Five Benefits to Sleeping Outdoors
Do you enjoy camping, or is it your greatest nightmare?
Perhaps you just enjoy the break from the hustle and bustle of daily life.
Or perhaps you can only think of mosquitos keeping you awake all night and the inconvenience of getting to the bathroom.
Sleeping outdoors can not only be comfortable (once you get rid of the mosquitos) but also beneficial in surprising ways.
Here are five benefits of sleeping outdoors:
1. Aligns our circadian rhythms with the natural patterns of day and night, synchronizing the body to the ancient rhythm it has evolved to follow.
This causes us to sleep more deeply and longer.
Studies have shown that when people go camping, they enjoy better sleep quality and duration.
This is because when we sleep in nature, especially if we go camping, we are subjected to the full light of the sun all day, and natural darkness at night.
We are meant to sleep at night and to be awake and alert during the daytime.
However, our indoor lifestyles have left us bereft of adequate sunlight to initiate the circadian clock, telling us to wake up. Equally, our nights are polluted with blue light from LED lighting and the screens of our computers and devices.
This leaves our brains confused and we feel more tired during the day and less sleepy at night.
2. Boosts the immune system through airborne chemicals emanated by plants.
Plants, especially trees, manage their own immune systems through chemicals called phytoncides.
These are released as aerosols into the air and are highly concentrated in a forest environment.
Phytoncides help our immune systems too. Human subjects have shown elevated immune system indicators after spending time outside.
3. Upgrades our ability to think and function as we breathe oxygen-saturated fresh air all night long.
The better the air quality, the better your brain works, improving your sleep.
Clean air is increasingly rare in cities where most people live.
Shockingly, indoor air quality is often worse than it is in the city outdoors. Many products we bring into our homes off-gas toxic volatile compounds.
With poor ventilation, we can find ourselves in a high carbon dioxide-concentrated environment, hindering restful sleep.
4. Reinforces mental well-being and reduces stress through entrainment to sounds of nature.
Spending time outdoors lowers blood pressure and promotes lower concentrations of cortisol.
This reduces stress and enhances mood. Falling asleep this way allows your body to relax to a deep and peaceful sleep.
5. Promotes our deep ancestral memory of kinship amongst all of nature.
The sound of frogs trilling through the night; the soft breath of breezes whispering through pine leaves; the occasional hoot of an owl; all these remind us of who we are in the greater scheme of things.
Like an ancient lullaby, this timeless exchange follows us into our dreams, telling us that we are still a part of it all.