Let light in to improve your sleep patterns

Manic mornings have replaced hot, lazy summer days. Even though the school year has just begun, you and your family are likely already feeling the lag of the morning routine.

Coffee may provide a quick pick-me-up in the morning, but exposing your bedroom to natural light will awaken your mind and body while providing long term health benefits.

"By increasing our exposure to sunlight and reducing our exposure to electrical lighting at night, we can turn our internal clock and sleep times back and likely make it easier to awaken and be alert in the morning," Kenneth Wright, lead researcher at the University of Colorado, Boulder, told the Daily Mail.

A study published in the journal Current Biology examined the sleep patterns of adults when they were exposed to electrical light and compared it to when the participants spent a week camping in Colorado with natural light. According the research, artificial light led to a two-hour delay in participants internal body clock.

Exposure to natural light allows melatonin, the hormone responsible for your sleep cycle, to decrease during the last hour of sleep time, helping people feel more alert in the mornings.

So how can you use these findings to help get your cranky teenager up in time for class? The key is to exposing yourself and your family to as much natural light throughout the day as possible.

Although a midday run or outdoor lunch may do the trick, who has time for these activities? Consider Bazaar's custom blinds and solar shades, which allow natural sunlight to enter your home to your liking. With 100 blinds and shades to choose from, we can help you feel well rested.