The recipe for better sleep can be as simple as spending a weekend enjoying the daylight to the fullest and letting the nights pass as dark as possible. And for that, nothing more recommended than a good camping trip.
This is the conclusion reached by researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder who have studied the circadian rhythms of a group of volunteers who, alternately, spent weekends camping in the mountains of Colorado or stayed at home . The scientists found that it was enough to stay two days in harmony with the natural cycle of day and night to fall asleep more easily and enjoy a more restful rest. In addition, there were other beneficial health effects.
The need to respect circadian rhythms
Circadian rhythms are a kind of internal biological clock that controls everything from our sleep patterns and metabolism to blood pressure and hormone production. They respond very quickly to the natural cycles of light and dark, and are altered by modern life, which leads us to spend many hours indoors and with artificial light, and immerse ourselves in the screens of mobiles and televisions just before sleeping.
According to one of the authors of the research, the physiologist Kenneth Wright, these habits “slow down circadian rhythms and have consequences for the quality of sleep and health. But a simple weekend of camping in the country can allow us to regain our natural rhythm.”
Question of melatonin
Measurements of the saliva of the subjects studied revealed that those who slept in the countryside saw their melatonin levels rise between one and three hours earlier than those who stayed at home in the city. Melatonin is a hormone that regulates the circadian rhythms that govern sleep and wakefulness. This substance generated by the pineal gland tells the body that it is time to sleep, in sync with what we perceive with our eyes. If it’s dark, you have to go to bed. But artificial light and the lack of coordination of our daily life with the light-dark cycle disrupt the balance of the body, in such a way that we impair our sleep and favor the appearance of metabolic disorders that lead to obesity, diabetes and mood swings.
According to Wright, his study reveals that individuals who do without artificial light at night see their biological rhythm adjust to that of natural light, resulting in higher quality sleep, a more balanced metabolism and better health.
