Scientists have long understood the importance of getting enough sleep, yet recent data reveals that only one in three Brits are getting the recommended seven hours of sleep per night. Even more concerning, one in eight are sleeping for less than five hours.

One surprising factor to help achieve a good night’s sleep is light exposure. And that means getting out of the office to soak up some rays during the day and escaping from artificial lights, particularly if at lot of time is spent working in offices.  

‘Light plays a vital role in regulating our sleep, as it helps set our circadian rhythm — or body clock — through light-sensitive receptors in our eyes,’ explained caba sleep expert.

Natural daylight exposure, particularly when spent outdoors in fresh air, has numerous positive effects on physical health and overall wellbeing.

Research has also found that office workers preferred daylight over electric lighting for psychological comfort, general health, visual health, and work performance. Greater exposure to sunlight has also been linked to higher job satisfaction. 

Having windows in the workplace and access to daylight have been linked with increased satisfaction with the work environment.

Light is also important in reducing depression, decreasing fatigue, improving alertness and modulating circadian rhythms.

‘Your sleep need is unique to you. The amount of sleep per night that an individual requires to be able to function optimally, without feeling tired, is their sleep need,’ said wellbeing charity caba’s sleep guru.

‘Our individual sleep need may be anything from five to 11 hours and is determined by many factors, including age, genetics, sex, environment, and lifestyle.

‘Think about how one bad night’s sleep, or not enough sleep, makes you feel the next day. For many of us, we’re grumpy and irritable, we find it difficult to concentrate, and we have no energy.

‘We can overreact when things don’t go our way, and we may find we’re less excited if something good happens. So, it’s easy to see how ongoing sleep problems can negatively affect our mood, but the good news is – it works the other way around too.’

YouGov has a tracker of UK sleep patterns which provides a great overview of how many hours Brits are sleeping, and it is constantly being updated.

How can sleep boost your mood?

You can boost your mood by prioritisingsleep. It’s important to get the foundations right to begin with:

•            get up at approximately the same time each day

•            get outside during daylight hours to expose yourself to natural light

•            limit napping if you have insomnia

•            reduce or cut out caffeine, nicotine and alcohol

•            go to bed only when you’re sleepy 

•            exercise regularly

•            give yourself the time to wind down before bed

•            aim to put the stresses of the day to rest before getting into bed

•            sleep in a bedroom that is cool, dark, comfortable and quiet

•            use bedrooms only for sleep  

A quiet mind is key to falling asleep. Anything that helps achieve a quiet mind will help. Sleep is a very individual thing - if something helps you get to sleep and stay asleep, then don’t try to change it.

Find out about caba mental and physical wellbeing services for ICAEW accountants

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