My light-induced joy got me thinking about a time when someone told me that a lack of sunlight can cause depression. So, this week, I did some research to let everyone know how important sunshine can be, as if we needed any more reasons to anticipate spring and summer.

Curiously, during my research, I saw many sources seemed surprised that sunlight could benefit you. They argued sunlight can burn you, and that it’s evil! They found it difficult to believe that sunlight could be good for you.

But, sunlight, as I’m sure many of us know, can be good for us! Believe it or not, it can help us get better sleep. According to this US News article,, sunlight helps decrease the production of melatonin in our bodies, which is the chemical that makes us sleepy for bedtime. US News said that it’s a good idea to go outside for 15 minutes at the same time every day in order to fully let our bodies feel the night/day cycle. The article even talks about forgoing sunglasses so that sunlight can pass directly from your eyes to your pineal gland, which will tell your body to stop releasing melatonin.

Sunlight can also increase the production of serotonin, which is the chemical that produces happiness! And, as if that didn’t make you excited enough, sunlight also helps your body produce Vitamin D, which strengthens your immune system.

So, that is my research on the benefits of sunlight in a nutshell. Every day from here on out, the sun will rise a little bit earlier and set a little bit later. We have a lot to look forward to.