When I wake up, it’s there. When I leave work, it’s waiting for me. It barely peels away at the end of my morning run and makes the idea of an evening hangout feel impossible.
Like most people in the UK, I’m already sick of this darkness. And – don’t shoot the messenger! – it’s set to stay this gloomy until around March (the next time the sun will set after 6pm in my city).
Still, experts have previously offered a solution. A lunchtime walk should be considered a “basic safety requirement”, Brenig Moore, health and safety and technical officer at Astutis, told HuffPost UK previously.
That’s partly because it’s the only free stretch most of us have to soak in some rays during the work week.
Looking for even more motivation? It turns out getting some outside light could benefit our brains, bones, sleep, and more.
3 benefits of getting roughly 30 minutes of daylight
1) Better sleep
New research from the University of Manchester has found that people who spent longer in bright light (including daylight) tended to fall asleep earlier and wake up sooner than those with less exposure.
“Our findings show that brighter days and steadier light routines aren’t just nice to have — they may be fundamental for healthier sleep,” study author Dr Altug Didikoglu said.
Previous research suggests that morning daylight might be especially useful here.
“Every 30-minute increment of morning sun exposure (before 10 am) was associated with a 23-minute reduction in the midpoint of sleep,” meaning falling asleep sooner, a 2025 article found.
2) Lower dementia risk
In another paper, researchers found that people who got 42 minutes of light over 1000 lux – about as bright as a cloudy sky, but far brighter than indoor lights, which sit around 500 lux in our most well-lit rooms – had a 17% lower risk of dementia.
The more participants spent outside, the better their odds became.
But spending at least 27 minutes in 7,000 lux light – about the light from a bright overcast day, i.e., a grey winter lunchtime – lowered dementia risk too.
3) A better mood
We know that sunshine can make us happier. It can release “happy chemicals”, like serotonin, in our brain, which leads to feelings of calm and focus.
And a 2007 study found that 30-minute exposure to daylight of at least 2,000 lux can improve the “pleasantness” of our mood, too.
BRB, just off to take a lunchtime wander…
