Daylight, movement & daily rhythms

Your master clock uses light reaching your eyes to decide when to release a sleep hormone. As evening comes, the brain makes more of it, and you start to feel sleepy.

Light from screens at night can confuse your body clock.

A study of 91,105 adults in the UK found that people whose daily rest and activity patterns were more disrupted, like being active at night or inactive during the day, were more likely to have depression and bipolar disorder and reported lower well-being.

NIH notes that long-term shifting of your rhythms is linked with health problems, including mood disorders.

Your body clock can drift out of step with day and night because of jet lag, shift work, genes or some brain conditions. In the short term this can bring sleepiness, clumsiness and trouble focusing.

Getting up at about the same time, then getting light soon after, gives your body clock a fixed starting point. Bedtime often follows more easily.

The CDC recommends 9 to 12 hours for children aged 6 to 12 and 8 to 10 hours for teens aged 13 to 17.

Phones in bedrooms at night are a common sleep thief. A family rule like “all phones charge in the kitchen” is easier than nagging one person.

For sleep stages, sleep myths, a sleep diary and a wind-down routine, see the Sleep & mental health guide. For trouble falling or staying asleep and CBT-I, see the Insomnia & trouble sleeping guide.

Easy ways

• Drink your morning drink by a window or on a step
• Open curtains as soon as you get up
• Take a short walk at lunchtime
• Walk part of your commute or school run

In winter, even a cloudy day outside is brighter than most indoor lighting.

Stepping out of a stuffy room, noticing the sky and taking a few slow breaths is a quick way to interrupt spiralling thoughts. You don’t need a forest. A balcony, garden, park bench or open window counts.

In the England study, benefits showed up at around 120 minutes a week, and it didn’t matter whether that came from one long visit or several short ones.

Ways to add it up

• A weekend walk in a park
• Eating lunch outside
• Gardening or caring for plants outdoors
• Walking a longer, greener route

CDC tips when the UV index is 3 or higher

• Stay in the shade
• Use broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat
• Wear clothes that cover your arms and legs
• Wear sunglasses that block UVA and UVB rays

Alongside other signs of depression, winter-pattern SAD can bring oversleeping, craving carbohydrates and pulling away from people, a bit like wanting to hibernate.

Some people have a summer pattern instead. It can bring trouble sleeping, poor appetite, restlessness, anxiety and sometimes aggressive behaviour.

NIMH describes light therapy for winter-pattern SAD: sitting in front of a very bright light box for about 30 to 45 minutes, usually in the morning.

CBT adapted for SAD is usually done in group sessions twice a week for 6 weeks. In a direct comparison, it worked about as well as light therapy.

Ideas

• Get outside in the brightest part of the day, even when cloudy
• Keep a regular wake time all winter
• Keep plans with people, even short ones
• Move your body indoors when it’s cold, like dancing or stretching
• Sit near a window to work or eat

Use the “My winter plan” worksheet to plan ahead before the dark months arrive.

A large 2024 review pooled 218 studies with more than 14,000 people. It found exercise was an effective way to help with depression.

Walking or jogging, yoga and strength training stood out. Yoga and strength training were also easy for people to stick with. Benefits were seen whatever people’s starting level of depression.

You don’t need a gym or a whole hour. A few minutes here and there still counts and can shake off that stiff, foggy feeling.

Try

• Dance to one song
• Do ten slow squats or wall push-ups
• Stretch while the kettle boils
• Take the stairs for one floor
• Walk to the end of the street and back
• Walk while you take a phone call

Choose movement because it lifts your mood, clears your head or connects you with people, not to “burn off” food or change how you look. Exercise used as punishment can become part of an unhealthy pattern.

A gentle start

1. Pick one kind of movement you don’t hate
2. Do 5 or 10 minutes, a few days this week
3. Tie it to something you already do, like after lunch
4. Notice how you feel afterward, not just during
5. Add a few minutes when it feels easy

Ideas

• Chair exercises or seated stretches
• Gentle water walking or swimming
• Physical therapy exercises you have been given
• Rolling or wheeling outdoors
• Slow, mindful movement like tai chi

If you have a health condition, consult with your clinical provider about what kind and amount of movement is safe for you.

The CDC says children aged 3 to 5 should be active throughout the day. Children and teens aged 6 to 17 need 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous activity every day.

On at least 3 days a week, this should include vigorous activity, muscle strengthening like climbing or push-ups, and bone strengthening like jumping or running.

The CDC also notes that a single session of activity can improve thinking for children aged 6 to 13.

The CDC recommends that adults 65 and older get at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, muscle strengthening on at least 2 days, and activities that improve balance.

Regular activity may also help keep thinking, learning and judgment skills sharp with age.

Balance ideas

• Dance or tai chi classes
• Standing on one foot while holding a counter
• Walking heel-to-toe along a hallway

During pregnancy, after surgery, with an injury or with a long-term condition, movement can still help, but the right kind and amount may change. Consult with your clinical provider before starting something new.

A simple rhythm

1. Get up at about the same time
2. Get some light soon after waking
3. Eat meals at roughly regular times
4. Move during the day, ideally outside
5. Dim the lights and slow down in the last hour before bed

Sleeping in for hours on weekends can leave you feeling jet-lagged on Monday. Try to keep your wake time close to your usual time, and rest earlier in the day if you need to.

Smallest versions

• Get up at your usual time, even if you rest again later
• Open the curtains
• Stand outside your door for two minutes
• Stretch your arms above your head in bed

For more low-energy ideas, see the Body basics for your mind guide and the Rest & recharging guide.

Light from devices at night can confuse your body clock.

Ideas

• Charge your phone outside the bedroom
• Swap scrolling for an audiobook or music
• Turn screens down or off in the last hour before bed
• Use softer, warmer lamps in the evening