"Bright lights keep us buzzing late into the night because of our circadian rhythm, which is the body's internal clock. It's instrumental in the normal functioning of body and mind. It's also intrinsically tied to light. Before the widespread availability of electricity, human activity was tightly synced with these natural light cycles, as it was for every other living being on the planet."
"I wondered what my life, mind, and body would feel like without the disruption of electric light. What if, instead of ending my night when I glance at the clock and realize how late it is, I gave myself the gift of darkness and let my body decide when it's ready to wind down, rather than my LED-adled mind? I gave myself one week to find out."
Chronic nighttime screen use and bright artificial light disrupt circadian rhythm and cause late-night alertness, fragmented sleep, and shortened sleep duration. Human circadian timing is intrinsically tied to natural light cycles and was historically aligned with sunrise and sunset before electric light became widespread. A weeklong experiment removed electric light after sunset on a remote, light-pollution-free farm, using only candles and a red-light headlamp. The experiment involved working outdoors during daylight, shutting down computers and phones at sunset, and allowing the body to determine sleep onset. The rural setting included natural nighttime sounds and dawn chorus, facilitating alignment with natural light cues.
Read at Yoga Journal
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