A Night in a Tent

Most of us, unfortunately, lead the majority of our lives under artificial lighting. This has a profound effect on our sleep cycle, which is controlled largely by the levels of the hormone melatonin in our bodies. Living under artificial lighting causes the melatonin cycle and our sleep cycle to lose sync, resulting in groggy mornings and difficulty falling asleep at night. A recent study, published in Current Biology, found that the disruption was easily cured by spending a week in the outdoors, in a tent without any artificial lighting. Living with only the sun for natural lighting causes our melatonin to sync with the natural day, and our sleep cycle. Although it is difficult to live in a tent given most modern schedules, simple things like a morning walk in the sunshine can make a big difference. If you