are sooner to suffer from Seasonal Disorder Syndrome and depression, sunlight is a critical component to improving your day to day quality of life. Adolescents are increasing spending time indoors in front of computer screens. And experts believe that this darkness is knocking their body clocks out of kilter, making it harder for them to get up in the mornings.
You may not be able to convince a teenager to ditch their computers or leave their bedroom, but you can find ways to bring more natural light into your home. It's not surprising that many of the dream homes featured on TV shows and lifestyle spreads often have wall to wall windows, bespoke frameless glass doors or an innovative approach to windows that helps bring the outside indoors and the indoors out. A home flooded with sunshine can impact drastically on your well being.
Teenagers who miss out on morning light that is essential to stimulate the body's 24-hour clock end up with what's been dubbed 'teenage night owl syndrome'. If the body's natural clock is off kilter than the sleep / wake cycle is disrupted. But teenagers who fall into this dark routine are not only at risk of sleep deprivation but could be putting things like exam results in jeopardy; being tired impacts on our emotional, mental and physical health.
The researchers said natural light helps the body to release a hormone called melatonin that signals to the body when it's time to go to sleep. If the teens do not have natural light in the morning, they do not feel sleepy at the right time causing them to go to bed later.
The research could also explain why some people, adults included, can have bouts of insomnia during the dark winter months.