deutrinoFeb 21

one small but definitely nonzero motivating factor of having an artificial photoperiod synced to the wall clock when it comes to keeping my circadian rhythm entrained - when my cycle gets too late in the day, I'm like "aww fuck" when the lights click off in the evening, because I didn't get enough time under them, and I feel like I missed out.

when existing in a body which doesn't keep its own rhythms well, every little bit helps.

Show threaddeutrinoFeb 21

it feels contradictory bc I'm someone who isn't very fond of sunny days (shit's bright, yo) and who enjoys the notoriously gloomy winter weather where I live. but the spaces I inhabit indoors always have bright daytime lighting because my entire life gets fucked up if I don't. and I *like* it. it's not something I merely endure.

the key is that bright indoor lighting is 1 to 3% the intensity of direct sunlight. human eyes have incredible dynamic range.

Show threaddeutrinoFeb 21

even deep winter gloom outdoors here is brighter than the light level of, say, a well-lit office, which is the level of daytime light I need to avoid health impacts.

it sometimes doesn't seem like it because of how our eyes work, but it's true.

Show threaddeutrino
story time: I finally put 2+2 together on controlling my #DSPD because circumstance led me to go on 2 camping trips when my cycle was wayyy off while avoiding alcohol on said trips, and I effortlessly synced to the solar cycle within 72 hours on both occasions. I also happened to research melatonin dynamics that summer. and thus, I finally found the winning combo of daytime light + microdose melatonin + avoiding alcohol and classical opioids.
Feb 21 at 2:00amWeb
Show threaddeutrinoFeb 21

the vexing background: I had started self-medicating with light exposure nearly 20 years beforehand, I just had no clue the amount and duration/ubiquity needed (enough to hit ≥50% of cloudy daylight, from waking thru dinner time) and so it didn't work well for much of the initial random experimenting.

also I can sleep like a baby in very bright light when my cycle is shifted, even though the light is influencing me somewhat as I sleep.