Bright light in the morning

This means making time for light near the start of your day, perhaps with a walk or breakfast outdoors. People try it to feel more awake or bring some regularity to their sleep schedule. Light reaching your eyes is one of the signals your body uses to distinguish day from night. Some use a light therapy lamp when daylight is unavailable.

You do not need to look at the sun, which can damage your eyes. Nor does a morning outing make up for a short night. If morning is when you finish a night shift and need to sleep, generic advice to seek bright light then may work against your schedule.

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It takes a gap before your morning becomes a rush between home, transport and work. An existing walk or dog outing may be easier to use than an additional task. In winter, you may leave home before sunrise; access to morning daylight is not entirely a matter of motivation.

A light therapy lamp requires an appropriate device and attention to its positioning and instructions. Consult a clinician first if you have bipolar disorder, an eye condition or medication that increases light sensitivity. A brighter household bulb is not automatically equivalent to a light therapy device.

Cold weather, rain and crowded mornings can push it out of the routine. You may also lose interest when there is no obvious immediate change. A habit that requires a special outing every day can be difficult to keep once your schedule shifts.

Waking earlier to fit it in while cutting your sleep can defeat the purpose. Stop using a lamp and seek advice if it causes headaches, eye discomfort or agitation. Persistent sleep problems deserve assessment even if you are diligently getting outside each morning.