The Madre chats to Lumie, the natural light company, about the connection between gut health and natural lights.
Tell us about Lumie?
Lumie was founded in Cambridge in 1991, inspired by our founder’s fascination with circadian rhythms and the profound impact light has on well-being. We went on to invent the world's first wake-up light in 1992 and since then have dedicated more than three decades to pioneering research, design, and development of light therapy lamps to enhance sleep and waking, alleviate symptoms of winter blues and improve performance and daytime alertness. Supplementing our environment with light is so important when natural light is limited such as in autumn and winter, and when we spend extended periods indoors.
Why is natural light important to sleep?
Light is the most powerful synchroniser of our circadian rhythms - patterns in physiology and behaviour which run on a cycle of around 24 hours - one of which is our sleep/wake cycle. When we don’t have sufficient light cues, our sleep/wake cycle can become out of sync. This is where Lumie wake-up lights and Lumie bright light therapy lamps come in, providing the cues that are missing from our environment and paving the way to better sleep and easier waking, as well as more energy and alertness during the day
Why is good sleep hygiene important?
Optimising our sleep environment is so important for signalling to our bodies that it is time to sleep, but our activities during the day can also impact how well we sleep at night. Our light exposure during the day plays a key role in regulating our sleep – bright light in the morning and early afternoon helps us to feel energised but we certainly don’t want this effect just before bed! Dim light and warmer tones help us to unwind. There are many other habits which can influence our sleep – one of which is caffeine intake. It is recommended that we shouldn’t consume caffeine for several hours before bedtime. Why not go for a caffeine-free alternative in the evening and pair this with a mindful activity such as journaling and reading that help you to unwind and remove the temptation of having tech in the bedroom?
How can natural light help your gut health?
Our appetite, metabolism and nutrient absorption are influenced by sleep and circadian factors, and when our sleep/wake cycle becomes out of sync, we may be more vulnerable to digestive disorders. Keeping our circadian rhythm in check with strong light cues not only helps to regulate our sleep/wake schedule but also helps to support our digestive health.
Anything new for Lumie - what would you like to tell people?
We recently launched a brand-new bright light therapy lamp, Lumie Dash, which is as close to nature as technology gets! If you would like to try Lumie Dash for yourself or any of our other wonderful products, we are hosting a limited-time sale for World Kindness Day on Lumie.com – live from Wednesday 13th to Friday 15th November only!
