Lack of solar. The cloudiest cities in Russia

All life on Earth, including humans, are constantly under the influence of our heavenly body - the Sun. And, despite all the benefits of civilization that we have achieved, primarily electricity, we still get up and go to sleep according to the Sun. Ours also depends on its rays. general health and just a state of mind. This is most noticeable in those periods when we are forced, for the sake of economic gain, to move the clocks forward or back an hour. or in winter time of the year. Many of us are immediately feeling the effects of these changes.

How does sunlight affect human health?

The most valuable thing that sunlight gives to a person is ultraviolet radiation. It makes our work immune system- but, just in the autumn- winter period Many people start to get sick when there is little light. During these same dark seasons of the year, many people gain excess weight, since the lack of ultraviolet radiation negatively affects our metabolism. In winter, people are more sleepy and indifferent, but in summer, the opposite is true. Because bright sunlight increases performance, and its lack reduces it.

Lack of ultraviolet radiation also affects our skin. For example, in winter, when there is low light, the skin begins to itch and peel. This happens due to a disruption or cessation of the formation of vitamin D in the body.

In winter, holes in teeth begin to form more often than ever.
There is even an opinion that a lack of sunlight has a bad effect on human vision.

How to make up for the lack of sunlight for a person?

1. In order to feel better in winter and autumn, first of all, you need to arrange walks in the mountains more often fresh air during daylight hours. To make up for the lack of sunlight, it is enough to walk for 10-15 minutes about twice a week, exposing your face and hands to the sun if possible. It is worth saying that tanning in a solarium cannot in any way help a person make up for this deficiency, because in a solarium, instead of real sun, there is artificial sun.

2. A good way to combat the lack of sunlight is to keep your home clean. For example, dirty windows delay entry sun rays into the room by 30%. Therefore, keep the windows clean. Tall flowers on the windowsill absorb about 50% of the sun. This means that you need to place it somehow differently.

3. Eat in winter so that your body receives sufficient quantity vitamin D. Eat more fatty fish, such as salmon. Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, it helps the heart function and can suppress various inflammations. But do not forget to walk, because this vitamin is absorbed only under the influence of sunlight.

4. Activity hormone - serotonin, replenish with food. Eat more dark chocolate (not at night), pineapples, apples, bananas and plums.

5. If in winter you often want to sleep during the day, then it is better to give in to this temptation. If possible, get some sleep (15-20 minutes). You can even do this on your desktop. Such a short sleep can perfectly restore strength. Also try to take five minutes an hour away from any work.

6. In winter, we are often accompanied by a loss of strength. You need to fight it with physical activity, since experts say that this problem often occurs due to lack of movement. During physical work or exercise, hormone production increases. For example, by exercising physically for about half an hour a day, you can increase the concentration of happiness hormones by 5-7 times.

So, cleanliness of the home, walks in the fresh air daytime, exercise stress, timely sleep, and balanced diet will help you combat the lack of sunlight in winter and survive the winter without health problems.

Here it comes last month winter. In many ways it is the hardest. On the one hand, it's still cold. On the other hand, this is still a very dark month, and people are noticeably tired of this darkness, which is seriously harmful to health. Residents of northern countries have known about this for a long time, but now they have begun to talk about the problem of light deficiency in relatively southern Britain.

Surveys have shown that around half of Britons believe they have little natural light in the workplace. It bothers them that they come and/or leave work in the dark. All this is not a joke - this is the loss of millions of hours of working time per year due to a disease called “seasonal affective disorder"(SAD).

Living in the Twilight

It has long been known that the northern climate with its lighting conditions leaves a special imprint on human health. Even in the 6th century, descriptions of Scandinavia spoke of the gloominess of the local inhabitants. Many people have heard a line from Petrarch, who lived in the 14th century: “Where the days are cloudy and short, a tribe will be born that does not hurt to die.” For residents of Italy, both the south of Britain and Denmark are already a cold and dark North.

