Set Your Alarm! “Clock Trick” Beats Depression

I’m always astounded when I hear how many people in the US are affected by depression.

The numbers are around 17 million adults… and a large portion of those individuals are taking drugs to help them feel better. If you’re one of these folks, you need to know that…

Depression is caused by imbalances in your body’s chemistry.

And you also need to know that a drug isn’t the solution.

There are many natural ways to help restore balance — and cure your depression.

One of the easiest is a “clock trick” that can help you beat the blues, for good.

We’ve known about the connection between sleep and depression for a while now.

For example, did you know that people with insomnia are 10 times more likely to develop depression? The reverse is true as well, with depressed people being much more likely to experience insomnia.

How long you sleep at night can impact your risk of depression, too.

Well, now new research is in, and this time it shows that WHEN you wake up in the morning could dramatically impact your risk as well.

A large genetic study of 840,000 people showed that waking up just one hour earlier in the morning was associated with a 23 percent lower risk of major depressive disorder.

This suggests a cause-and-effect relationship between when you wake up and your risk of depression.

This could be because waking up earlier makes it more likely for your body to be exposed to early morning sunlight.

And in the morning, the sun has specific frequencies of light that helps set your circadian rhythm.

All of this plays a role in the creation of serotonin, melatonin, and cerebral hemodynamics, and indicates the strong relationship between sunlight, sleep, and mood disturbances.

In addition, research has shown that exposure to sunlight has a positive impact on cognitive function.

This study specifically looked at people with a genetic predisposition to being an early bird, which confirms that following your body’s natural circadian rhythm is critical for your health.

Interestingly, research has also suggested that people who consider themselves to be night owls can retrain their body clocks so that they wake earlier—and that they have lower levels of stress and depression when they do so.

Bottom line: Everything in your body is connected.

Wake up early and get outside in the direct sunlight.

Your body and your brain will thank you.

Dr. Richard Gerhauser

P.S. Have trouble sleeping? Or find yourself not sleeping at all? If so, I urge you to click here and read this.