How Natural Daylight Exposure May Help Control Blood Sugar Levels in Type 2 Diabetes
- Rebecca Guldberg
- Dec 28, 2025
- 3 min read
Managing blood sugar levels is a daily challenge for people with type 2 diabetes. While medication and diet play crucial roles, recent research suggests a surprisingly simple habit could also make a difference: spending time in natural daylight. This approach offers a non-invasive, accessible way to support blood sugar control.
The Link Between Daylight and Blood Sugar Control
Scientists have found that exposure to natural light influences the body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm. This rhythm regulates many bodily functions, including hormone release, metabolism, and insulin sensitivity. For people with type 2 diabetes, whose bodies struggle to manage blood sugar effectively, aligning daily activities with natural light patterns can improve how the body processes glucose.
Research shows that morning exposure to daylight can enhance insulin sensitivity, meaning the body uses insulin more efficiently. This effect helps lower blood sugar levels after meals and throughout the day. Conversely, lack of daylight or irregular light exposure can disrupt the circadian rhythm, leading to poorer blood sugar control.
Practical Ways to Increase Daylight Exposure
Incorporating natural light into daily routines does not require major lifestyle changes. Here are some practical tips:
Morning sunlight: Spend 20 to 30 minutes outside in the morning. Activities like walking, gardening, or simply sitting on a balcony can help reset your internal clock.
Work near windows: If you work indoors, position your desk close to a window to maximize daylight exposure.
Take breaks outside: Use breaks to step outside for fresh air and sunlight, especially during midday when light intensity is higher.
Use light therapy lamps: In regions with limited sunlight, especially during winter, light therapy lamps can mimic natural daylight and support circadian rhythms.
Benefits Beyond Blood Sugar
Natural daylight exposure offers additional health benefits that complement diabetes management:
Improved mood and energy: Sunlight boosts serotonin production, which can reduce feelings of depression and fatigue common in people managing chronic conditions.
Better sleep quality: Exposure to daylight helps regulate melatonin, the sleep hormone, leading to more restful nights. Good sleep supports overall metabolic health.
Vitamin D synthesis: Sunlight triggers vitamin D production, which plays a role in immune function and may influence insulin sensitivity.
What the Research Says
A recent study highlighted in The Economic Times found that people with type 2 diabetes who increased their exposure to natural daylight showed improved blood sugar control without changing their medication. The study emphasizes that this simple habit may be a valuable addition to traditional diabetes care.
Researcher Joris Hoeks at Maastricht University in the Netherlands recruited 13 people with type 2 diabetes with an average age of 70, and had them spend 4.5 days in a room where they were solely exposed to natural light through large windows. They continued to take their diabetes medications and had similar meals and exercise.
These same participants later sat in windowless rooms with only artificial lighting. During both experiments, they wore devices that continuously monitored their blood sugar levels. Three of the participants' data were excluded due to technical issues.
During the natural light week, participants' blood sugar levels remained in the healthy range 50 percent of the time. In the artificial light experiment, this range was achieved 43 percent of the time.
Although the data differences seem small between the two experiments, Hoeks says spending a lot of time outside of a healthy range could make a difference to someone's risk of diabetes complications.
He says sunlight exposure may have this effect because light-sensitive cells in the eye are central to regulating cycles of metabolic activity. Further studies are needed but Hoeks says for now, many people with type 2 diabetes could possibly benefit from getting more natural light even if that means just sitting by a window.
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This content is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider about any questions or concerns regarding your health or treatment options.