By and large, the point here is not the temperature, although this is important, but rather the “northness” of residence. The further north you go, the shorter the days in winter, the longer the dark time of day. By the way, London is located at the latitude of Kursk. So if in London they are already concerned about the influence of the short term daylight hours for health, then God himself commanded Muscovites and everyone who lives further north.

Also pay attention to Petrarch’s word “cloudy”. Low, dense, layered clouds are a typical feature of both Russian and Scandinavian winters. In Siberia, winter is sunny, although frosty. But we don't. And these clouds shorten our daylight hours by another hour and a half. This “duvet” weather is simply depressing. Gray life, in a gray city, under a gray sky...

This color scheme has a depressing effect on the subconscious level. And it’s not about architecture - we miss the blue of the sky and the light of the sun

And exactly 30 years ago, in January 1984, a phenomenon called seasonal affective disorder (SAD) was described by Norman Rosenthal from the National Institute of mental health. He noted that the syndrome is characterized by recurring depressions that occur annually. People with SAD suffer from drowsiness, tend to overeat in general and carbohydrate foods in particular, and they gain weight easily. Moreover, their condition changes with changes in the latitude of their place of residence and climate. In the worst case it could be noticeable decrease level of vitamin D, which leads to weakened immunity, brittle bones, and a decrease in testosterone levels in the body of men, and therefore to impotence. And all these troubles are due to lack of light...

The light that doesn't exist

In addition to visible light, which reaches us in winter for only 4-6 hours, its ultraviolet component is also of great importance for the human body. In certain doses, ultraviolet light is beneficial for our body: it stimulates the immune system, helps the production valuable vitamin D. There’s just a problem - for example, in Moscow, ultraviolet radiation does not reach the surface of the earth from about the last ten days of November until the end of January. And only now, on clear days, detectors began to pick it up, but still this is still 0 points on a special scale of UV radiation intensity.

In St. Petersburg the situation is even sadder - there “ biological night"lasts from mid-October to early March. In principle, everyone can monitor the situation themselves on various meteorological sites that provide information about the intensity of the UV flux. But it's not just about ultraviolet radiation, unfortunately.

We just don't have enough light. Bright summer light. Normally, for the human body (and these are southern countries), melatonin is produced in the dark, which is also called the sleep hormone, and in the daytime - serotonin, the hormone of joy and activity. This system is millions of years old, and it has an iron logic of life. Nature could not take into account that we would literally run (by evolutionary standards) from southern countries to the northern reaches.

As a result, both in winter and at the peak of summer in our northern latitudes, a person experiences severe stress - however, of various properties. And if in summer we only need to close the curtains tightly at night to ensure healthy sleep, then in winter everything is much worse - our circadian rhythm mechanism is completely disordered. And the reason for this is improper lighting.

Wrong light

Ideally, we should sleep in a dark room and then spend the day in natural light. Until the beginning of the twentieth century, the majority of the population lived this way, even in developed countries. However, rapid urbanization and the development of electric lighting have caused our normal circadian rhythms to break down.

We illuminate our apartments and cities not with natural light. Radiation in the yellow part of the spectrum does not particularly help the production of serotonin - it is the light of the evening, a signal that you need to get ready for bed. Lighting with incandescent or sodium lamps high pressure(street yellow-orange light) in the morning throws them off: we begin to “warm up”, and the signal goes about the onset of evening.

During the day we may find ourselves many times in different rooms where we will use various sources light - with a maximum in both the yellow and blue parts of the spectrum. The body gets a bunch different teams and eventually begins to grow dull.

The issue of lighting is very important - there are still no ideal lamps. Conventional fluorescent lamps can be of different spectrums - supply managers often save money and buy those that are cheaper. “Daylight” lamps - long tubes - have a special marking: for example, MANUFACTURER L18W/840. 840 is good. But 640 is already a violation of the norms, the radiation spectrum is too poor. I recommend reading more about the labeling of lamps - since this topic is very extensive. I will only note that it is best to use powerful incandescent lamps (which are no longer produced), halogen lamps or lamps for lighting good producers. Cheap consumer goods will ultimately backfire on you. Look at your lamps - perhaps it makes sense to buy high-quality lamps yourself, because this is your health.

