Reclaiming the Dark of Night

City Lights Photo by NASA on Unsplash

When I was 20 years old, I read that nighttime exposure to artificial light can lead to symptoms of mania. The article’s suggestion was radical: even if you’re not asleep, just turn out the lights. For 8 hours. Every night. Lay there in the dark and be alone with yourself. Close your eyes, even. Go into the night.

That article changed my life, and maybe even saved it. I’m a night-owl, and when left to my own…