How the Photoperiod Effect works

We now know, from discoveries just in the last decade, that most human hormones are directly controlled by exposure to light. We have a night-time hormone system that is only switched on in true darkness, and a day-time hormone system that starts just before light does. In turn, these hormones either affect or control almost everything else that happens within our bodies, from healing to blood pressure. Mess with these critical hormonal systems decade after decade by subjecting them to plenty of extra light exposure (or drugs, which mimic light exposure in various ways) and you should expect to experience some ill effects, and worse, at least one chronic illness – even if just eczema, which most North Americans now have. However, precisely what illness, how severely you'll suffer – depression, obesity, high blood pressure, etc - and just how soon it will hit, will depend upon your individual genetic makeup and other environmental factors as well.

Even so, the damage chronic long days do is too great, and too diverse, not to have substantial effects over time, for all of us. These effects are not very noticable, because they are not immediate. Cause may precede effect not merely by years, but decades. Luckily, the research now available suggests that the worst of those effects seem to be quickly reversible, once you revert to more natural days and nights. Again, what you're reading here is good news: your health and vitality can be very much improved, with simple measures, and your old age much more comfortable. So you could quit reading this now, take the instructions in the article Easy Ways to Get More Natural Darkness and live a happier life knowing no more than you do now – but I strongly advise you to read on, anyway. Once you know how much science has only recently learned about precisely how our bodies work and the extraordinary importance of regular, consistent, long periods of darkness in keeping our bodies running smoothly according to daily cycles, as well as some of the details of how easily things can go wrong from simply flipping on a light switch in the middle of the night for a few seconds, you'll be more motivated to do a better job of adopting a truly natural night.