While “bed rotting” has its appeal — especially after a grueling stretch of work or school — it won’t surprise anyone to learn that making it a regular habit isn’t great for your health.
Obviously, sedentary lifestyles aren’t a favorite among health care professionals because of their implications for poor cardiovascular health.
But a new study sheds light, literally, on one other very important reason to get out of bed (and out of the house) each day.
Researchers in central Europe published findings this month about the detrimental effects of circadian misalignment, or disruptions to your internal clock, which may play a bigger role in metabolic diseases like diabetes than previously thought.
The scientists — affiliated with the University of Geneva, Maastricht University and the German Diabetes Center — found that consistent exposure to natural light led to “more stable blood glucose levels and an overall improvement” in the metabolic profile of all 13 volunteers who participated in the study.
Dr. Florence Comite, MD, author of “Invincible: Defy Your Genetic Destiny to Live Better, Longer,” tells The Post that the study’s findings are “intriguing” (though she acknowledges that the study is quite limited in scope, with only 13 subjects, all of whom have type 2 diabetes and were aged 65 and over).
But how does natural light impact energy and metabolism, as opposed to artificial light?
One of the study’s co-directors, Joris Hoeks, said artificial lighting has a “lower light intensity and a narrower wavelength spectrum than natural light,” adding that “natural light is also more effective in synchronizing the biological clock with the environment.”
For the average adult who spends an estimated 90% of the day indoors, with limited exposure to sunlight, that isn’t great news.
“Artificial light and lack of exposure to sunlight disrupt circadian rhythm,” Comite explains, “which often leads to inadequate sleep, undermines glucose metabolism, [increases] cravings for unhealthy carbs for quick energy, triggers inflammation, all of which exacerbates insulin resistance and risk of diabetes.”
To reap the benefits of daylight, Comite recommends making small changes to daily habits.
A simple morning walk outside allows you to absorb daylight through the eyes and can have a significant impact on metabolic health. Maintaining a regular sleep-wake cycle is also critical to stabilizing glucose and avoiding insulin resistance, she says.
The answer isn’t as straightforward for some populations, however.
Comite cites “dozens” of clinical studies that show how night-shift workers face “increased risk of developing insulin resistance and diabetes along with cardiometabolic diseases, heart attacks and strokes.” Those workers tend to struggle with appetite control, she adds, which is related to their circadian dysregulation.
Exposure to proper light has long been a concern for incarcerated populations, too, whose access to daylight is often tightly restricted.
Watchdogs have reported repeated jail-facility-design violations in St. Louis, Cleveland and Jackson, Mississippi, for example, where detainees are regularly denied access to daylight, worsening sleep and mental health, and putting detainees at a greater risk of high blood pressure and diabetes, among other things.
This preliminary European study contributes to a growing body of research indicating the importance of daylight in managing metabolism and optimizing energy.
For those who are able, even small tweaks to a daily routine — like taking that “hot girl walk” outside instead of on a treadmill — can make a big difference in overall well-being.
