Why natural light in home extensions is good for health

Natural light is essential to our health and wellbeing. Consider how drinking a morning coffee by the light of a window or taking a walk on a sunny afternoon can revitalise a tired head and lift the spirits.

We instinctively know how good natural light makes us feel, but its benefits are actually backed up by science and research. Healthy exposure to natural light and sunlight has been shown to boost vitamin D levels, keep depression at bay and improve sleep.

If you live in the UK, where sunlight can often be hard to come by, taking any opportunity to access more natural light is essential. But getting outside regularly isn’t always easy, especially if you work from home or in an office all week. And when the outlook is wet and dark for much of the time, finding the motivation to step out of the house can be difficult.

Glass home extensions

That’s where glass home extensions can help. In the absence of being able to get outdoors and feel the sun on your skin, they can increase your exposure to natural light indoors, which can be mood-enhancing and healthy for your body and mind.

Whether you’re planning a modest house extension or a luxury extension, using large amounts of glazing ensures you are able to reap the benefits of natural light all year round.

How natural light boosts health and wellbeing

Natural light has a wealth of benefits for health and wellbeing. For a start, when our eyes are exposed to natural light during the day, our body produces more serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that can affect mood, appetite and sleep.

Exposure to natural light and, specifically, sunlight can also boost your body’s Vitamin D levels. Vitamin D helps prevent bone loss and weight gain, and reduces the risk of heart disease and some cancers.

The amount of natural light you get can even impact your sleep quality. Sleep is vital for a healthy body and mind, helping you stay happier and more positive, energetic and productive. Exposure to daylight regulates your circadian rhythm, which helps you get a good night’s sleep. Natural light, and particularly sunlight, can regulate cortisol levels, which plays a vital part in helping you keep active during the day and switch off at night.

Low levels of natural light are thought to be one of the causes of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a type of depression. People living in countries with a lack of sunlight such as the UK and Scandinavia can be particularly prone to the disorder and the low mood it can cause.

How glass home extensions maximise natural light

If you’re planning a house extension, you have an ideal opportunity to bring more natural light into your life. With careful planning and the extensive use of glass in your extension, you can create a living space filled with natural light, even on the gloomiest of days.

Glass home extensions are the best way of maximising the natural light available. It’s surprising how much brighter your space can become with natural light flooding through your glazing, and north-facing extensions that are typically dingy can be transformed with large areas of glass. And the great thing is that contemporary extensions with large areas of glazing can complement any style of house, so you can reap the benefits whatever kind of property you live in.

With careful planning and product choice, you can find a glass home extension that can be used comfortably all year round, including on the coldest or hottest of days. A handful of glass structures offer outstanding thermal properties through the use of double or triple glazing and ‘thermal break’ technology that helps maintain the indoor temperature. These types of house extension are hard to find but are worth it as they also allow you to truly maximise the natural light coming into your home. That’s because they are so thermally efficient that they don’t require an internal door or wall. You can even remove the dividing wall between your home and extension, allowing natural light to permeate further into the interior of your property.

Glass home extensions for health and wellbeing

With their ability to flood your living space with natural light, glass home extensions are a great way to boost your health and wellbeing. Their large areas of glazing, including a glass roof overhead as well as glass doors and windows to the sides, can have a positive impact on your mood and health-giving benefits for your body.

Glass extensions create a light and airy interior that can minimise the impact on your wellbeing of the changing seasons and shorter days. And if your glass extension has bi-folding or sliding doors that can be opened when the weather is nice, even better! This gives you easy access to your garden or patio, allowing you to benefit from sunlight on warm days as well as the natural light that you get all year round.

You could even boost your health and wellbeing further by using your glass extension as a relaxing space such as a meditation area, an exercise room, or simply somewhere to spend quality time with family and friends. Find more ideas about what you can use your glass extension for here.

Connect with nature and the outdoors

There’s another great reason to install a glass extension on your home, which goes hand-in-hand with the restorative benefits of natural light to further enhance your health and wellbeing. It’s this: glass extensions also allow you to connect with nature and the outdoors.

Just like exposure to natural light, connecting with nature and the outdoors has been shown to boost mood and reduce stress. It can increase serotonin levels and improve focus, memory and productivity. It has even inspired a design movement called biophilic architecture, which seeks to create buildings that connect people with nature and all of the benefits this brings.

Read more about biophilic architecture and design and how glass extensions fit so well with the concept.

Innovative modern homes are making intelligent use of glazing not just to boost natural light but also to provide a connection to nature and the outdoors. The transparency of a glazed structure means that you can feel as if you’re outside even when you’re indoors. You can watch the seasons change from your kitchen diner, stargaze from your sofa, and take pleasure from the views across your lush and colourful garden.