Light treatment

If the right light is missing, then it needs to be added. This is the basis of light therapy. Finland and Sweden, considered among the darkest countries in the world, have long practiced enhanced lighting. For this purpose, special lamps are installed, the light of which is maximally optimized for natural light. These lamps are placed in the workplace, at home, where you relax or eat, and even in a cafe - while you are meeting with friends and getting some health along the way.

In the Swedish city of Umeå, special lamp panels were installed even at bus stops - in order to take care of city residents

However, nothing can replace natural light. Therefore, it is very important to be in the sun for at least half an hour every day or for at least an hour to walk in cloudy weather in an open area. At the same time, the main thing here is not to walk, but to watch. If you have a terrace, balcony, large windows, move your desk so that when you look up from the screen, you see a stream of daylight.

We ourselves are capable of helping each other. Clothing in black, gray and white only makes the situation worse. Just in winter you should dress brightly. Particularly preferred colors are yellow, bright green, and blue. Even a rich red would be good too.

The white color of the room is the basis. Now here you need to arrange and arrange bright, colorful objects

And finally, the design of the premises. Ideal - a sea of white, which will be diluted with bright, saturated color spots. In Finland, there is now a developing trend of combining bright “Mediterranean” colors in a classic white interior. A white interior also means more light for our eyes, an expansion of space, and stimulation of the whole organism.

Thus, there are completely physiological ways to combat SAD syndrome, which should not be underestimated. Lack of light inhibits almost all functions of the body, including the destruction of the psyche. We must fight this, fortunately there are recipes, and then the world around us and we in the world will feel much better.

Short daylight hours, vitamin C deficiency and lack of sunlight cannot but affect the well-being and condition of the body during the period winter cold. Scientists believe that, first of all, such conditions influence changes hormonal levels.

This occurs due to insufficient production of such important hormone-like substances V human body, like dopamine (the wakefulness hormone) and melatonin (the sleep hormone).

The problem is that if there is not enough sun for long period Over time, an incorrect ratio of these hormones may occur: Usually in winter melatonin is produced in large quantities, while there is a critical lack of dopamine in the body.

This fact largely explains the reason drowsy state most people during the winter months. Activity decreases significantly, sleep problems appear, and with a lack of sun, health and general state. People begin to get tired faster, experience apathy and depressed mood, which are often accompanied by poor performance.

In addition, as researchers suggest, lack of sun has an adverse effect not only on hormonal levels, but also on many other systems of the body. First of all, short daylight hours affect:

internal biorhythms;
natural skin renewal processes;
immunity;
vitamin D production processes who cannot function normally when there is a lack of sunlight;
endocrine system;
cardiovascular system;
reproductive function.

Who suffers most from sun deficiency?

Poor health in winter, associated with changes in hormonal levels and lack of sunlight, is most often observed in the following groups patients:

elderly people;
children and adolescents;
patients suffering from chronic insomnia;
women of different ages.

Statistics show that the female population suffers more from lack of sun than men. Increased melatonin production and deficit state hormone of wakefulness in the body also affects sexual female hormones, so women very often encounter such unpleasant symptoms in the winter season, like:

frequent dizziness;
headaches and migraines;
fatigue for no reason;
constant state of drowsiness;
increased appetite;
depressed psychological state;
tendency to an apathetic state;
reduced performance;
gaining excess weight.

How to deal with lack of sun?

