Time for a little non-fiction, methinks, in the midst of all these wonderful novels I’ve been reading. And I’ve owned this book for over a year. I was waiting for an opportunity to savour it unpressured by other reading/review commitments. The time is now!
I am a sunlover, a sun worshipper. By that I don’t mean that I choose to lay out for hours on a sun drenched beach seeking a sun tan. Far from it, I find that incredibly boring. No, I love and worship the sun for its warmth, for its light and for the way it makes me feel. I’ve believed for years that the Sun is vitally important for my well-being. I’ve joked with friends that I am a solar cell and I need the Sun to recharge. So it felt like this book could’ve been written for me when I saw it.
‘Since the dawn of time, humans have worshipped the sun. And with good reason. Our biology is set up to work in partnership with the sun. From our sleep cycles to our immune systems and our mental health, access to sunlight is crucial for living a happy and fulfilling life. New research suggests that our sun exposure over a lifetime - even before we were born - may shape our risk of developing a range of different illnesses, from depression to diabetes.
Bursting with cutting-edge science and eye-opening advice, Chasing the Sun explores the extraordinary significance of sunlight. - from ancient solstice celebrations to modern sleep labs, and from the unexpected health benefits of sun exposure to what the Amish know about sleep that the rest of us don't.
As more of us move into light-polluted cities, spending our days in dim offices and our evenings watching brightly lit screens, we are in danger of losing something vital: our connection to the star that gave us life. It's a loss that could have far-reaching consequences that we're only just beginning to grasp.’
It’s a scientific book for sure but it’s not so scientific that the layman can’t get a reasonable grasp on it. I suppose I related mostly to those things that were relevant to my own situation. For example for some years I’ve believed that I’ve suffered from SAD. Reading this book has made me wonder whether it’s just a very extreme case of the winter blues that I have. But certainly I’ve been reassured that my light therapy is probably one of the best treatments I can use for my condition.
I never made a secret of the fact that I abhor e-readers. This may be why.
‘Another study found that, compared with reading a print book, using an e-reader prolonged the amount of time it took participants to fall asleep, reduced the amount of REM sleep experienced and left him feeling more tired the next morning.’
I read a lot in bed and I suffer from insomnia. Sometimes for review/blog tour purposes I’ve been in situations where I’ve had to read an ebook. But I’ve never looked at any kind of relationship between using an e-reader and an increase in my sleeplessness. But it may not be quite that simple. For the book has much to say about sleep and circadian rhythms.
Interesting to wonder whether this is a book that I should’ve read because I don’t need to be converted to how important the Sun is. It is one which I would recommend to sceptics. However there was much to learn within a broader context because as we know nothing in isolation can be the sole provider of all the health and life benefits we need. But the book confirmed for me that, as I always suspected, the Sun is vital and I do right to worship and revere it!
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