The Quickie Real World Strategies Series 

Part 3

(2 min read)

When you can give your clients real-world, immediately applicable strategies that support their goals, you’ll produce better results.

That will lead to an increase in your impact and your income. 

To support you in that quest, we’ve created this series of practical, science-based strategies you can share with your clients as you guide them to their goals. 

This is the third installment of this series. 

You can find the first two articles here and here. 

When it comes to impacting clients, few things will have the dramatic resonating effect of quality sleep. 

Sleep can improve insulin sensitivity, blood glucose, improved mood, lower blood pressure, improved immune response, improved performance, and maintenance of healthy weight. 

Since it’s such a lynchpin, fixing clients’ sleep will improve your retention and your referrals. 

In this article, you’ll learn about a two-minute intervention that can dramatically improve a client’s sleep. 

We’ll start with the science and then cover the strategy. 

The Science:

There are neurons in the eye that contain a protein called melanopsin. 

These photoreceptor cells are particularly sensitive to the wavelength of visible light and communicate information directly to the area of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), also known as the central “body clock.”

These cells play a major role in synchronizing circadian rhythms to the 24-hour light/dark cycle, providing primarily length-of-day and length-of-night information.

In response to the observation of the setting sun and its relatively little blue light in the evening, the body produces more melatonin to prepare for sleep and recovery. 

We can use this information to beneficially impact sleep. 

The Strategy:

The simple act of witnessing the setting sun sets the body up for sleep. 

This simple observation can take as little as 2 minutes and gives the body the opportunity to start the hormonal cascade necessary for quality sleep. 

In addition to preparing the body for sleep, viewing the sunset also makes the body more resilient to blue light exposure later in the evening. 

It’s a win-win. 

To sum it up…The Summary:

• The human eye contains photosensitive cells that help dictate the sleep and wake cycle
• The setting sun is a powerful stimulus to inform the body that it’s time to wind down and prepare for sleep
• Observing the evening sun not only sets the body up for sleep but also makes it more resilient to light exposure later in the evening. 

One sentence takeaway:

Observing sunlight in the evening can dramatically improve sleep by informing the brain to start winding down and preparing for sleep.