Scientists advise not to despair and to seriously engage in overcoming this problem, under no circumstances succumbing to an apathetic state. To do this, they suggest following the following simple rules, which can help restore the body, even if the lack of sun has been observed for quite a long time:

Competent organization of the regime. It is necessary to go to bed and wake up at the same time every time so that the body can get used to it and no longer experience the feeling of lack of sleep. Experts advise going to bed 1-2 hours before 12 o'clock at night.
Proper morning rise. To make getting up in the morning much easier, you can use Eleutherococcus, Schisandra or Aralia, taking them in the morning on an empty stomach. Also, during the winter season, if there is a lack of sun, it is recommended to take drugs instead of coffee that can regulate the balance of melatonin and dopamine in the body. For example, drug "Melaxen" helps not only gradually improve overall well-being, but also psychological state.
Searching for sunlight. Try as soon as possible to spend as much time as possible outdoors under the sun as soon as it comes out. Some experts are convinced that the lack of sunshine can easily be overcome by traveling to warm countries during winter. You can also sign up for phototherapy procedures, which will also help temporarily replace natural sunlight. For this, special white light lamps are used.
Improved mood and increased activity. Herbal preparations , which include St. John's wort, have a beneficial effect on nervous system and have an antidepressant effect.

Don't forget to take extra vitamins if you don't get enough sunlight. In autumn and winter, vitamin deficiency is especially common in many patients. Revitalize your diet by focusing on orange fruits and red and orange vegetables.

This is most noticeable in those periods when we are forced, for the sake of economic gain, to move the clocks forward or back an hour. or in the winter season. Many of us are immediately feeling the effects of these changes.

How does sunlight affect human health?

The most valuable thing that sunlight gives to a person is ultraviolet radiation. It makes our immune system work - but, just in the autumn-winter period, many people begin to get sick, when there is little light. During these same dark seasons of the year, many people gain excess weight, since the lack of ultraviolet radiation negatively affects our metabolism. In winter, people are more sleepy and indifferent, but in summer, the opposite is true. Because bright sunlight increases performance, and its lack reduces it.

Surely many people have felt unwell in the fall just because there is also a lack of sun at this time. And this is not surprising. The fact is that in sunlight the human body produces the hormone serotonin, and its second name is the activity hormone. It is produced during daylight hours and is regulated by light intensity. This hormone regulates our sleep and keeps us alert. Therefore, many experts suggest that the causes of most depression are not a person’s personal problems, but a simple lack of sunlight.

Lack of ultraviolet radiation also affects our skin. For example, in winter, when there is low light, the skin begins to itch and peel. This happens due to a disruption or cessation of the formation of vitamin D in the body.

In winter, holes in teeth begin to form more often than ever.
There is even an opinion that a lack of sunlight has a bad effect on human vision.

How to make up for the lack of sunlight for a person?

Tip #1

Walk more. But remember: only walking during daylight hours will bring benefits. To gain the “solar” norm necessary for a normal existence, it is enough to expose your face and hands to the sun a couple of times a week for 10-15 minutes. By the way, sunbathing in a solarium in order to replenish ultraviolet radiation is useless. Artificial sun cannot replace the real thing.

Tip #2

Let the light into your home too. Wash the windows (dirty ones block up to 30% of the light) and remove tall flowers from the windowsill (they block 50% of the sun's rays).

Tip #3

Vitamin D stores can be replenished with food. Chief Assistant- fatty fish. Largest quantity(about 360 units per 100 g) of vitamin D is found in salmon. It is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids which also help support heart health and suppress various kinds inflammation. But even absorbing loading doses vitamin D, you need to walk in order for it to be absorbed.

Tip #4

The activity hormone - serotonin - can also be obtained from foods. It is found in dark chocolate, pineapples, bananas, apples and plums.

Tip #5

It is useless to fight drowsiness - it is better to give in to it. Peak drowsy state- from 13 to 17 hours. At this time, it is better to take a 15-20 minute nap in a chair, and then wake up alert and healthy. A short rest perfectly restores performance. Plus, every hour you should be distracted from work and rest for 5 minutes.

Tip #6

You can enhance the synthesis of hormones with the help of physical activity - during training, their increased production occurs. Half an hour of intense physical activity increases the concentration of “happiness hormones” by 5-7 times. By the way, in the gym you can solve another winter problem - loss of strength. There is evidence that one of the reasons for this phenomenon is lack of movement.

