The Summer Glow study by Apple Heart and Movement Study shed light on how much time people actually spend in daylight and what impact it has on their mental well-being and health. Thanks to the Time in Daylight feature in Apple Watch, which measures light using a built-in sensor, an enormous 9.6 million days of data were collected from 58,350 people across the USA.
And what did the data show?
In winter, when we experience short days and freezing weather, participants spent on average only 31 minutes outdoors per day. As soon as the year turns toward summer, however, we begin to openly expose ourselves to the sun: by June, they were averaging more than 100 minutes per day.
But the most interesting part comes here: Participants who spent more than 90 minutes outdoors per day had a 22.8% lower likelihood of experiencing high stress levels.
In other words â more sun = fewer nerves.
What can we take away from this? We donât necessarily have to change our lifestyle right away â itâs enough to add a few minutes outside each day, and both your body and mind will thank you. Vitamin D, mood, sleep, and good energy: the sun is simply still the best free medicine.
And in winter, when we donât feel like going out into the cold, pro-cognitive lighting can help â that is, lights whose spectrum is close to natural daylight and can thus partially replace its lack.
Read more from the study HERE.
