What Quitting Artificial Light Taught me About Sleep | Linda Geddes | TEDxBristol

Light bulbs, television, smart phones, shift work: these modern habits have dramatically altered our relationship with the 24-hour cycle of light and dark.
We spend 90% of our lives indoors, where it’s often 15-500 times dimmer than outside, and keep the lights switched on long after sunset. This has important consequences for our sleep, alertness, mood, and recovery from illness. Linda Geddes' TEDx talk unpacks this complex and altered relationship with light and reveals how we can revert to a more traditional way of living (without ditching our digital devices!)
Linda is a Bristol-based journalist writing about the science of birth, death and everything in-between. Her book, Chasing The Sun, explores the impact of sunlight on our bodies and minds. During her research, she spent a long weekend with the Old Order Amish, endured the Polar Night with the surprisingly cheerful residents of Arctic Norway, and stayed awake with bipolar patients on a Milanese psychiatric ward. She also persuaded her family to go cold turkey on artificial light to explore the impact on their sleep and well-being. Linda also has a degree in cell biology and lives in Bristol.
Credits:
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Ben Scrase
Dan O'Connell Talk title: What I Learned By Living Without Artificial Light.
Linda Geddes is a Bristol-based journalist writing about the science of birth, death and everything in-between. Her first book, Bumpology, dealt with the birth part; her second, Chasing The Sun, explores the impact of sunlight on our bodies and minds. During her research, she spent a long weekend yard-sale shopping with the Old Order Amish, endured the Polar Night with the surprisingly cheerful residents of Arctic Norway, and stayed awake with bipolar patients on a Milanese psychiatric ward. She also persuaded her family to go cold turkey on artificial light to explore the impact on their sleep and well-being. Linda has a degree in cell biology and lives in Bristol. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@heathermacdonald2383]

Fascinating how much the simplest thing that we take for granted every day, the sun in the sky, can affect our mood and our health. Definitely worth a watch.

[@lindageddes5891]

Thanks. This experiment had definitely changed my daily routine

[@doctors_kitchen]

Awesome Linda!

[@firadford6161]

This talk could really make a difference to your life and your sleep.

[@AliClifford]

Fascinating - I’ve been reading about Circadian rhythms recently and this really resonates Linda - thank you for sharing :)

[@clarewilson7546]

Oh dear - I spent all day inside today! Really interesting food for thought.

[@shanavasm5815]

A 'light shedding' speech ... Love it😍

[@DrewBenvie]

Love this Linda! I saw your talk in the flesh and tell so many people about the benefits of sunlight now! I'm massively into using the cycle of the body and nature to your advantage. Question for you: what would your next TED Talk be on? You're researching so many fascinating topics to me!

[@lindageddes5891]

I shall give this some thought.. :-)

[@azanuan9185]

I think people, modern people, just use artificial light tooooooooo much. From early morning - lights on, during the evening - lights on, during the day - lights on. I try not to use artificial light and have thankfully good vision. Kid that's raised under almost constant artificial light can't see on... room filled with the light of the 50"tv but turned off light bulbs, she was like I can't see mom I can't see, but that same kid is using phone from the age of 1 and its mom uses to turn on the light EVEN during a day, on bright morning with no cloud - lights on. Such a shame, and stupidity to be honest.

[@paulherrera6537]

shes beautiful

[@kazukinakamura1110]

I’d like to know if the Amish are healthier, more productive and live longer?

[@lindageddes5891]

I dont know about lifespan and productivity, but they do have the lowest prevalence of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) of any caucasian population studied so far

[@Uluc994]

Too much hand gesture 🤌