by
Pam Killeen
October 16, 2024
Sunlight Awareness in Schools
Around a hundred years ago, educators and architects believed that ample natural light in classrooms could reduce the risk of myopia (nearsightedness). As a result, schools were designed with large windows, allowing sunlight to brighten classrooms and support children’s eye health. However, by the 1960s, architectural trends and a shift toward artificial lighting led to schools with smaller windows, reducing students’ access to natural light.
This move away from natural light also marked a loss of its health benefits, particularly its positive impact on eye health and myopia prevention. The once-common understanding that sunlight could help protect eyesight gradually disappeared from mainstream knowledge.
My Personal Journey with Vision and Natural Light
As a teenager, I got my first pair of glasses for nearsightedness. Wearing glasses became a routine part of life, and I didn’t question why my vision was deteriorating. Years later, I discovered an unexpected improvement in my eyesight when I stopped wearing my glasses while playing tennis outdoors. This experience taught me that sunlight, without the filter of prescription lenses, was likely benefiting my vision. Reflecting back, I realized that sunlight exposure could have helped me avoid years of dependency on glasses.
The Science Behind Sunlight and Myopia Prevention
Recent research, including studies by Dr. Richard Hobday, has highlighted the relationship between sunlight and myopia prevention. Myopia occurs when the eye grows too long, causing light to focus in front of the retina. Exposure to natural light stimulates the release of dopamine in the retina, which helps control eye growth and prevent this elongation, thus reducing myopia risk.
Modern Lifestyle, Screen Time, and Myopia’s Rise
In today’s digital world, children and adults spend more time indoors with limited natural light and prolonged screen exposure—two factors strongly associated with myopia. This combination of limited outdoor time and screen-heavy lifestyles has contributed to an unprecedented rise in myopia worldwide.
Public Health Initiatives in Asia
In response to rising myopia rates, countries such as Singapore, Taiwan, and China, where myopia is prevalent, have introduced initiatives encouraging children to spend at least two hours outdoors daily. For example, in Taiwan, schools now require students to participate in outdoor activities, while some schools in China have even incorporated outdoor spaces into classroom designs to ensure ample sunlight exposure. Research supports these efforts, indicating that regular outdoor time helps reduce myopia risk in children.
Sunlight’s Additional Benefits for Eye and Overall Health
Beyond protecting against myopia, sunlight also provides essential UVB rays, which help produce vitamin D—a nutrient vital for eye health and preventing abnormal eye growth and inflammation. Natural light exposure supports not only vision but also other aspects of physical well-being.
The Limitations of Artificial Lighting Indoors
Unlike natural light, artificial indoor lighting cannot replicate the intensity or full spectrum of sunlight, leaving children more susceptible to myopia and depriving them of other sunlight-related health benefits.
Conclusion: Bringing Sunlight Back to Protect Vision
Dr. Hobday’s findings and the proactive public health efforts in Asia underscore the importance of sunlight exposure for eye health. As screen time continues to rise and time outdoors declines, incorporating natural light into daily life, whether through outdoor activities or school initiatives, is an effective strategy to curb the myopia epidemic and promote overall wellness.
References
Hobday R. Myopia and daylight in schools: a neglected aspect of public health? Perspect Public Health. 2016 Jan;136(1):50-5. doi: 10.1177/1757913915576679. Epub 2015 Mar 23. PMID: 25800796. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25800796/
Wu, P. C., Tsai, C. L., Wu, H. L., Yang, Y. H., & Kuo, H. K. (2013). Outdoor activity during class recess reduces myopia onset and progression in school children. Ophthalmology, 120(5), 1080-1085. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2012.11.009 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23462271/
Morgan, I. G., Ohno-Matsui, K., & Saw, S. M. (2012). Myopia. The Lancet, 379(9827), 1739-1748. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60272-4 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22559900/
He, M., Xiang, F., Zeng, Y., Mai, J., Chen, Q., Zhang, J., … & Morgan, I. G. (2015). Effect of time spent outdoors at school on the development of myopia among children in China: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA, 314(11), 1142-1148. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.10803 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2441261
Rose, K. A., Morgan, I. G., Ip, J., Kifley, A., Huynh, S., Smith, W., & Mitchell, P. (2008). Outdoor activity reduces the prevalence of myopia in children. Ophthalmology, 115(8), 1279-1285. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2007.12.019 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18294691/
Pam Killeen is a health coach, author, and advocate for circadian health, with over three decades of experience in the wellness field. Her career has evolved from focusing on nutrition and natural health strategies to integrating the critical principles of circadian biology into her online practice.
She is the author of three books—The Great Bird Flu Hoax (co-authored with Dr. Joseph Mercola); Addiction: The Hidden Epidemic; and Survival of the Unfittest—which highlight her deep interest in nutrition. Reflecting on her work, she wishes she had included information about circadian practices in her writing and consultations but believes it’s never too late to start. Her website is www.pamkilleen.com.