The 5 Biggest Advantages of Using Natural Light in Your Home

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In the chilly hours of the morning, the curtains can be pulled back to allow the warm rays of the sun to brighten and inspire. The sheer “glass” curtains can then be drawn to soften the stronger noonday sun, but still, enjoy its radiance. Sunlight is a magical element that delights and inspires in a way that artificial lights just can’t. Here is a great list of some of the many benefits there are in having natural light in your home.

In the average building, lighting alone accounts for around 30 -40% of the total energy expenditure. Using free natural sunlight to its full capacity for illumination and warmth means that your energy bills are reduced. This can be done by simply letting the light shine in, but the effects can also be greatly improved through a few planned improvements.

By making small adjustments to the way the curtains, windows, skylights, mirrors, and colors of paint are applied, the use of natural lighting can be enhanced spectacularly.

In addition to bringing in free natural light that looks great and makes navigating and working indoors easier, there are some other special benefits in using natural lighting in your indoor life and work environment. The following are the top 5 reasons for opening up the curtains and allowing the light to shine in.

1. Happiness

Getting more sunlight has a positive benefit on the moods and emotions and has been studied to prevent seasonal affective disorder, SADs. This is especially true for those who live in the far north where the sun’s rays in the winter provide minimal sunlight and its advantages. Sunlight is essential to serotonin production, which helps improve mood and is part of the brain’s cognitive performance system.

Furthermore, there is nothing better than laying back in your hammock or lawn chair and just basking in the warm golden rays of the sun. Move your indoor and outdoor furniture around so that you benefit from the sun’s warmth and light at different times of the day. Learning how the light and shadows of the sun play on the interior of your home can help you use the sun’s light more effectively.

2. Natural Light Promotes Better Sleep

The body’s natural clock regulates body functions by the amount of light outside. When the shadows begin to fall at the end of the day, the sleep hormone melatonin is released into the body allowing brain synapses to relax and preparing you for the sleep cycle. Melatonin and serotonin function closely together and require the light of the sun and darkness at day’s end to function optimally. So you can improve your sleep quality by pulling back the curtains and allowing the warm rays of the sun to fill you from top to bottom. Sunlight in the morning also helps to break down the leftover melatonin from the night before clearly defining the sleep schedule and making for a more wakeful and alert start to the day.

3. Natural Light Provides Vitamin D

One of the most important advantages of getting regular sunlight is the improved production of vitamin D. This vitamin plays an important role in the assimilation and use of calcium an important building block in the body. Sunlight is therefore essential for building a strong body. Without sunlight, the body can’t produce this essential vitamin. Even though too much sunlight has been found dangerous and can be detrimental to health, getting too little sunlight can be just as dangerous. Take advantage of all that healthy nutritious sunlight flowing into your home.

Vitamin D is essential for the proper use of calcium and phosphorus which are used in the construction of stronger bones. Without sufficient vitamin D, it is impossible to prevent bone disorders like rickets and osteomalacia.

In combination with calcium, sunlight is prescribed as a potential cure for osteoporosis and has been prescribed with other treatments as well that address the condition of lower calcium and phosphorus as well as certain skin conditions. Finally, vitamin D is such a positive vitamin that the medical community has labeled an effective antidepressant.

4. It’s Green

The best thing about the sun is that it has been supporting and energizing life on this planet for billions of years and we have yet to see a bill. The sun shows no signs of running down anytime soon and applying all this free sustainable energy is just a good idea. So rather than turning on the lamps over had, pick up your book and move over by the window to read. Or draw back the curtains until you can’t actually use any of the sunlight anymore. Then you can rely on artificial lights.

5. Natural Light Improves Productivity

If you feel drained and listless behind your desk in a cold dismal corner of your basement, you need sunlight. It could be the sleep improvement, it might be the serotonin boost, but researchers have found that people perform better professionally when taking regular time to soak up some golden rays.

Just like healthy food, our bodies crave natural light to improve the conditions of our minds and physical functions. Natural light in a workplace is soothing and allows the mind to function uninterrupted. This can be greatly improved if the natural light also provides a view of gardens trees, flowers, and plants – you could even consider a garden window.

Of course, these are just a few of the most significant advantages of getting your light from the biggest star our planet knows. The benefits improve health, add value to home functionality, improve creativity, allow for better rest, and pretty much touch on every aspect of life.

If you have been convinced to use more light in your home there are some easy ways to begin. The window covering you choose will give you more control over the light streaming in. You can soften the light of the sun with sheer or semi-sheer curtains and get all the benefits of the sun without the searing ferocity.

So which side of your home gets the most sunlight? Is there any way to maximize the efficacy of this free light and warmth? If you are looking to adjust your window blinds in Houston for greater natural lighting, we will be happy to lend some expert advice to your efforts. We can tell you which materials and setups will offer you the greatest value in achieving the goals you need.

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Angela Vandyke

Since her childhood days, Angela has already admired those people who give primary care to the oldies. Because of her passion for elders, she decided to take Physical Therapy in college which specializes in rehabilitation for the elders. During her free time, she writes in her journal about the different moments she had with the elders that she loves most.

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