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Chasing Sunlight: Enhancing Family Health and Happiness

Chasing Sunlight: Enhancing Family Health and Happiness

As the clocks turn back, bringing an extra hour of sleep, they also usher in shorter days and reduced sunlight. These limited hours of daylight impact not just our energy and mood but our immune function and sleep quality. To make the most of every sunny moment, it’s essential for families to spend time outdoors, enjoying the simple yet powerful benefits that sunlight brings. While some foods contain small amounts of vitamin D, the best way to get it is through sunlight. Getting enough sunlight is one of the easiest and most natural ways to help protect your body against chronic diseases and support overall wellness. 

At Iksplor, we’re passionate about helping families embrace nature, so we spoke with Dr. Carissa Stanton, a (phenomenal!) holistic pediatrician, to explore how even brief exposure to sunlight can boost our children’s health, mood, and growth. 

Here are some key benefits of prioritizing time in the sun with your family:

Why Prioritize Sunlight for Your Family?

Dr. Stanton shared the most important reason she encourages families to prioritize time in the sunshine, no matter the season. “For me, this is the big picture: if kids are getting sunlight, then they are outdoors, which helps regulate the nervous system to calm mode instead of survival mode and helps whole well-being. Plus, it means they are engaging in free play, which is the best for development: physically, emotionally, and socially,” Dr. Stanton explained.

Immune and Bone Health Benefits of Sunlight

As cold and flu season arrives, the role the sun plays in strengthening our immune system should be shouted from the rooftops. Sunlight is a primary source of vitamin D, a nutrient vital for immune health, especially when children spend more time indoors and are exposed to more illnesses.

In addition to its immune-boosting benefits, Dr. Stanton explained that vitamin D is essential for healthy bone growth and development in children. Sunlight exposure helps the body produce vitamin D, which aids in calcium absorption, supports bone strength, and prevents bone diseases. According to findings published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vitamin D also plays a role in preventing various chronic conditions, including some cancers, heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Sunlight, therefore, remains one of the simplest and most natural ways to support children’s overall wellness and protect against chronic illnesses.

Mood Enhancement

We all want our children to feel their best, both emotionally and physically, and time in the sun is a simple path towards that goal. According to Dr. Stanton, spending time in sunlight can increase serotonin levels, a key brain chemical that improves mood. Often called the "feel-good" chemical, serotonin plays a critical role in regulating mood, energy levels, and emotional balance. When kids get enough sunlight, the boost in serotonin can lower their chances of experiencing anxiety and depression, promoting a more positive outlook and emotional well-being.

This boost in serotonin is particularly helpful during fall and winter, when many (kids included) suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) due to reduced daylight hours. SAD is a type of depression related to seasonal changes and reduced exposure to sunlight. Beyond its immediate mood-lifting effects, regular sunlight exposure encourages children to stay active outdoors, which further supports mental health by reducing stress, improving sleep patterns, and encouraging social interaction and play. Sunlight is a natural and effective way to boost children’s mental and emotional health, creating lasting benefits for their development and resilience.

Improved Sleep 

If your little one isn’t napping or sleeping well at night, there’s a simple solution: more sun! “Sunlight helps children produce melatonin, the sleep hormone, and regulate their sleep-wake cycle,” Dr. Stanton said. Exposure to natural light during the day signals to the body that it's time to be awake and active, helping establish a healthy circadian rhythm. When children soak up sunlight, it not only promotes melatonin production at night but also enhances overall sleep quality and duration.

Proper sleep is vital for children’s growth, cognitive development, and emotional well-being. During deep sleep, essential processes such as memory consolidation and physical recovery occur, making adequate rest crucial for their development. Consistent exposure to sunlight can also help reduce instances of sleep disruptions, such as waking frequently during the night. Ensuring your child spends time outdoors not only helps them fall asleep more easily but also contributes to more restful and restorative sleep, fostering better behavior, focus, and mood during the day (Wright et al. 2013).

Cognitive and Visual Development through Sunlight

Spending time outdoors nurtures children’s physical well-being and supports crucial aspects of their cognitive and visual development. Sunlight plays a vital role in enhancing concentration and the formation of connections in the brain, which are essential for learning and memory (Aas & Bjerknes, 2024). When children are exposed to natural light, they experience a boost in dopamine production, which is essential for healthy eye development. This combination helps improve focus and visual processing skills, ensuring that children are not only attentive but also developing their eyesight in a healthy way. The American Academy of Ophthalmology highlights that spending time outdoors is essential for eye health, helping to lower the risk of nearsightedness and other vision issues in children.

Additionally, outdoor play significantly reduces screen time—score! Engaging in free play outside encourages children to explore, interact, and engage in physical activity, allowing them to break away from screens. This balance is crucial, as excessive screen time can hinder both cognitive and visual development. By promoting outdoor activities, families can foster a healthy lifestyle that enhances learning, encourages social interaction, and supports eye health, all while enjoying the wondrous benefits of sunlight.

Sunscreen: When to Apply?

How often to apply sunscreen is a hot topic among many moms. Some moms believe that limited sunscreen is best, while others lather their children in it as soon as they step outdoors. Dr. Stanton simplified some of our burning questions with her advice: “To get the full effects of the sun, the skin has to be exposed without sunscreen. Depending on your location, the time of day, and your child's age and skin type, children can be in the sun without sunscreen for 15-30 minutes. As with anything, too much of one thing can have downsides. It’s all about balancing the benefits and risks of sun exposure.”

Cloudy Days are Good, Too! 

Remember, the sun doesn’t have to be shining for you to experience its benefits. “If you live in a region with less sunlight, don’t stress that your child is going to have issues from lack of sun exposure. Just do the best you can with getting them outdoors in any type of weather—even on a cloudy day, there are UV rays coming through,” Dr. Stanton advised. “Norwegian culture has a saying: ‘there is no bad weather, just bad clothes.’ With the right gear, children can go out in any type of weather, and it’s good for them.” (YES! We love this saying!) Dr. Stanton also said that you can supplement vitamin D, and to look for the active form, cholecalciferol, or D3.

Merino Wool Layers

We know that getting outside in cold weather isn’t easy, especially with young children, which is why we are all about layers and merino wool! Merino wool makes the best material for a breathable, insulating baselayer that will keep you and your little iksplorer cozy. Don’t retreat indoors this fall and winter—just layer with merino wool so you can continue to experience the wondrous and healing benefits of sunshine.

With winter approaching, don’t let the cooler temperatures keep your family inside. Layer up, step outside, and let the magic of sunlight brighten both the season and your family’s well-being.

P.S. Have you seen our new grown up adventure crew?!  We're obsessed. AND our adventure blanket is BACK! Two more ways to cozy up and get outside. 

Sources: 

American Academy of Ophthalmology. (2014, August 28). More time outdoors may reduce kids' risk of nearsightedness. https://www.aao.org/eye-health/news/outdoor-time-reduce-risk-nearsightedness 

Holick, M.F. (2004). "Vitamin D: Importance in the prevention of cancers, autoimmune diseases, and osteoporosis." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Seasonal Affective Disorder. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/seasonal-affective-disorder

Wright, K. P., et al. (2013). "Entrainment of the Human Circadian Clock to the Natural Light-Dark Cycle." Current Biology, 23(16), 1525-1528.