Lack of sunlight negatively affects:

* skin regeneration, hair growth

* mood

* immune system

* performance

* cardiovascular system

* hormonal status

Neutralize Negative consequences will help:

* walks

* sports training

* good sleep

*meal including fish, fruit and dark chocolate

It’s not hard to figure out how to deal with the autumn-winter lack of light - flood your home and workplace with artificial light. It is much more difficult to figure out which light to choose. It is to choose, because the times of the only possible incandescent light bulbs are long gone, and different light sources have appeared on the consumer market.

I’ll say right away that there is no ideal among lamps, so the choice will be very difficult.

Which light to choose?

Modern lamps produce different shades of light - from white and bluish to yellow with redness and even violet. Which light to choose? It is not simple. Natural light is the light of the sun, and it is white. But turn on the fluorescent lamp, which gives exactly White color, and many will wrinkle - I don’t like it.

Living under light that irritates the eyes is also wrong. Therefore, everyone will have to make a choice on their own: either recreate natural light, or please their emotional state. By the way, the choice is great. There are now lamps on the market that give various shades light: light of a candle flame; dark red hue, reminiscent of the coals of a fire; so-called daylight, or direct sunlight; White light; daylight with a hint of pure blue sky; deep blue color and even purple.

Lamps

It is easier to choose lamps, because, from a health point of view, the main requirement for a light source is a constant luminous flux. That is, the light should be smooth and not flashing. An absolutely even flow of light is provided by only one lamp - the good old incandescent light bulb. All other new types of lamps flicker.

But! It all depends on the frequency of the pulses. For example, Fluorescent Lamp The old model produces 100 pulses per second, and this is very noticeable to the eye. But if the lamps produce 20 thousand pulses per second, this flickering is almost invisible to the eye. That is, when making a choice between a fluorescent, LED or organic LED lamp, pay attention to the pulse frequency. The bigger, the better.

Amount of light

This is very important question. Having analyzed the traditions and habits of lighting their homes, experts sadly learned that the majority of the population is illuminated incorrectly.

First of all, insufficient lighting was identified. In order for the level of illumination to be comfortable, according to the standards it is necessary: for a room with active physical activities- 300 Lux (illuminance is measured in Lux), for the dining room - 200, for the rest room - 100, for the living room - 200, for the hallway - 100, for the wardrobe, bathroom and toilet - 200, for the corridor - 100, for reading - 30– 50 (naturally, a stream of light directed at the book).

It is unusual for us to operate with such a concept as Lux, so let’s translate it into more understandable quantities. For example, to obtain 200 lux of light in a room, you need approximately 1 incandescent light bulb with a power of 60 W for every 1 square meter. How long is it burning in our rooms? 2–3, maximum 5 bulbs in a chandelier. What happens if you turn on the required number of lamps? Yes, complete ruin! However, their number can be reduced if you choose the right lamp.

Lamp

We choose lamps simply - we buy the one we like. In fact, the quality and quantity of light that will be in the apartment depends on its “design”, the shape of the lampshades and even their color. To obtain maximum amount light, for example, from a chandelier on the ceiling, you need to select a lamp with large shades with high-quality reflectors (the best reflector is foil). In addition, motley, painted lampshades and large glass thicknesses “eat up” the light.

Lighting in the apartment

Our home also matters to increase the amount of light. That is, even minimal light can be enhanced using walls and ceilings.

There is only one rule here - create as large a reflective surface as possible. White color reflects best, so potentially “dark” apartments should be painted in light colors - walls, ceilings, and floors.

By the way, about the walls. It is better to choose wallpaper that is not only light, but also “smooth”. Mirrors can also increase the amount of light - the more of them there are in the rooms, the better.

By the way, if you create the most reflected light in a room, you can get another unexpected joy - visually increase the size of your home.

As for light, with the help of walls, floors and ceilings with maximum light reflection, its amount can be increased by up to 50%!