People who struggle to sleep could find that one simple morning habit helps their bodies prepare for a better chance of falling asleep naturally at night. A TV doctor says this habit involves no medication, diet change or difficult task.
Morning daylight signals the brain
Dr Zoe Williams, a regular on ITV's This Morning, says people struggling to sleep need to make one thing a habit when waking up. In a post on Instagram, she says taking time to step outside in the morning and "get some daylight into your eyes" could help your body prepare for bed.
She said: "That might mean drinking your morning coffee outside, stepping into the garden while the kettle boils or escaping outside while the kids are having breakfast."
Dr Williams, a practising doctor and former Gladiator, says the sun does not need to be shining for this to work. She added: "It still counts if it's grey and cloudy. Just being outdoors and looking towards the open sky gives your brain a much stronger light signal than normal indoor lighting."
How morning light affects sleep hormones
She says morning light signals to your brain that the day has started, helping to set your circadian clock. This influences when melatonin, the sleep hormone, starts to rise later that evening and when you begin to feel sleepy.
Because cortisol also follows a circadian rhythm, naturally higher around waking and falling across the day, morning light helps reinforce that normal day-night pattern too.
Other habits that can improve sleep
The NHS says lots of people have problems with sleep at some point in their lives, from finding it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep. The health service said: "Making small changes to habits and routines that help you sleep can make a real difference."
This is sometimes called sleep hygiene and involves lifestyle changes that could lead to better sleep quality. The NHS suggests keeping a regular sleep routine, relaxing before bed, managing worries and stress, making your bedroom comfortable for sleep, trying not to force sleep, and getting active to help you sleep better.
