🌞 Light, Melatonin & Serotonin — Why Daylight Matters in Winter

One of the main reasons many people feel low in winter is that reduced daylight affects our body’s chemistry — particularly two key hormones: melatonin and serotonin.

🌙 Melatonin helps regulate sleep. It’s produced in the dark, telling your body it’s time to rest. In winter, when the days are shorter and darker, your body may produce more melatonin than usual, which can make you feel sluggish, drowsy or low in energy — even during the day.

🌤️ Serotonin supports mood, motivation, and feelings of wellbeing. Serotonin levels tend to drop when light exposure decreases, which can lead to symptoms of depression or a general “flatness” that’s common in Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

☀️ Melatonin & Serotonin — The Body’s Natural Rhythm

You can think of these two hormones as partners in a daily dance between light and dark:

🌤️ Daylight = serotonin = wakefulness, energy, positive mood

🌙 Darkness = melatonin = rest, sleep, restoration

Melatonin is produced in response to darkness and tells your body it’s time to sleep. Serotonin, on the other hand, is stimulated by daylight — helping you feel alert, focused and balanced. Later in the day, your body converts some serotonin into melatonin, so the two are beautifully connected.

In winter, shorter days mean less serotonin and more melatonin lingering for longer, which can leave you feeling tired, low or unmotivated.

The good news? Daylight — especially morning light — helps reset both of these systems.

🌅 Natural Ways to Support These Rhythms

☀️ Get outside early in the day

Even 15–30 minutes of natural daylight in the morning can help regulate your body clock. If you can, step outside within the first hour after waking — even on a cloudy day, outdoor light is 10–100 times brighter than indoor light, and that’s enough to trigger serotonin production and reduce excess melatonin. You don’t need a perfect sunny day — even cloudy daylight is enough to influence your body’s internal clock. Early morning exposure is most effective because it synchronizes your circadian rhythm, helping you feel alert in the morning and sleepy at night. Light later in the day can still help mood, but it’s less effective for “resetting” your internal clock.

🌳 Move your body outdoors

Combining light exposure with gentle movement (like a walk or cycle) amplifies the benefits — boosting endorphins and mood-regulating chemicals naturally.

🕯️ Create evening calm

At night, lower your light exposure — dim lights, reduce screen time, and let your melatonin rise naturally. This helps your sleep quality and overall mood the next day.

💡 Did you know? Morning light helps synchronise your circadian rhythm — your body’s internal clock that governs sleep, mood, hormones and energy levels. Regular daylight exposure (especially in the morning) can improve sleep patterns, focus, and even support immune function.

If you’re curious, try this simple experiment for a week:

Spend 20 minutes outdoors within an hour of waking up each day — even if it’s cloudy or drizzling — and see how your energy and mood feel after a few days.

It’s a small but powerful shift that helps your body and mind find their natural rhythm again. 🌿

🌸 A Gentle Invitation

If you’d like to explore more ways to support your wellbeing through the darker months, I’d love to invite you to my Winter Wellness Workshop — a warm and restorative session designed to help you recharge, reset, and reconnect through mindfulness, meditation and self-care.

You can find all the details and book your place here.

⚠️ A gentle reminder: If you’re struggling with low mood, persistent sadness, or extreme fatigue that’s affecting your daily life, please see your GP or a healthcare professional. Seasonal lows are common and it’s always okay to ask for support.