Health problems from the lack of sunlight
What’s that bright, yellow ball in the sky? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s the sun! With all the benefits that exposure to sunlight provides for us, children are still not spending enough time outdoors to reap the benefits. Toggle below to read more on the physical health problems that children may have from the lack of exposure to sunlight due to reduced outdoor playtime.
Sleeping troubles
Exposure to sunlight helps us to maintain a regular sleep-wake schedule through the release of a hormone in our body called melatonin. If children are not spending enough time outdoors, they may lack sunlight exposure to regulate their melatonin release at appropriate amounts. Furthermore, exposure to blue light from electronic devices during the nighttime suppresses melatonin release twice as much in children than in adults. Such imbalance between sunlight and blue light can result in later bedtimes and sleep disturbances among children and adolescents.
Message: less blue light, more sunlight!
Appetite change
Serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is regulated by exposure to sunlight, tells your body that you are full once your body has reached its needed caloric intake. However, because the lack of sunlight may lower serotonin levels, your brain does not tell your body that it has eaten enough, and you will end up eating more than you need. This is potentially contributing to the increasing rates of obesity in children.
Weaker immune system
Spending time outdoors in the sun increases our level of vitamin D, which is crucial to building our immune system. Children with a vitamin D deficiency, however, are more susceptible to viral and bacterial infections, and fighting illnesses become more challenging.
Weak bones
Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium which helps to keep bones strong. However, the lack of vitamin D can lead to rickets, a disorder that results in soft and weak bones in children. As such, weak bones can be a result of both a lack of exposure to sunlight as well as reduced physical activity keeping bones strong.