More Darkness
Why More Darkness Might Be Exactly What You Need
By the UWM editors
The end of daylight saving time brings more than just darkness; it’s usually accompanied by a level of frustration as we notice the impact: “It’s pitch black before dinner,”or, “I can’t wake up,” and, “I’m exhausted already.” But as routine as these remarks might be, there’s more going on here than mood. Reduced daylight powerfully changes how our bodies function.
How light affects your system
Light is the strongest environmental cue for your circadian rhythm, the internal clock that regulates sleep, metabolism, and alertness. When daylight hours shrink, your brain adjusts melatonin and cortisol production accordingly. A study in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that morning exposure to bright light suppressed melatonin and boosted cortisol by over 50%, directly improving alertness and reaction time.
That same mechanism works in reverse: when you’re exposed to light late at night — from phones, TVs, or overhead LEDs — melatonin release is delayed, leading to poorer sleep quality and next-day fatigue. Harvard researchers confirmed that blue light exposure before bed can suppress melatonin twice as much as other wavelengths and shift circadian timing by three hours.
So, if you feel groggy after the time change, you’re not imagining it. It’s a physiological adjustment — and one that your body can adapt to with a few deliberate tweaks.
Darkness isn’t depressing; it’s recalibrating
There’s a tendency to frame darkness as inherently negative: a mood killer or productivity drain. But several studies suggest otherwise. In a field study of office workers in Sweden, employees had higher melatonin peaks during winter (short days), which corresponded with more stable sleep and better morning focus compared to summer months.
We don’t perform worse in darker seasons; we just need to organize our energy differently. The constant exposure to bright artificial light tricks our brains into thinking it’s still daytime, and that chronic mismatch may contribute to burnout more than daylight reduction itself.
How to use the darker season to your advantage
Get natural light early. Within 30 minutes of waking, step outside or open a window for at least 10 minutes. Early light exposure synchronizes your circadian clock and reduces sleep inertia.
Shift high-focus work earlier. Cognitive alertness peaks about two hours after waking. If you start your day earlier, you’ll finish major tasks before the late-afternoon slump.
Reclaim your evenings. As daylight fades, reduce overhead lighting and screen time. Dim, warm-toned light cues melatonin and helps your body relax.
Plan real rest. Instead of “collapsing” at the end of the day, schedule low-stimulation downtime, with reading, conversation, journaling, or light stretching.
Go outside anyway. Even on cloudy days, outdoor light exposure is up to 100 times brighter than indoor lighting, and regular exposure helps maintain mood and energy levels.
By understanding the biology behind the seasonal shift, we can use it rather than resent it. The darkness isn’t taking something from us; it’s giving us a boundary. . . a signal that it’s okay to stop.
The bigger takeaway
We tend to equate productivity with daylight, as if only the visible hours count. But real productivity includes recovery. Studies in organizational psychology consistently show that recovery periods, including sleep and non-work leisure, predict higher engagement and focus the next day.
If you’re tired, you don’t necessarily need more motivation. You might need more darkness.